Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Aberdeen gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $147K, 2.8 years of the county’s $52K median household income. It grades C− overall, 45th among Mississippi's 99 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $33K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Aberdeen, against 21% in Mississippi’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include U.S. Courthouse and Post Office and Reuben Davis House. Aberdeen's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns.
Where Aberdeen beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
U.S. Courthouse and Post Office| Widest gap | Aberdeen | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.2% | 11.2% |
Census counts: 2,022 in 1870, a peak of 7,184 in 1980, 4,961 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1847 and 3 maps from 1966 on.
26 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Aberdeen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aberdeen, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Mississippi.
Against the 965 U.S. towns with household incomes like Aberdeen’s, it is less healthy than 74%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
46% of adults get no exercise outside work in Aberdeen. Among 101 Mississippi towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Aberdeen. 44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Aberdeen.
| Aberdeen | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 36% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 13% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 55% | 45% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 24% | 14% |
| What stands out | Aberdeen | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.8% | 13.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.7% | 79.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.2% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Aberdeen School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Aberdeen High School, with 312 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 346 | C− |
| Aberdeen High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 312 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
| Aberdeen | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $147K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles. 65.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.3% across Mississippi.
65% of Aberdeen renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent. The typical Aberdeen home is worth about $147,000, up 0.6% in a year, 24% below the Mississippi typical home. Aberdeen’s median rent is $727 a month.
| Aberdeen | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 65% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $727 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Aberdeen weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 223 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 76% of Mississippi places with climate records. The Aberdeen weather station records that about 63 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 77% of Mississippi places with climate records.
Aberdeen has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Aberdeen is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 5 of Aberdeen’s working residents works in town. Among 99 Mississippi towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Aberdeen. Jobs based in Aberdeen grew to 2,698 in 2023, 138 more than in 2013.
| Aberdeen | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $33,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Aberdeen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Aberdeen; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Aberdeen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
5,612 counted in 2010 and 4,961 in 2020; an estimated 4,799 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 3.1% since 2020, after 11.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
26 places in Aberdeen on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Aberdeen.
City in Mississippi, United States
Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,961, down from 5,612 in 2010. Located on the banks of the Tombigbee River, Aberdeen was one of the busiest Mississippi ports of the 19th century. Cotton was heavily traded in town, and for a time Aberdeen was Mississippi's second largest city. Aberdeen retains many historic structures from this period, with over 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. In the spring of each year, Aberdeen hosts pilgrimages to its historic antebellum homes. The most prominent of these antebellum homes is The Magnolias, which was built in 1850. Located just outs…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Aberdeen grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #45 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
17 notable people were born here, including Moses Hardy and Dwayne Whitfield.
