Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety1#915/924
Economy2#910/925
Housing40#553/925
Health10#833/925
Healthcare37#578/923
Environment42#534/917
Education10#833/925
Infrastructure9#840/925
Community11#823/925
Leisure & amenities39#565/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
90/100Mississippi 2.2 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.45%
90/100Mississippi 0.58%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
89/100Mississippi 3.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
New business applications · high17.2 /1k
88/100Mississippi 17.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Depression · low21.5%
79/100Mississippi 20.1%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low14.2 /100k
79/100Mississippi 16.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child poverty rate · high45.0%
0/100Mississippi 25.0%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Poverty rate · high29.4%
1/100Mississippi 17.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
1/100Mississippi 3.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Firearm deaths · high40.4 /100k
1/100Mississippi 25.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Median household income · low$42,104
1/100Mississippi $59,301United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Lack of reliable transportation · high17.3%
1/100Mississippi 12.4%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
3% (2021) → 55% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+52 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedWorsening
0.6 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.7% (2015-2019) → 84.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Traffic deathsWorsening
16.4 /100k (2015-2019) → 25.9 /100k (2020-2024)
+58%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Firearm deathsWorsening
27.1 /100k (2019) → 40.4 /100k (2023)
+49%4 yearsUS 12.1 /100k → 14.0 /100k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
59.1% (2015-2019) → 50.6% (2020-2024)
−8.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area improved on 14 of 26 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 6 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

High school++5.5 points78.7% → 84.2%
Price / income−0.5×2.9× → 2.4×
Uninsured−4.3 points18.0% → 13.6%
Rent / income−4.3 points34.6% → 30.3%
Rent burden−8.5 points59.1% → 50.6%

Declined3

Traffic deaths+58%16.4 /100k → 25.9 /100k
Overdose deaths+46%10.4 /100k → 15.2 /100k
New businesses−7.8%18.7 /1k → 17.2 /1k

All 26 measures

Change of every measure of Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.3 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+6.6%	Improved	44%
Average commute time	23.4 min2015-2019	22.2 min2020-2024	−1.2 min	Within the margin of error	90%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.2%2015-2019	18.5%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Broadband subscriptions	69.7%2015-2019	84.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	91%
Child poverty rate	44.0%2015-2019	45.0%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Distance to an airport	92 mi2020	92 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	10.4 /100k2020	15.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+46%	Declined	10%
Effective property tax rate	0.42%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+1%	Little change	55%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+35%	Improved	83%
High school diploma or higher	78.7%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Improved	97%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	−0.5×	Improved	99%
Homicide rate	29.2 /100k2020	18.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	64%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,5922019	$56,1952024	+35%	Improved	72%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5162015-2019	0.5172020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$30,2392015-2019	$42,1042020-2024	+39%	Improved	94%
New business applications	18.7 /1k2020	17.2 /1k2025	−7.8%	Declined	3%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+9.4%	Improved	87%
Poverty rate	29.1%2015-2019	29.4%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+4.2%	Little change	85%
Rent as share of income	34.6%2015-2019	30.3%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Improved	96%
Rent-burdened households	59.1%2015-2019	50.6%2020-2024	−8.5 points	Improved	96%
Restaurants and bars	6.7 /10k2020	7.3 /10k2025	+9.1%	Improved	77%
Traffic deaths	16.4 /100k2015-2019	25.9 /100k2020-2024	+58%	Declined	4%
Unemployment rate	11.1%2020	6.5%2025	−4.6 points	Improved	89%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	18.0%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Improved	97%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area 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, Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area itself moved +4 points in standing on average over the same 26 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

54,045 residents

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: 60–69 women (+1.9 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

54,045 residents

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

White40%21,712
Black54%29,084
Hispanic or Latino3.1%1,671

Education

37,212 residents (±315)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma16%5,868
High school or GED37%13,908
Some college20%7,446

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

20,736 households (±536)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k32%6,721
$25k–50k25%5,281
$50k–75k13%2,778
$75k–100k11%2,379
$100k–150k8.5%1,757
$150k–200k4.3%900
$200k or more4.4%920

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−9.1 points).

