Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Port Gibson’s subject grades is an A for history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 39% of residents live below the poverty line in Port Gibson, above both Mississippi’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 14 of Mississippi’s 182 towns do worse. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its National Register listings include Port Gibson Battle Site and Grand Gulf Military State Park. Port Gibson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Port Gibson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Chamberlain-Hunt Academy Historic District| Widest gap | Port Gibson | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.1% | 11.2% |
Census counts: 1,524 in 1890, a peak of 2,920 in 1950, 1,269 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1802 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Port Gibson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Port Gibson. Close and well known come first.
in town ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
3 mi National Military ParkVicksburg National Military Park410K visitors a year
30 mi MuseumUSS Cairo
37 mi MuseumStanton Hall
37 mi MuseumRosalie Mansion
36 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 · USS Cairo: Katyrw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 Port Gibson, 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 Port Gibson.
50% of Port Gibson adults have obesity, above both the Mississippi town median (42%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 23% of Port Gibson adults have diabetes. Only 4 of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Port Gibson.
| Port Gibson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 12% |
| 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 | Port Gibson | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.8% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.1% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Claiborne County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. W. Watson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 531 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
The typical Port Gibson home is worth about $80,000, down 9.5% in a year, 59% below the Mississippi typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Port Gibson’s working residents works in town. Port Gibson’s average trip to work is 28 minutes. Jobs based in Port Gibson fell to 1,002 in 2023, 163 fewer than in 2013.
| Port Gibson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Port Gibson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Port Gibson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Port Gibson is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 24% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (37% statewide). Port Gibson has lost 10% of its people since 2020, down to 1,155 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 25% across Mississippi.
| Port Gibson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 42 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
59% women, 41% men
About 70 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.6 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Port Gibson | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.8% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.6% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.2% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.9% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.3% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.6% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.5% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Only 1 of the 58 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than Port Gibson. Port Gibson's reported crime rate is well above Mississippi's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Port Gibson | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 31.6 per 1,000 residents | 16.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Farmer's Market | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Port Gibson
About 3 of every 100 Port Gibson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
1,567 counted in 2010 and 1,269 in 2020; an estimated 1,155 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
17 places in Port Gibson on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Port Gibson.
City in Mississippi, United States
Port Gibson is a city and the county seat of Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Port Gibson had a population of 1,269. It is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. The first European settlers in Port Gibson were French colonists in 1729. In 1795, Pinckney's Treaty established the area as United States territory, and the town was chartered in 1803, the same year that France's land across the Mississippi was acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. To develop cotton plantations in the area after Indian Removal of the 1830s, planters who moved to the state brought with them or imported thousands of enslaved Africans from the Upper South, disrupting many fam…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 2.5 years of the area's median household income ($31,897 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
12 notable people were born here, including J.D. Short and Pete Brown.
.JPG){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}