Census-designated place · Oktibbeha County, Mississippi

Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State is a census-designated place in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, part of the Starkville, MS metro area. It has 4,655 residents. Mississippi State, Mississippi has a quality-of-life score of 29 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,064 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Mississippi it ranks #31 of 194 cities and towns. It ranks best on income inequality (Gini index) (low), broadband subscriptions (high) and drug overdose deaths (low). It ranks worst on voter turnout (low), food environment index (low) and primary care shortage (high).

29Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,064 of 15,651 cities and towns
Mississippi: #31 of 194 in MS
Population: 4,655 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 2,131.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 2848030

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 68 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety40#9,305/15,637
Economy28#11,233/15,631
Housing—
Health37#9,773/15,609
Healthcare32#10,669/15,650
Environment35#10,069/15,453
Education36#9,946/15,649
Infrastructure76#3,732/15,650
Community15#13,333/15,651
Leisure & amenities48#8,193/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Mississippi State, Mississippi ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Oktibbeha 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

Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.023
100/100Mississippi 0.482United States 0.4832018-2022U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083High uncertainty
Broadband subscriptions · high100.0%
99/100Mississippi 84.1%United States 91.0%2018-2022U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Mississippi 14.5 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataOktibbeha County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,557 /100k
96/100Mississippi 3,252 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOktibbeha County value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.6 mi
85/100Mississippi 7.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesOktibbeha County value
Average commute time · low16.5 min
84/100Mississippi 25.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Voter turnout · low43.8%
1/100Mississippi 55.1%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionOktibbeha County value
Food environment index · low5.4
2/100Mississippi 4.1United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOktibbeha County value
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Mississippi 16.2United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationOktibbeha County value
Unemployment rate · high12.6%
5/100Mississippi 3.8%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Physical inactivity · high37.4%
5/100Mississippi 35.7%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Lack of reliable transportation · high15.5%
7/100Mississippi 12.4%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

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

PopulationRising
3,542 (2015-2019) → 4,655 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
85.3% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−85 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
54.3% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2018-2022)
−54 pts3 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 49.9%
Poverty rateImproving
54.3% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2018-2022)
−54 pts3 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
56.4% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2018-2022)
+44 pts3 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 88.3%
Income inequality (Gini index)Improving
0.493 (2015-2019) → 0.023 (2018-2022)
−95%3 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

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, Mississippi State, Mississippi improved on 1 of 4 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 2 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.

Improved1

Unemployment−18 points30.3% → 12.6%

Declined1

Bachelor's+−85 points85.3% → 0.0%

All 4 measures

Change of every measure of Mississippi State, Mississippi between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	10.2 min2015-2019	16.5 min2020-2024	+6.3 min	Within the margin of error	6%
Bachelor's degree or higher	85.3%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−85 points	Declined	0%
Unemployment rate	30.3%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	−18 points	Improved	100%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.2%2015-2019	10.1%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 5712 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 Mississippi State, Mississippi five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mississippi State, 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.

No place that looked like Mississippi State, Mississippi five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Mississippi State, Mississippi itself moved −53.5 points in standing on average over the same 2 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

4,655 residents (±158)

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: 10–19 men (+6.6 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

4,655 residents (±158)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

White67%3,128
Black24%1,120
Hispanic or Latino1.6%†75

Education

50 residents (±49)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

No high school diploma0.0%0
High school or GED0.0%0
Some college100%†50

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

101 households (±86)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $25k44%†44
$25k–50k0.0%0
$50k–75k0.0%0
$75k–100k0.0%0
$100k–150k28%†28
$150k–200k7.9%†8
$200k or more21%†21

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2015–2019 · 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

101 households (±86)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Own20%†20
Rent80%†81

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2015–2019 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

81 households (±84)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,00020%†16
$1,000–1,50054%†44

Home values

20 homes (±18)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $150k0.0%0
$150k–250k60%†12
$250k–400k40%†8

Age of homes

73 homes (±111)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20090.0%0
1980–19990.0%0

Size of homes

73 homes (±111)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms100%†73

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

977 workers (±168)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Drive alone40%393
Carpool3.4%†33
Public transit0.7%†7
Walk36%†349
Bike0.0%0
Work from home20%†195
Other0.0%0

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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

782 workers (±142)

Mississippi State, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under 15 min68%†530
15–29 min19%†148
30–44 min9.5%†

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 Starkville, 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 Oktibbeha County, the county holding most of Mississippi State's residents.

