Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety12#13,799/15,637
Economy12#13,783/15,631
Housing47#7,891/14,977
Health12#13,779/15,609
Healthcare12#13,757/15,650
Environment36#9,944/15,453
Education32#10,682/15,649
Infrastructure23#12,082/15,650
Community8#14,410/15,651
Leisure & amenities11#13,950/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brookhaven, Mississippi ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lincoln County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high17.0 /10k
95/100Mississippi 12.6 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLincoln County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
93/100Mississippi 27 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauLincoln County value
Average commute time · low18.5 min
88/100Mississippi 25.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Depression · low19.1%
86/100Mississippi 20.1%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Child care cost burden · low23.2%
84/100Mississippi 25.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLincoln County value
Job growth · high1.0%
78/100Mississippi -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataLincoln County value

Weaknesses

Primary care shortage · high21.0
1/100Mississippi 16.2United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationLincoln County value
Child poverty rate · high38.7%
1/100Mississippi 25.0%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100Mississippi 14.0United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationLincoln County value
Firearm deaths · high31.7 /100k
2/100Mississippi 25.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLincoln County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.521
2/100Mississippi 0.482United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Grocery stores · low0.6 /10k
2/100Mississippi 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLincoln County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
1.2 /1k (2021) → 2.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+133%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
66.3% (2015-2019) → 88.9% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateImproving
8.9% (2015-2019) → 3.4% (2020-2024)
−5.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
34.2% (2015-2019) → 38.6% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
21.6% (2015-2019) → 17.3% (2020-2024)
−4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Median household incomeImproving
$32,331 (2015-2019) → $36,685 (2020-2024)
+13%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brookhaven, Mississippi improved on 2 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Unemployment−5.5 points8.9% → 3.4%
Broadband+23 points66.3% → 88.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Brookhaven, Mississippi between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.8 min2015-2019	18.5 min2020-2024	−0.3 min	Within the margin of error	52%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.4%2015-2019	21.3%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Broadband subscriptions	66.3%2015-2019	88.9%2020-2024	+23 points	Improved	93%
Child poverty rate	34.2%2015-2019	38.6%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Effective property tax rate	0.82%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
High school diploma or higher	85.3%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	67%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5172015-2019	0.5212020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	48%
Median household income	$32,3312015-2019	$36,6852020-2024	+13%	Within the margin of error	21%
Poverty rate	26.2%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent-burdened households	49.0%2015-2019	48.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Unemployment rate	8.9%2015-2019	3.4%2020-2024	−5.5 points	Improved	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	21.6%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	84%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Brookhaven, Mississippi five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brookhaven, Mississippi in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brookhaven, Mississippi itself moved +4.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

11,650 residents (±40)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 80 and over men (+1.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

11,650 residents (±40)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

White42%4,857
Black55%6,441
Hispanic or Latino1.5%†169
Asian0.7%†82
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races0.9%†101

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+0.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

8,530 residents (±275)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

No high school diploma14%1,219
High school or GED29%2,515
Some college23%1,971
Associate degree12%†1,005
Bachelor's degree14%1,168
Graduate degree7.6%†652

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

4,640 households (±310)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $25k37%1,696
$25k–50k23%1,072
$50k–75k10%†467
$75k–100k8.6%†398
$100k–150k10%†480
$150k–200k6.4%†296
$200k or more5.0%†231

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+4.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

4,640 households (±310)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Own54%2,493
Rent46%2,147

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−10.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,917 households (±268)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $75052%997
$750–1,00024%†457
$1,000–1,50018%†343

Home values

2,493 homes (±322)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $150k54%1,335
$150k–250k27%662
$250k–400k12%†299

Age of homes

5,695 homes (±336)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

2010 or later9.4%†535
2000–20095.3%†299
1980–199923%1,333

Size of homes

5,695 homes (±336)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Studio1.1%†61
1 bedroom9.8%†556
2 bedrooms26%1,488

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

4,300 workers (±416)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Drive alone88%3,792
Carpool6.5%†278
Public transit0.0%0
Walk3.0%†131
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.7%†71
Other0.7%†28

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−5.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

4,229 workers (±411)

Brookhaven, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under 15 min63%2,676
15–29 min17%†735
30–44 min7.0%†298

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Brookhaven, MS

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Lincoln County, the county holding most of Brookhaven's residents.

Lincoln County has 810 employer establishments, 233 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248; 1.13× Mississippi's), with 11,675 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,857. The Census Bureau also counts 3,094 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 810; 3,094 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 233; US 248 · Mississippi 205
Paid employees: 11,675
Average annual pay: $43,857; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lincoln County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	61	17.5	0.95×About typical	1,249	$15,672	24
Ambulatory health care services	56	16.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	632	$60,913	241
Religious organizations	52	14.9	2.69×More than typical	295	$17,753	—
Specialty trade contractors	43	12.3	0.80×Fewer than typical	270	$44,452	305
Limited-service restaurants	34	9.8	1.22×About typical	798	$14,714	9
Gasoline stations	28	8	2.48×More than typical	248	$23,665	—
Clothing and accessories stores	25	7.2	1.98×More than typical	158	$15,677	40
Truck transportation	24	6.9	1.36×More than typical	287	$91,251	151
Automotive repair and maintenance	21	6	1.20×About typical	178	$48,809	70
Building equipment contractors	21	6	1.00×About typical	197	$47,218	46
Insurance agencies and brokerages	19	5.5	1.24×About typical	60	$76,433	53
Offices of physicians	19	5.5	0.84×About typical	209	$90,775	26

Rank places for an industry Open Lincoln County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 34,836 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $115.4K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Brookhaven, Mississippi: $9.91 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $115.4K
Per resident: $9.91; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Emergency Management Agency$115.4K100%

Top recipients

WSP USA SERVICES INC.$115.4K100%

Spending by fiscal year

53.7KFY2017
-11.4KFY2018
18.5KFY2019
2.4KFY2020
1.6KFY2021
6KFY2023
2.8KFY2024
115.4KFY2026

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$115.4K100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Brookhaven, Mississippi, so they do not add up across cities.

Brookhaven, Mississippi's figures are part of those of Lincoln County, MS ($2.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 5.6% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Brookhaven is mostly in Lincoln County.

See federal money in Lincoln County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Brookhaven, Mississippi is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michael GuestR-MS-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Lincoln County13100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Brookhaven, MS7

Other cities and towns in Lincoln County

Largest first.

Bogue Chitto335

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2808820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends