Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Macon’s subject grades is an A for history; the weakest is a D− for health. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Macon, above both the Mississippi town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 9 of Mississippi’s 187 towns do worse. Macon's public schools score at or near the bottom of Mississippi. Only 4 of Mississippi’s 186 towns score higher on history. Macon's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Macon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Macon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Goodwin-Harrison House
Carey Bell| Widest gap | Macon | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23.3% | 11.2% |
Census counts: 989 in 1860, 2,582 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1852 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Macon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Macon, 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 Macon.
37% of Macon adults say their health is fair or poor, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 27% and U.S. towns at 19%. 40% of Macon adults feel lonely. Only 3 of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Macon.
| Macon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Macon | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23.3% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Noxubee County School District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earl Nash ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 611 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
The typical Macon home is worth about $109,000, down 0.8% in a year, 44% below the Mississippi typical home. Macon’s median rent is $625 a month.
| Macon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $625 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Macon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Macon has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Macon is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 100 Mississippi towns, just 2 have a lower median household income than Macon. 24% of working residents work locally in Macon. Jobs based in Macon grew to 1,051 in 2023, 94 more than in 2013.
| Macon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Macon; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Macon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
8 places in Macon on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Macon.
City in Mississippi, United States
Macon is a city in and the county seat of Noxubee County, Mississippi along the Noxubee River. As of the 2020 census, Macon had a population of 2,582.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.1 years of the area's median household income ($51,117 across the Columbus, 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.
17 notable people were born here, including Carey Bell and Gene Short.
