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These Are The 10 Stressed Places In Mississippi

By Chris Kolmar
Sep. 11, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Jan. 15, 2026

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Top 10 Stressed Places in Mississippi: 2026 Update

Experiencing stress is common in the workplace, particularly for those starting new jobs. However, some areas in Mississippi face unique challenges that contribute to elevated stress levels beyond just the first-day jitters. Factors such as extended commutes, demanding work hours, and job scarcity can intensify this stress.

In 2026, Waveland has been identified as the most stressed city in Mississippi, topping the list of the ten most stressed places in the Magnolia State:

  1. Waveland
  2. Yazoo City
  3. Horn Lake
  4. Columbia
  5. Greenville
  6. Gulfport
  7. Pascagoula
  8. Columbus
  9. Louisville
  10. Jackson

Continue reading to discover why these locations in Mississippi might benefit from stress relief strategies.

How We Measured Stress in Mississippi

To analyze stress levels, we selected six criteria reflecting common stressors and examined the 61 Mississippi cities with populations over 5,000, using data from the 2021 American Community Survey:

  1. Percentage of population with a long commute (over 30 minutes)
  2. Unemployment Rate
  3. Average hours worked per week
  4. Population density
  5. Percentage of income allocated to rent
  6. Percentage of uninsured population

The higher any of these metrics, the more stress is experienced by residents.

Each city was ranked from 1 to 61 in each of the six criteria, with lower ranks indicating higher stress levels. These individual ranks were averaged to create an overall Stress Score, identifying Waveland as the most stressed location in Mississippi.

1. Waveland

Population: 6,463
High Rent Population: 57.7%
Long Commute Population: 37.6%
Uninsured Population: 33.3%

2. Yazoo City

Population: 11,462
High Rent Population: 56.5%
Long Commute Population: 31.6%
Uninsured Population: 18.0%

3. Horn Lake

Population: 26,486
High Rent Population: 51.6%
Long Commute Population: 40.7%
Uninsured Population: 18.4%

4. Columbia

Population: 6,446
High Rent Population: 65.7%
Long Commute Population: 32.4%
Uninsured Population: 17.2%

5. Greenville

Population: 33,518
High Rent Population: 54.0%
Long Commute Population: 13.0%
Uninsured Population: 21.9%

6. Gulfport

Population: 69,913
High Rent Population: 55.9%
Long Commute Population: 20.4%
Uninsured Population: 22.5%

7. Pascagoula

Population: 22,239
High Rent Population: 52.9%
Long Commute Population: 16.9%
Uninsured Population: 24.0%

8. Columbus

Population: 23,483
High Rent Population: 55.4%
Long Commute Population: 17.6%
Uninsured Population: 22.1%

9. Louisville

Population: 6,498
High Rent Population: 57.3%
Long Commute Population: 28.8%
Uninsured Population: 20.0%

10. Jackson

Population: 173,631
High Rent Population: 55.9%
Long Commute Population: 20.0%
Uninsured Population: 19.0%

Detailed List of Stressed Places in Mississippi

City Rank Population High Rent Population Long Commute Population Uninsured Population
Waveland 1 6,463 57.7% 37.6% 33.3%
Yazoo City 2 11,462 56.5% 31.6% 18.0%
Horn Lake 3 26,486 51.6% 40.7% 18.4%
Columbia 4 6,446 65.7% 32.4% 17.2%
Greenville 5 33,518 54.0% 13.0% 21.9%
Gulfport 6 69,913 55.9% 20.4% 22.5%
Pascagoula 7 22,239 52.9% 16.9% 24.0%
Columbus 8 23,483 55.4% 17.6% 22.1%
Louisville 9 6,498 57.3% 28.8% 20.0%
Jackson 10 173,631 55.9% 20.0% 19.0%
Indianola 11 10,426 45.7% 24.9% 18.7%
Gautier 12 18,581 46.7% 36.7% 21.6%
Picayune 13 10,838 45.9% 38.0% 21.9%
Greenwood 14 15,873 48.4% 10.6% 19.5%
Moss Point 15 13,690 51.7% 24.1% 19.4%
Holly Springs 16 7,585 45.0% 39.3% 18.3%
McComb 17 12,771 53.8% 18.9% 19.7%
Biloxi 18 44,527 49.5% 15.4% 20.4%
West Point 19 11,200 53.9% 22.4% 17.7%
Laurel 20 18,720 47.7% 19.8% 18.3%
Bay St. Louis 21 10,313 38.6% 30.3% 22.5%
Long Beach 22 15,224 46.1% 23.5% 16.2%
Pearl 23 26,105 50.3% 22.9% 16.7%
Hattiesburg 24 46,629 58.0% 13.5% 17.6%
Vicksburg 25 23,559 51.4% 13.2% 21.8%
Cleveland 26 12,318 50.2% 15.9% 15.1%
Clarksdale 27 17,497 42.6% 18.1% 17.5%
Southaven 28 50,389 43.3% 31.1% 14.4%
Brookhaven 29 12,499 49.6% 21.1% 19.5%
Byram 30 11,609 48.4% 45.4% 12.7%
Philadelphia 31 7,446 43.0% 24.9% 16.6%
Oxford 32 20,200 60.2% 11.5% 15.8%
Kosciusko 33 7,302 41.6% 20.8% 14.2%
Amory 34 7,197 40.0% 31.8% 15.0%
Aberdeen 35 5,492 42.5% 32.2% 14.3%
Corinth 36 14,797 47.7% 13.0% 19.6%
Natchez 37 15,563 41.5% 10.9% 18.8%
Petal 38 10,675 54.3% 20.0% 14.9%
D’Iberville 39 10,161 40.0% 13.0% 21.7%
Starkville 40 24,457 55.6% 17.3% 12.3%
Olive Branch 41 34,543 33.2% 38.2% 12.8%
Meridian 42 40,809 48.3% 16.0% 15.3%
Ripley 43 5,349 41.3% 29.9% 19.2%
Senatobia 44 8,063 43.6% 35.7% 15.1%
New Albany 45 8,291 36.1% 28.3% 18.5%
Canton 46 13,321 38.5% 26.9% 17.6%
Ocean Springs 47 17,446 33.0% 30.7% 14.2%
Madison 48 24,871 49.3% 25.5% 3.5%
Hernando 49 14,723 42.3% 39.6% 8.5%
Diamondhead 50 8,275 37.1% 51.1% 7.0%
Forest 51 5,719 25.1% 21.4% 21.6%
Brandon 52 22,616 34.5% 40.4% 7.8%
Booneville 53 8,775 36.0% 25.8% 16.1%
Tupelo 54 35,345 49.8% 13.0% 13.8%
Clinton 55 25,486 47.4% 25.8% 13.4%
Grenada 56 12,951 51.7% 14.0% 14.6%
Richland 57 7,012 37.7% 35.2% 12.9%
Ridgeland 58 24,209 37.7% 12.8% 10.1%
Pontotoc 59 5,754 14.6% 23.2% 19.3%
Flowood 60 8,218 28.6% 27.4% 11.7%
Batesville 61 7,436 31.5% 20.4% 10.4%

In conclusion, understanding the stress factors in these cities can provide insights into the broader labor market dynamics in Mississippi. By addressing these challenges, communities can work towards creating healthier work environments and improving overall well-being.

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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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