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These Are The 10 Smartest Cities In Mississippi

By John McLean
Feb. 2, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

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Discover the Top 10 Smartest Cities in Mississippi for 2026

When considering a place to live or work, the intelligence of the surrounding community is a significant factor. A city with a bright and educated population can enhance your personal and professional experiences, influencing everything from workplace dynamics to social interactions.

That’s where Zippia steps in. We’ve analyzed Mississippi’s cities to help you find the locations that stand out for their intellectual capital.

You might be curious about how we gauge the intelligence of a city. We utilized census data to identify key metrics that signify a population’s educational attainment.

Our analysis focused on the percentage of adults (aged 25 and older) who possess at least a high school diploma versus the percentage of high school dropouts (ages 16-20) across the 61 largest cities in Mississippi. After crunching the numbers, we compiled this list of the brightest cities in the Magnolia State:

  1. Diamondhead
  2. Madison
  3. Oxford
  4. Ocean Springs
  5. Starkville
  6. Olive Branch
  7. Bay St. Louis
  8. Clinton
  9. D’Iberville
  10. Long Beach

Continue reading to learn more about the academic achievements of these cities, or scroll to the end for a comprehensive chart of all the cities included in our analysis.

How We Identified the Smartest Cities in Mississippi

Before we could analyze the intellect of various cities in Mississippi, we first selected our candidates. We focused on cities with populations exceeding 5,000 and for which we could access relevant data.

This left us with 61 cities to evaluate. We analyzed the following criteria:

Our data is sourced from the latest American Community Survey conducted by the Census Bureau.

We believe these criteria effectively represent the educational landscape of the state and reflect the potential for future improvement in educational outcomes. In Mississippi, approximately 80% of students graduate from high school, which sets a reasonable benchmark for our analysis.

To determine the rankings, we scored each city based on the criteria, ranking them from one to 61, with one indicating the “smartest” city in each category. We then calculated the average rank across all criteria, with the top overall score earning the title of “Smartest City in Mississippi.”

If your city is not among the top 10, check the detailed chart at the end of the article for more insights. Otherwise, let’s explore how the top-rated cities achieved their status.

1. Diamondhead

Population: 8,275
Adults Without High School Diploma: 3.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.5%

Diamondhead tops our list as the smartest city in Mississippi, boasting an impressively low dropout rate and only 3% of its adult population lacking a high school diploma.

2. Madison

Population: 24,871
Adults Without High School Diploma: 2.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.8%

Madison, with a population exceeding 24,000, earns the silver medal due to its minimal dropout rates and just 2% of adults lacking a high school diploma.

3. Oxford

Population: 20,200
Adults Without High School Diploma: 7.4%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.9%

With only 0.9% of teenagers dropping out and 7.4% of adults missing their diplomas, Oxford shows a commendable commitment to education.

4. Ocean Springs

Population: 17,446
Adults Without High School Diploma: 7.7%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.6%

Ocean Springs ranks fourth, with a population of over 17,000, showcasing a dropout rate of just 1.6% among high schoolers.

5. Starkville

Population: 24,457
Adults Without High School Diploma: 11.7%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

Starkville, home to approximately 24,457 residents, secures the fifth position with an exceptionally low dropout rate.

6. Olive Branch

Smartest Mississippi

Source: Flickr

Population: 34,543
Adults Without High School Diploma: 8.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 1.2%

Olive Branch ranks sixth, demonstrating a commendable educational standard with an 8% rate of adults lacking a high school diploma and a low dropout rate.

7. Bay St. Louis

Population: 10,313
Adults Without High School Diploma: 12.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

Bay St. Louis takes the seventh spot, notable for its zero dropout rate, indicating a strong educational framework.

8. Clinton

Population: 25,486
Adults Without High School Diploma: 7.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 3.0%

Ranked eighth, Clinton showcases a dropout rate of just 3% and 7.3% of its adult population lacking a diploma.

9. D’Iberville

Population: 10,161
Adults Without High School Diploma: 15.5%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 0.0%

D’Iberville concludes the top ten list, with a strong performance in terms of high school retention with zero dropouts.

