Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brookhaven grades D overall, ranked 67th of 99 in Mississippi, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. The median household income is $37K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 16 places on the National Register. 43% of working residents work locally in Brookhaven, above both the Mississippi town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On hazard risk, just 6 of Mississippi’s 187 towns do better. Its National Register listings include First Methodist Church and Inez Hotel.
Where Brookhaven beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 996 in 1860, 11,674 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
15 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Brookhaven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brookhaven, 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 Brookhaven.
Brookhaven draws workers from Jackson and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values still below their peak.
10,644 jobs are based in Brookhaven, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.5 minutes, against 25.6 across Mississippi.
Brookhaven’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Brookhaven grew to 10,644 in 2023, 1,121 more than in 2013. Only 9 of the 99 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower median household income than Brookhaven.
| Brookhaven | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Brookhaven School District. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brookhaven High School, with 761 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mamie Martin ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 622 | – |
| Brookhaven High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 761 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,557 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brookhaven’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Mississippi it is less healthy than 68% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures.
50% of adults have high blood pressure in Brookhaven. Brookhaven beats the Mississippi average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 40% of adults get no exercise outside work in Brookhaven.
| Brookhaven | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 45% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Brookhaven | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.8% | 11.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 30.6% | 22.4% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 22.8% | 16.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Brookhaven has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Brookhaven is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brookhaven.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $160K, is 10% below its August 2022 peak.
The typical Brookhaven home is worth about $160,000, about the same as a year ago, 18% below the Mississippi typical home. 54% of Brookhaven households own their home.
| Brookhaven | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $740 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Brookhaven's reported crime rate is well above Mississippi's. Most reported incidents are property crimes. 34 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| Brookhaven | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 30.1 per 1,000 residents | 19.4 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 2 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Mississippi average. 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 25% across Mississippi.
| Brookhaven | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 25% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 24% | 22% |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.4 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Brookhaven | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.3% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.5% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.1% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.7% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brookhaven City Park | — | 13 |
| 2. Exchange Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Downtown Railway Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brookhaven
About 3 of every 100 Brookhaven residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
Where Brookhaven’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
15 places in Brookhaven on the National Register of Historic Places.
25 notable people were born in Brookhaven.
City in Mississippi, United States
Brookhaven is a city in Lincoln County, Mississippi, United States, 55 miles (89 km) south of the state capital of Jackson. The population was 11,674 people at the 2020 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County. It was named after the town of Brookhaven, New York, by founder Samuel Jayne in 1818.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brookhaven grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #67 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.1 years of the area's median household income ($51,119 across the Brookhaven, MS area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
25 notable people were born here, including Cindy Hyde-Smith and Ruth Ford.