Oktibbeha County has 978 employer establishments, 190 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248; 0.92× Mississippi's), with 12,997 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,648. The Census Bureau also counts 4,140 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 978; 4,140 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 190; US 248 · Mississippi 205
Paid employees: 12,997
Average annual pay: $36,648; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	108	21	1.14×About typical	2,924	$15,777	36
Ambulatory health care services	78	15.2	0.73×Fewer than typical	673	$56,741	231
Lessors of real estate	56	10.9	0.88×About typical	166	$44,464	325
Limited-service restaurants	46	8.9	1.11×About typical	1,347	$15,727	19
Full-service restaurants	41	8	1.04×About typical	1,335	$16,311	11
Religious organizations	40	7.8	1.40×More than typical	388	$21,253	—
Specialty trade contractors	35	6.8	0.44×Fewer than typical	205	$44,961	247
Services to buildings and dwellings	32	6.2	0.92×About typical	243	$30,708	380
Gasoline stations	29	5.6	1.74×More than typical	268	$28,799	—
Offices of other health practitioners	24	4.7	0.77×Fewer than typical	157	$46,025	46
Banks and credit unions	23	4.5	1.38×More than typical	172	$84,070	—
Clothing and accessories stores	23	4.5	1.23×About typical	237	$16,852	69

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $2.5M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Mississippi State, Mississippi: $528 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $2.5M; +19% vs FY2025
Per resident: $528; US $1,995
Sole-source: 16%; US 30%
Single offer: 47%; 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

Department of the Army$936.3K38%
Agricultural Research Service$833.7K34%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$399.5K16%
Forest Service$107.2K4.4%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$78.2K3.2%
Food Safety and Inspection Service$74.5K3.0%
Rural Housing Service$14.7K0.6%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$13.8K0.6%

Top recipients

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY$1.3M52%
ACY MECHANICAL, LLC$225.2K9.2%
FOUR SEASONS ENVIRONMENTAL INC$182.3K7.4%
WEST COAST NETTING INC$123.7K5.0%
ELEVEN BRAVO GROUP, LLC$77.5K3.2%

Spending by fiscal year

13.2MFY2017
13.5MFY2018
22.2MFY2019
12.7MFY2020
27.5MFY2021
20.7MFY2022
27MFY2023
9.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$931.8K38%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$273.1K11%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$243.1K9.9%
Facilities support services · 5612$182.3K7.4%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$134.7K5.5%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Mississippi State, Mississippi

BAA OSSCAR$5.5M
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY· Oktibbeha County, MS· Research & development· Apr 5, 2023 – Apr 23, 2026· W909MY23C0002
JUSTICE NEXTGEN TASK ORDER 2$4.5M
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY· Oktibbeha County, MS· Research & development· Sep 30, 2023 – May 13, 2026· 70RSAT23FR0000146
MSU ADVANCED HYPERSONICS YEAR 1$2M
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY· Oktibbeha County, MS· Research & development· Jan 29, 2025 – May 20, 2026· W912HZ25C0012
BAA 21-0019 WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE RALC: U433A00

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Mississippi State, Mississippi, so they do not add up across cities.

Mississippi State, Mississippi's figures are part of those of Oktibbeha County, MS ($29.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 8.4% of that total.

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

See federal money in Oktibbeha 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.

Mississippi State, Mississippi is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

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.

Oktibbeha County30100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Starkville, MS30

Other cities and towns in Oktibbeha County

Largest first.

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
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/2848030

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends