Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,315, settled in 1826. A regional job hub with 527 jobs.
Fayette’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Fayette, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On incomes, just 3 of Mississippi’s 182 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Fayette's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. Fayette has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Springfield Plantation and Christ Church. Fayette has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Fayette beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Fayette | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 21.7% | 11.2% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Fayette is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 210 in 1850, a low of 120 in 1870, 1,445 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fayette. Close and well known come first.
6 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
16 mi National Military ParkVicksburg National Military Park410K visitors a year
22 mi MuseumStanton Hall
23 mi MuseumRosalie Mansion
22 mi National Historical ParkNatchez National Historical Park41K visitors a yearNatchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain · Vicksburg National Military Park: Eoghanacht at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Stanton Hall: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rosalie Mansion: Elisa Rolle, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Natchez National Historical Park: Calstanhope, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fayette, 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 Fayette.
52% of adults have obesity in Fayette, against 42% in Mississippi’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 22% of Fayette adults have diabetes. Among 102 Mississippi towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Fayette.
| Fayette | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 42% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Fayette | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 7.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 21.7% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson County School District. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Jefferson County High, with 331 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 331 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Fayette’s median rent is $425 a month. Typical home values fell 16% in the year to September 2026. 59% of households own their home in Fayette.
| Fayette | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $425 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 5 of Fayette’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Fayette is 16 minutes. Among 100 Mississippi towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Fayette.
| Fayette | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $29,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fayette has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Fayette since 2022.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fayette
About 4 of every 100 Fayette residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
Where Fayette’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Mississippi, United States
Fayette is a city in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fayette had a population of 1,445. It is the county seat of Jefferson County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
.JPG){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}