Best Counties in Mississippi — 2026 Rankings
82 of 82 counties scored across 12 dimensions
82
82 scored
48/100
composite score
68.6/100
30.1—68.6
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Mississippi
Mississippi trails slightly behind the national median
Mississippi earns a state-wide composite score of 48.4, placing it just below the national median of 50.0. While all 82 counties are represented in the data, the state ranks in the lower half of national livability metrics due to significant regional disparities.
Low taxes and affordability drive state strengths
The state excels in fiscal areas, boasting a high Cost Score of 71.0 and a favorable Tax Score of 60.2. These figures reflect a landscape where daily expenses and tax burdens are significantly lower than in many other regions of the country.
Income and health scores limit overall growth
Persistent challenges in the local economy and healthcare systems result in an Income Score of 17.5 and a Health Score of 18.3. These metrics drag down the overall composite score and highlight a significant gap between affordability and quality of life services.
Issaquena leads as the state's most livable county
Issaquena County tops the list with a 68.6 score, fueled by elite cost and tax ratings above 95.0. Carroll (64.5) and Kemper (62.8) also outperform the state average by leveraging extreme affordability to offset lower income scores.
Best for budget-conscious and remote workers
Mississippi is an ideal fit for retirees or remote professionals who prioritize low overhead and minimal taxes over high-income local job markets. The state offers exceptional value for those who can navigate the lower health and income infrastructure.
All County Rankings in Mississippi
Search, sort, and filter all 82 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 82 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Issaquena County | 68.6 | 96.4 | 95.3 | 0.2 | 97.5 | 1.9 | N/A | 92 | 0.9 | 42 | 54.8 | 48.4 | |
| 2 | Carroll County | 64.5 | 66.9 | 95.3 | 25.5 | 97.5 | 12.3 | 39.1 | 76.7 | 86 | 42.6 | 46 | 32 | |
| 3 | Kemper County | 62.8 | 74.8 | 93.5 | 5.7 | 78.6 | 32.6 | 35.6 | 85.1 | 57.9 | 50 | 31.7 | 38.9 | |
| 4 | Choctaw County | 62.7 | 90.4 | 92.9 | 11.6 | 55.7 | 30.6 | 50.6 | 88.5 | 55 | 50.2 | 31.2 | 43.5 | |
| 5 | Webster County | 62.3 | 77.4 | 90 | 38.9 | 71.8 | 16.9 | 40.7 | 87.4 | 86 | 55.6 | 40.2 | 28.6 | |
| 6 | Clarke County | 60.7 | 86 | 78.1 | 8.4 | 89.7 | 21.2 | 27.8 | 64 | 86 | 43.8 | 28.4 | 26.7 | |
| 7 | Perry County | 60.7 | 57.5 | 94.3 | 15.5 | 97.5 | 13.5 | 40.4 | 80.5 | 26.3 | 29.5 | 29.7 | 11.3 | |
| 8 | Franklin County | 60.2 | 69.2 | 91.8 | 8 | 97.5 | 16.8 | 26.6 | 82.7 | 17.5 | 39.8 | 35.5 | 29.4 | |
| 9 | Smith County | 60.2 | 90 | 91.3 | 17.5 | 84.8 | 19.8 | 24 | 52.8 | 11.1 | 54 | 25.9 | 36.6 | |
| 10 | Amite County | 59.3 | 87.4 | 93.4 | 1.1 | 83.6 | 13.5 | 26.1 | 51.8 | 49 | 40.9 | 28.6 | 26.6 | |
| 11 | Quitman County | 58.2 | 27.8 | 94.9 | 0.5 | 97.5 | 6 | 63.9 | 81.5 | 11 | 47.5 | 41.5 | 26.7 | |
| 12 | Montgomery County | 58 | 45.4 | 76.7 | 7.3 | 97.5 | 6.3 | 57 | 89.1 | 31.6 | 65.3 | 37.2 | 32.4 | |
| 13 | Benton County | 57.3 | 67.9 | 85.1 | 4.4 | 97.5 | 13 | 17.3 | 84.8 | 15.4 | 64.3 | 38.1 | 36 | |
| 14 | Adams County | 57.1 | 46.1 | 88 | 3 | 97.5 | 10.8 | 37.5 | 42.8 | 86 | 47.3 | 54.2 | 39.5 | |
| 15 | Holmes County | 57 | 44.6 | 91.6 | 0.2 | 94.5 | 7.9 | 49.6 | 50.2 | 26 | 54.6 | 49.5 | 37.9 | |
| 16 | Sharkey County | 57 | 42.8 | 80.8 | 1.1 | 97.5 | 8.1 | 61.1 | 84.2 | 2.9 | 33.4 | 53.7 | 40.7 | |
| 17 | Lawrence County | 56.8 | 63.4 | 72.2 | 5.4 | 97.5 | 12.7 | 37.5 | 75 | 57.5 | 27.9 | 26.1 | 28.2 | |
| 18 | Tippah County | 56.7 | 57.7 | 78.5 | 16.9 | 92.9 | 14.4 | 31.8 | 56.2 | 59 | 66.9 | 32.1 | 35.8 | |
| 19 | Jefferson Davis County | 56.2 | 50.2 | 84.8 | 1.7 | 97.5 | 14.3 | 26.1 | 76.9 | 59.1 | 39.5 | 24.7 | 38.3 | |
| 20 | Newton County | 56 | 53.4 | 85.8 | 15.4 | 97.5 | 13.2 | 22.4 | 47.6 | 63 | 47.6 | 26.8 | 32.7 | |
| 21 | Calhoun County | 55.8 | 65 | 92.7 | 6 | 71.5 | 8 | 40.7 | 72.4 | 37.8 | 53.2 | 39.3 | 23.9 | |
| 22 | Chickasaw County | 55.8 | 58.4 | 84.1 | 5.2 | 93.1 | 11.5 | 25.3 | 56.1 | 62.2 | 57.1 | 40.6 | 34.8 | |
| 23 | Simpson County | 55.8 | 74.3 | 72.7 | 23.1 | 93.2 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 49.1 | 86 | 33 | 31.5 | 30.4 | |
| 24 | Claiborne County | 55.3 | 76.3 | 93 | 0.8 | 67.9 | 13.1 | 28 | 75.3 | 44.2 | 37.4 | 48.5 | 34.6 | |
| 25 | Tishomingo County | 55.3 | 82.1 | 89.2 | 8.7 | 53.3 | 16.5 | 29.8 | 62.9 | 86 | 67.3 | 23 | 30.1 |
Issaquena County
Carroll County
Kemper County
Choctaw County
Webster County
Clarke County
Perry County
Franklin County
Smith County
Amite County
Quitman County
Montgomery County
Benton County
Adams County
Holmes County
Sharkey County
Lawrence County
Tippah County
Jefferson Davis County
Newton County
Calhoun County
Chickasaw County
Simpson County
Claiborne County
Tishomingo County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Mississippi
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Mississippi.
What is the best county in Mississippi?
Issaquena County is the top-ranked county in Mississippi with a CountyScore of 68.6/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.
How many counties are ranked in Mississippi?
Mississippi has 82 counties in total. Of those, 82 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Mississippi?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Mississippi is 48/100. The national average is 50/100, so Mississippi counties score 2 points below the national average.
How does Mississippi compare to other states?
Mississippi's average county score of 48/100 is 2 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare Mississippi counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Mississippi.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.