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

20,736 households (±536)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%14,910
Rent28%5,826

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+8.0 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

5,041 households (±512)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75053%2,666
$750–1,00024%1,187
$1,000–1,50020%997

Home values

14,910 homes (±527)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k66%9,915
$150k–250k17%2,595
$250k–400k9.5%1,421

Age of homes

27,358 homes (±100)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later7.3%1,990
2000–20099.8%2,673
1980–199922%6,135

Size of homes

27,358 homes (±100)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Studio0.9%†250
1 bedroom5.3%1,457
2 bedrooms23%6,201

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

18,442 workers (±777)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone88%16,264
Carpool5.5%1,012
Public transit0.3%†48
Walk1.1%†211
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.2%†592
Other1.7%†315

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

17,850 workers (±763)

Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min42%7,521
15–29 min34%6,100
30–44 min10%1,856

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 no occupation wages for Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area.

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.

Natchez, MS-LA has 1,130 employer establishments, 210 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248), with 13,763 paid employees at an average annual pay of $41,313. The Census Bureau also counts 4,571 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,130; 4,571 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 210; US 248
Paid employees: 13,763
Average annual pay: $41,313; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Natchez, MS-LA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	106	19.7	0.95×About typical	1,079	$46,967	233
Restaurants and other eating places	71	13.2	0.72×Fewer than typical	1,260	$19,078	25
Religious organizations	53	9.9	1.78×More than typical	216	$18,477	—
Gasoline stations	39	7.3	2.24×More than typical	232	$24,897	4
Specialty trade contractors	37	6.9	0.44×Fewer than typical	220	$41,118	281
Lessors of real estate	33	6.1	0.50×Fewer than typical	106	$50,972	309
Limited-service restaurants	33	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	701	$18,409	10
Management, scientific and technical consulting	30	5.6	0.83×About typical	50	$62,720	105
Offices of other health practitioners	30	5.6	0.92×About typical	200	$33,305	52
Offices of physicians	30	5.6	0.86×About typical	201	$65,328	35
Automotive repair and maintenance	28	5.2	1.03×About typical	110	$38,300	94
Full-service restaurants	27	5	0.65×Fewer than typical	533	$19,857	3

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 53,792 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated -$3.8M on contracts performed in Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area: -$68.79 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$3.8M; −128% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$68.79; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

National Park Service$1.5M0.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs$817.5K

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $377.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area: $6,903 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $377.8M; −6.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,903; US $12,955
Loan face value: $17M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$205.4M54%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$36.4M9.6%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$31.8M8.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$28.9M7.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$23.6M6.2%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$8M2.1%
10.931 · Agricultural Conservation Easement Program$7.3M1.9%
93.224 · Health Center Program$6.1M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

JEFFERSON COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTER INC$4.6M1.2%
FAYETTE, MS
ADAMS COUNTY AIRPORT COMMISSION$3.8M1.0%
NATCHEZ, MS
CATAHOULA PARISH HOSPITAL DISTRICT #2$2.7M0.7%
SICILY ISLAND, LA
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$2M0.5%
JACKSON, MS
NATCHEZ HOUSING AUTHORITY

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$294.3M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$35.8M9.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$12M3.2%
Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service$9.7M2.6%
Department of Agriculture
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

342MFY2021
356.7MFY2022
351.4MFY2023
386.5MFY2024
404.1MFY2025
377.8MFY2026

County aggregates

88%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Natchez, MS-LA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

States

The share of the area's residents living in each state.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

NatchezPrincipal city14,192

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Mississippi

Areas based in Mississippi, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M35020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Natchez, MS-LA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Natchez, MS-LA

States

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Mississippi

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined3

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards