Why is Mississippi so poor?
Mississippi is very poor because salaries are low and because the cost of living is not as low as it should be. The median household income is $45,792. Overall, Mississippi has a poverty rate of 19.6%, making it the poorest state in the United States.
When comparing the biggest city in Mississippi (Jackson, MS) with the biggest city in Kansas (Wichita, KS), we can see that people in Mississippi pay more than people in Kansas.
| Indices Difference |
|---|
| Consumer Prices in Jackson, MS are 28.23% higher than in Wichita, KS (without rent) |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Jackson, MS are 25.67% higher than in Wichita, KS |
| Rent Prices in Jackson, MS are 18.11% higher than in Wichita, KS |
| Restaurant Prices in Jackson, MS are 9.33% higher than in Wichita, KS |
| Groceries Prices in Jackson, MS are 56.95% higher than in Wichita, KS |
| Local Purchasing Power in Jackson, MS is 35.62% lower than in Wichita, KS |
As you can see, consumer prices, rent prices, restaurant prices, and groceries prices are all higher in Mississippi than in Kansas. The local purchasing power is lower in Jackson by 35.62%.
This is not logic: people in Mississippi pay more on a daily basis than people in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, or Texas, and earn less than those people!
This is what makes Mississippi so poor: the combination of a high cost of living with low salaries.
Why is Mississippi so cheap?
Mississippi is very cheap because it is not an attractive state. Buying or renting a house in Mississippi is cheap thanks to the vast amount of land and the reputation of the state. Indeed, Mississippi is the poorest state in the United States and is usually considered boring or bad.
Why is Mississippi so dangerous?
Mississippi is prone to obesity, with a rate of 40.8%, the highest in the country. However, Mississippi is not particularly dangerous. It is ranked 38th most dangerous state, with a violent crime rate of 234.4 per 100,000 people, and 171 murders in 2018, the 23rd lowest in the United States.
Basically, people in Mississippi are “less dangerous” than in other states. The crime rate is quite low in Mississippi. We can say that Mississippi is a poor place, but with good people. In fact, the most dangerous thing in Mississippi could be the high number of natural disasters.
Is Mississippi a good place to live?
Mississippi is not the best place to live in because it does not offer a lot of opportunities. The biggest city is Jackson, with a population of only 166,383 people. Living in Jackson is alright if you have a good job. However, the high cost of living and the low salaries in Mississippi are not attractive at all.
Then, there are other reasons that make Mississippi unattractive. For example, there are lots of natural disasters in Mississippi. The education is quite poor (ranked 46th for education) and there are not a lot of tech companies.
There are also lots of swamps in Mississippi, causing the presence of many mosquitoes. If you are not into bugs, you should not consider moving to Mississippi.
Why is Mississippi so bad?
There are three reasons that make Mississippi a bad state: Mississippi is the poorest state in the United States, with a poverty rate of 19.6%. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate in the country at about 40.8%. Finally, Mississippi has the lowest life expectancy with a rate of 74.5 years.
Worst places to live in Mississippi
Here are the top 10 worst places to live in Mississippi:
- Forest
- Louisville
- Holly Springs
- Gulfport
- Picayune
- Kosciusko
- Laurel
- Ripley
- Meridian
- Brookhaven
Some of those places are either bad for education, crime rate, or poverty. If you consider moving to one of those cities, please do your research beforehand. If you need more resources to book a flight, book accommodations, or rent a car, please use the links.
Best places to live in Mississippi
Here are the top 10 best places to live in Mississippi:
- Biloxi
- Port Gibson
- Oxford
- Jackson
- Natchez
- Canton
- Tupelo
- Clarksdale
- Crystal Springs
- Flora
Those places are great to live in and also to visit. Some of them are located next to Gulf Coast. Others have great historical centers.
Overall, if you are looking for a great piece of additional resource to complete your overview of Mississippi, here is a video from Nick Johnson about it.
The video is split into two parts. In the first part, Nick takes you through the state and shows you what the different places look like. In the second part of the video, Nick talks with locals and asks questions to know what it really is like living in Mississippi.
