The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi - 2018 Ranking!
William Faulkner once said that “to understand the world, you must first understand Mississippi”.
Many Mississippians prefer the slower pace that goes along with living in smaller towns. The state has ideal weather, so if you love the outdoors, you’ll have a lot to look at and do indoors and outdoors as well.
Also, the state plays an important role in the technological developments in medicine and space exploration. In addition to having significant deposits of petroleum and gas.
Aside from technology, there are many festivals, recreational events, and historical sites that are family-oriented and have a lot to offer for you and your kids. One noteworthy festival is the annual Delta Hot Tamale Festival that spans over three days and is filled with regional and local musicians, artists, and tamale makers.
It is also worth noting that Mississippi is the birthplace of the Blues which has shaped the course of modern music with the contributions that have come from it to many other music genres.
The state is also home to many famous people; from writers William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams to Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, and the Superstar Oprah Winfrey.
If you are considering moving to Mississippi or you already live there, make sure to continue reading to find out how safe Mississippi is compared to other states, and learn about its safest cities based on the most recent FBI crime report.
Mississippi is the 27th safest state in the country. When it comes to dangerous and safe cities in the state, Petal, with a crime rate of 782 per 100,000 people holds its previous position as the safest city. After Petal comes Madison; a small charming town and the 2nd safest spot in the state.
Populated cities also make the list of safest cities to live in, such as Olive Branch that comes at #7 with a population of 36,513 residents, while Southaven is at #9 safe-wise.
Located in the northern region of the state is Oxford which lands at #10 with a rate of 2972 crimes per 100,000 people. However, the capital, Jackson, falls in the list of the most dangerous cities, at #8 with a 5489 crime rate per 100,000 people.
Find out if your city is one of the safest in the state, then review our resources for crime prevention tips and home security information.
More Information About Mississippi
Capital: Jackson
Number of Counties: 82
Overall Population: 2.989 million inhabitants
Land Area: 48,433.8 square miles
Education Statistics: 21.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher, (percent of persons age 25 years+, 2011-2015)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
Crime Stats In Mississippi
Violent Crime Rate Per 100,000 Inhabitants: 280.5
Property Crime Rate Per 100,000 Inhabitants: 2,768.1
Mississippi’s Safety Rank: #27
Disclaimer:
In creating this ranking, we excluded all cities with population less than 5,000 residents as well as any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI.
Table 1: Top 10 Safest Cities In Mississippi
| Rank |
City |
Population |
Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants |
| 1 |
Petal
Previous rank: 1 |
10747 |
782.0 |
| 2 |
Madison
Previous rank: 3 |
26119 |
812.0 |
| 3 |
Brandon
Previous rank: 2 |
23824 |
965.0 |
| 4 |
Hernando
Previous rank: Not Ranked |
15793 |
2349.0 |
| 5 |
Long Beach
Previous rank: 4 |
15708 |
2368.0 |
| 6 |
Horn Lake
Previous rank: 6 |
27077 |
2663.0 |
| 7 |
Olive Branch
Previous rank: 7 |
36513 |
2736.0 |
| 8 |
Pass Christian
Previous rank: 14 |
5690 |
2812.0 |
| 9 |
Southaven
Previous rank: Not Ranked |
53310 |
2887.0 |
| 10 |
Oxford
Previous rank: 5 |
23052 |
2971.0 |
Table 2: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
| Rank |
City |
Population |
Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants |
| 1 |
Diberville
Previous rank: 1 |
11795 |
7147.0 |
| 2 |
Vicksburg
Previous rank: 6 |
22986 |
6808.0 |
| 3 |
Greenville
Previous rank: Not Ranked |
31732 |
6482.0 |
| 4 |
Biloxi
Previous rank: 7 |
45952 |
6228.0 |
| 5 |
Hattiesburg
Previous rank: 5 |
47006 |
6168.0 |
| 6 |
McComb
Previous rank: Not Ranked |
12632 |
5882.0 |
| 7 |
Gulfport
Previous rank: 13 |
0 |
5568.0 |
| 8 |
Jackson
Previous rank: 8 |
170070 |
5489.0 |
| 9 |
Natchez
Previous rank: 4 |
15003 |
5459.0 |
| 10 |
Picayune
Previous rank: 12 |
10631 |
5258.0 |
Table 3: All Cities, Ranked By Population
| City |
Population |
Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants |
Safety Rank |
| Jackson |
170070 |
5489.0 |
24 |
| Southaven |
53310 |
2887.0 |
9 |
| Hattiesburg |
47006 |
6168.0 |
27 |
| Biloxi |
45952 |
6228.0 |
28 |
| Meridian |
39364 |
5200.0 |
21 |
| Olive Branch |
36513 |
2736.0 |
7 |
| Greenville |
31732 |
6482.0 |
29 |
| Horn Lake |
27077 |
2663.0 |
6 |
| Madison |
26119 |
812.0 |
2 |
| Ridgeland |
24406 |
3327.0 |
13 |
| Brandon |
23824 |
965.0 |
3 |
| Oxford |
23052 |
2971.0 |
10 |
| Vicksburg |
22986 |
6808.0 |
30 |
| Laurel |
18894 |
4896.0 |
19 |
| Gautier |
18566 |
3426.0 |
14 |
| Ocean Springs |
17688 |
3985.0 |
16 |
| Hernando |
15793 |
2349.0 |
4 |
| Long Beach |
15708 |
2368.0 |
5 |
| Natchez |
15003 |
5459.0 |
23 |
| McComb |
12632 |
5882.0 |
26 |
| Diberville |
11795 |
7147.0 |
31 |
| West Point |
10935 |
3137.0 |
11 |
| Petal |
10747 |
782.0 |
1 |
| Picayune |
10631 |
5258.0 |
22 |
| Flowood |
8879 |
3807.0 |
15 |
| Holly Springs |
7596 |
4857.0 |
18 |
| Batesville |
7371 |
4274.0 |
17 |
| Amory |
7022 |
3303.0 |
12 |
| Waveland |
6382 |
4935.0 |
20 |
| Pass Christian |
5690 |
2812.0 |
8 |
| Gulfport |
0 |
5568.0 |
25 |
