Best Cities for Families in Mississippi

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Mississippi

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Mississippi

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 79.4
New Albany, MS
7,661 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 78/100K
Home Affordability $150,000
#2
Score 78.4
Iuka, MS
3,118 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 164/100K
Home Affordability $122,200
#3
Score 78.1
Long Beach, MS
16,876 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 82/100K
Home Affordability $205,300
#4
Score 77.6
Madison, MS
27,775 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 50/100K
Home Affordability $334,700
#5
Score 77.4
Pass Christian, MS
5,942 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $257,300
#6
Score 77.1
Purvis, MS
1,691 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 51/100K
Home Affordability $122,500
#7
Score 76.8
Booneville, MS
9,060 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 242/100K
Home Affordability $123,500
#8
Score 75.7
Brandon, MS
25,352 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 89/100K
Home Affordability $255,900
#9
Score 75.4
Oxford, MS
26,086 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 131/100K
Home Affordability $333,400
#10
Score 75.3
Flowood, MS
10,384 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 120/100K
Home Affordability $288,400
#11
Score 73.9
Hernando, MS
17,580 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 92/100K
Home Affordability $282,200
#12
Score 73.6
Ridgeland, MS
24,548 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 320/100K
Home Affordability $259,600

Full Ranking, Mississippi

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 New Albany MS 79.4
2 Iuka MS 78.4
3 Long Beach MS 78.1
4 Madison MS 77.6
5 Pass Christian MS 77.4
6 Purvis MS 77.1
7 Booneville MS 76.8
8 Brandon MS 75.7
9 Oxford MS 75.4
10 Flowood MS 75.3
11 Hernando MS 73.9
12 Ridgeland MS 73.6
13 Pontotoc MS 73.5
14 Fulton MS 73.3
15 Guntown MS 73
16 Olive Branch MS 73
17 Eupora MS 72
18 Petal MS 71.8
19 Southaven MS 71.8
20 Waveland MS 71.7
21 Ellisville MS 70.7
22 D'Iberville MS 70.6
23 Ackerman MS 70
24 Hattiesburg MS 69.7
25 Bay St. Louis MS 69.4
26 Kosciusko MS 69.1
27 Union MS 69.1
28 Corinth MS 69
29 Lumberton MS 68.6
30 Raymond MS 68.5
31 Vardaman MS 68.5
32 Gautier MS 68.4
33 Richland MS 68.3
34 Tupelo MS 67.8
35 Picayune MS 67.5
36 Wiggins MS 67.4
37 Bruce MS 66.8
38 Pascagoula MS 66.3
39 Clinton MS 66.1
40 Biloxi MS 65.4
41 Byram MS 65.3
42 Poplarville MS 65.2
43 Gulfport MS 64.7
44 Quitman MS 64.4
45 Mendenhall MS 63.8
46 Wesson MS 63.7
47 Bay Springs MS 63.3
48 Starkville MS 63.3
49 Amory MS 61.5
50 Sumrall MS 61.2

New Albany, MS tops the list with a composite score of 79.4 out of 100, followed by Iuka and Long Beach. MS dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →