Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jackson grades D overall, 82nd among Mississippi's 99 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $42K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. 45% of working residents work locally in Jackson, above both Mississippi’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Medgar Evers House and Mississippi Governor's Mansion. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Jackson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Medgar Evers House is one of 5 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 87 National Register listings are more than in any other Mississippi town with a listing.
Census counts: 1,881 in 1850, 153,701 in 2020. The archive holds 27 old photos and papers going back to 1818 and 5 maps from 1905 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Jackson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jackson. Close and well known come first.
5 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
in town Stadium & arenaMississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
in town National MonumentMedgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument61K visitors a year
38 mi MuseumUSS Cairo
18 mi National Military ParkVicksburg National Military Park410K visitors a yearin town Zoo & aquariumJackson ZooNatchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain · Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium: Jfurr1981 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument: Jud McCranie, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Cairo: Katyrw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vicksburg National Military Park: Eoghanacht at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jackson, 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 Jackson.
Jackson draws workers from Clinton and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
95,125 jobs are based in Jackson, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
The top destinations are Ridgeland (8%), Flowood (7%) and Pearl (4%). Jobs in Jackson fell by 15,452 from 2013 to 2023, to 95,125. Its typical journey to work comes in at 20 minutes.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 5.3% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Clinton highest at A.
Below: Three of its 65 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the Jackson Public Schools. 6 public schools serve Jackson, with 3,056 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powell Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 704 | D− |
| Murrah High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,259 | C |
| Barack Obama Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 242 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
At 1.4 years of the Jackson metro’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $84K) costs less against local pay than in 96% of Mississippi towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Pearl is next at $212K.
49% of Jackson households live in a home they own. A home in Jackson typically sold within 25 days of listing. In Jackson, the typical sale closed at 94.2% of the list price.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 62% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,055 a month | $900 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 3,061 U.S. towns with household incomes like Jackson’s, it is less healthy than 59%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income. Within Mississippi it is less healthy than 57% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures.
For adults in Jackson, the share who have diabetes is 18%. Only 9 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Jackson. Against the Mississippi average, Jackson comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 9.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 45% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 36% |
| What stands out | Jackson | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.5% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest place to walk is Buddy Butts Park, 385 acres with 3.7 miles of trail. Walkers can cover 27 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Jackson: 26, covering 1,094 acres.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.4% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buddy Butts Park | 3.7 mi | 385 |
| 2. Lefleur's Bluff State Park | 2.5 mi | 366 |
| 3. Claibourne Park | 0.8 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3,342 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 464 properties have flooded more than once.
Households in Jackson have drawn federal disaster aid in 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2026. Expected losses in Jackson break down as 53% from inland flooding and 15% from tornadoes. Since 1978, Jackson has seen 3,342 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect July afternoons of 92° and January nights of 36°, with about 1 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Jackson's reported crime rate is above Mississippi's. Also worth knowing: its rate of reported violence comes in at 4 per 1,000 residents.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15 per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Only 48.6% of households own their home, against 70% across Mississippi.
Mississippi has 25% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 29%. Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). Jackson is shrinking: down 8.1% since 2020, to 141,196 residents (2025 estimate). For Jackson, the midpoint age is 34.5 years.
| Jackson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 24% | 22% |
53.7% women, 46.3% men
About 86 men for every 100 women. Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.6, men 32.7.
| Jackson | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.9% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.7% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.4% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
7 within 15 miles of the center of Jackson
About 9 of every 100 Jackson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
4 colleges in town.
87 places in Jackson on the National Register of Historic Places.
60 notable people were born in Jackson.
Capital and largest city of Mississippi, United States
Jackson is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River and is located in the greater Jackson Prairie region of Mississippi. Along with Raymond, Jackson is one of two county seats for Hinds County. The city had a population of 153,701 at the 2020 census, a decline of 11.42% from 173,514 since the 2010 census, representing the largest decline in population during the decade of any major U.S. city. The Jackson metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area located entirely in the state and the tenth-largest urban area in the Deep South, with 592,000 residents in 2020. The city is located in the Deep South halfway between Memphis and…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Jackson.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Byram (C) is closest. Ridgeland next door grades higher for schools (A to Jackson’s C−) and lower for cost of living (C− to B−).
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jackson grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #82 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 1.4 years of the area's median household income ($61,644 across the Jackson, MS metro 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−.
60 notable people were born here, including Eudora Welty and LeAnn Rimes.
