These Are The 10 Laziest Places In Mississippi

Discover the 10 Most Laid-Back Cities in Mississippi for 2026

In any workplace, encountering a colleague who seems to coast through their responsibilities can be frustrating. If you find yourself in one of the following Mississippi towns, you might just recognize that attitude reflected in your surroundings.

Our intention is not to offend; instead, we recognize that a laid-back mindset can permeate local culture, affecting workplace dynamics. Therefore, we took the initiative to analyze which towns in Mississippi demonstrate these characteristics.

Working late into the night, we explored the latest data from the American Community Survey to uncover the towns in Mississippi where residents tend to take it easy. We identified various criteria that may indicate a more leisurely lifestyle for each city.

After analyzing the data, here are the ten “Most Laid-Back Cities in Mississippi” based on our findings:

Continue reading to find out where the most relaxed residents reside, or skip to the end to see how your town ranks.

Interestingly, Byram has emerged as the most industrious place in Mississippi.

How We Identified the Most Laid-Back Cities in Mississippi

At Zippia, we rely on thorough data analysis to tackle challenging questions. In this case, we turned to the most recent American Community Survey data to gather insights.

After reviewing various statistics, we focused on a specific set of criteria to identify the most laid-back cities in Mississippi:

Lowest average hours worked
Shortest commute times
Fewest workers per household (labor force divided by the number of households)
Highest unemployment rates
Lowest percentage of adults with a college degree

Our rationale was straightforward: a lack of college education, minimal work engagement, and fewer earners per household can often indicate a more laid-back lifestyle within a community.

We analyzed data from 61 cities in Mississippi with populations over 5,000, ranking each city based on our selected criteria, with 1 being the “most laid-back.”

Lastly, we computed an average ranking for each city to establish a laid-back index. Aberdeen topped the list as the “Most Laid-Back City in Mississippi.”

Check out the detailed chart below to see why each city earned its rank.

1. Aberdeen

Population: 5,492 College Educated: 16.5%
Unemployment Rate: 21.9%

2. Greenwood

Population: 15,873 College Educated: 19.2%
Unemployment Rate: 16.7%

3. Booneville

Population: 8,775 College Educated: 16.2%
Unemployment Rate: 16.4%

4. Yazoo City

Population: 11,462 College Educated: 13.0%
Unemployment Rate: 31.0%

5. Clarksdale

Population: 17,497 College Educated: 19.5%
Unemployment Rate: 16.6%

6. West Point

Population: 11,200 College Educated: 19.1%
Unemployment Rate: 20.0%

7. Moss Point

Population: 13,690 College Educated: 13.9%
Unemployment Rate: 16.7%

8. Holly Springs

Population: 7,585 College Educated: 12.6%
Unemployment Rate: 16.4%

9. Greenville

Population: 33,518 College Educated: 20.0%
Unemployment Rate: 22.9%

10. Natchez

Population: 15,563 College Educated: 21.9%
Unemployment Rate: 11.1%

Embracing a Laid-Back Lifestyle

As previously mentioned, determining the most laid-back places in Mississippi can be subjective. However, if we look at cities where work engagement is low, educational attainment is limited, and long hours aren’t the norm, this list accurately reflects those characteristics.

Comprehensive List of the Most Laid-Back Cities in Mississippi

City	Rank	Population	College Educated	Unemployment Rate
Aberdeen	1	5,492	16.5%	21.9%
Greenwood	2	15,873	19.2%	16.7%
Booneville	3	8,775	16.2%	16.4%
Yazoo City	4	11,462	13.0%	31.0%
Clarksdale	5	17,497	19.5%	16.6%
West Point	6	11,200	19.1%	20.0%
Moss Point	7	13,690	13.9%	16.7%
Holly Springs	8	7,585	12.6%	16.4%
Greenville	9	33,518	20.0%	22.9%
Natchez	10	15,563	21.9%	11.1%
Corinth	11	14,797	21.3%	12.4%
Columbus	12	23,483	21.1%	17.6%
Forest	13	5,719	15.7%	11.4%
Laurel	14	18,720	16.7%	11.5%
Kosciusko	15	7,302	21.2%	15.9%
Indianola	16	10,426	20.2%	19.4%
Grenada	17	12,951	16.2%	10.0%
Vicksburg	18	23,559	22.7%	11.1%
Amory	19	7,197	18.1%	14.8%
Ripley	20	5,349	14.1%	8.7%
Waveland	21	6,463	11.6%	18.3%
Meridian	22	40,809	21.5%	12.8%
Pascagoula	23	22,239	18.3%	10.8%
Columbia	24	6,446	13.0%	13.1%
Cleveland	25	12,318	29.1%	13.5%
Brookhaven	26	12,499	19.5%	10.0%
Louisville	27	6,498	22.7%	23.0%
Hattiesburg	28	46,629	32.2%	14.3%
D’Iberville	29	10,161	15.7%	7.0%
McComb	30	12,771	17.3%	10.0%
Gulfport	31	69,913	20.1%	11.7%
Picayune	32	10,838	18.7%	10.3%
Philadelphia	33	7,446	19.0%	11.3%
Starkville	34	24,457	47.6%	12.1%
Batesville	35	7,436	30.9%	7.0%
New Albany	36	8,291	20.8%	12.0%
Jackson	37	173,631	26.0%	12.6%
Tupelo	38	35,345	28.5%	7.8%
Oxford	39	20,200	50.5%	8.9%
Pearl	40	26,105	19.1%	9.0%
Horn Lake	41	26,486	11.9%	10.5%
Canton	42	13,321	20.8%	8.0%
Biloxi	43	44,527	23.8%	9.8%
Senatobia	44	8,063	25.8%	9.0%
Pontotoc	45	5,754	19.0%	1.9%
Gautier	46	18,581	21.2%	10.4%
Bay St. Louis	47	10,313	32.5%	8.4%
Long Beach	48	15,224	26.5%	9.6%
Richland	49	7,012	15.7%	4.6%
Petal	50	10,675	29.2%	8.2%
Ridgeland	51	24,209	49.5%	4.5%
Ocean Springs	52	17,446	36.4%	6.7%
Southaven	53	50,389	21.0%	6.8%
Clinton	54	25,486	41.5%	4.7%
Diamondhead	55	8,275	43.5%	4.1%
Hernando	56	14,723	26.8%	7.2%
Flowood	57	8,218	42.4%	6.1%
Olive Branch	58	34,543	26.7%	8.2%
Brandon	59	22,616	38.0%	5.5%
Madison	60	24,871	64.4%	4.6%
Byram	61	11,609	31.2%	6.4%

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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