10. Long Beach

Population: 15,224
Adults Without High School Diploma: 11.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 2.5%

Rounding out our list, Long Beach demonstrates commitment to education, with a low dropout rate and 11% of adults lacking a high school diploma.

How to Celebrate Educational Excellence

There you have it—the top ten smartest cities in Mississippi. These communities exemplify educational achievement, making them excellent places to live, work, and grow. For further insights into cities across the U.S., visit www.zippia.com for answers to all your career-related questions.

Detailed List of Smartest Cities in Mississippi

City Rank Population Adults Without High School Diploma Teenage High School Dropouts
Diamondhead 1 8,275 3.0% 0.5%
Madison 2 24,871 2.0% 1.8%
Oxford 3 20,200 7.4% 0.9%
Ocean Springs 4 17,446 7.7% 1.6%
Starkville 5 24,457 11.7% 0.0%
Olive Branch 6 34,543 8.0% 1.2%
Bay St. Louis 7 10,313 12.3% 0.0%
Clinton 8 25,486 7.3% 3.0%
D’Iberville 9 10,161 15.5% 0.0%
Long Beach 10 15,224 11.0% 2.5%
Southaven 11 50,389 11.2% 2.4%
Gautier 12 18,581 10.3% 3.8%
Brandon 13 22,616 7.1% 5.4%
Flowood 14 8,218 7.2% 5.6%
New Albany 15 8,291 19.8% 0.0%
Petal 16 10,675 11.4% 4.3%
Natchez 17 15,563 17.9% 1.0%
Senatobia 18 8,063 19.9% 0.9%
Hernando 19 14,723 11.4% 5.3%
Picayune 20 10,838 17.0% 2.4%
Ridgeland 21 24,209 5.2% 9.1%
Cleveland 22 12,318 14.8% 4.2%
Byram 23 11,609 7.3% 8.3%
Ripley 24 5,349 22.5% 0.0%
Waveland 25 6,463 17.3% 3.2%
Pontotoc 26 5,754 21.6% 1.6%
Pascagoula 27 22,239 16.0% 4.6%
Biloxi 28 44,527 14.1% 5.6%
Horn Lake 29 26,486 15.3% 5.4%
Philadelphia 30 7,446 21.1% 2.4%
Hattiesburg 31 46,629 16.6% 4.5%
Brookhaven 32 12,499 14.8% 6.1%
Louisville 33 6,498 25.9% 0.0%
Booneville 34 8,775 25.1% 0.7%
Richland 35 7,012 12.1% 10.1%
Moss Point 36 13,690 15.3% 7.4%
Holly Springs 37 7,585 26.6% 0.6%
Corinth 38 14,797 20.8% 3.9%
Pearl 39 26,105 11.2% 12.6%
Meridian 40 40,809 16.1% 6.1%
Gulfport 41 69,913 15.9% 7.3%
Clarksdale 42 17,497 20.7% 4.2%
Amory 43 7,197 22.7% 2.7%
Grenada 44 12,951 25.0% 2.2%
Indianola 45 10,426 23.6% 2.8%
Canton 46 13,321 29.9% 0.2%
Jackson 47 173,631 16.5% 7.5%
Tupelo 48 35,345 13.1% 12.4%
Vicksburg 49 23,559 16.4% 10.5%
Batesville 50 7,436 12.8% 20.6%
West Point 51 11,200 22.9% 5.3%
Yazoo City 52 11,462 24.5% 6.1%
Columbus 53 23,483 20.4% 11.9%
Greenville 54 33,518 22.0% 9.4%
Kosciusko 55 7,302 23.9% 8.1%
McComb 56 12,771 26.0% 7.0%
Greenwood 57 15,873 24.8% 9.0%
Columbia 58 6,446 29.0% 12.4%
Laurel 59 18,720 28.4% 20.3%
Aberdeen 60 5,492 30.3% 13.7%
Forest 61 5,719 31.3% 14.4%
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John McLean

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