Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yazoo City earns a D−, ranked 86th of 99 in Mississippi, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $28K, and 47% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 7 places on the National Register. 47% of residents live below the poverty line in Yazoo City, above both Mississippi’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Yazoo City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 12 of Mississippi’s 187 towns do better.
Where Yazoo City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Ricks Memorial Library| Widest gap | Yazoo City | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.9% | 11.2% |
Census counts: 2,542 in 1880, a peak of 14,550 in 2000, 10,316 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1846 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Yazoo City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Yazoo City, 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 Yazoo City.
Yazoo City trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and trades workers with Jackson and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Mississippi rate.
4.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Among 87 Mississippi towns, just 8 have a higher trail density than Yazoo City. The biggest park or preserve is Wardell Leak Recreational Complex, at 28 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wardell Leak Recreational Complex | 0.1 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by MS Achievement SD Of Yazoo City.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCoy Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 844 | D− |
| Yazoo City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 531 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
39% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Yazoo City. Among 101 Mississippi towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Yazoo City. 42% of adults feel lonely in Yazoo City.
| Yazoo City | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 55% | 42% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Yazoo City | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.3% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.9% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $69K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 28 miles. At 1.1 years of the Jackson metro’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $69K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Mississippi towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
33% of Yazoo City households own their home. The typical Yazoo City home is worth about $69,000, down 2% in a year, 65% below the Mississippi typical home. The median rent in Yazoo City is $767 a month.
| Yazoo City | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 33% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $767 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Yazoo City has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Yazoo City’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
113 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 14 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 113 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Yazoo City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Yazoo City has about as many jobs (3,802) as working residents, but only 983 people both live and work here.
About one in 3 of Yazoo City’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Yazoo City has lost 374 jobs, to 3,802 in 2023. The top destinations are Jackson (11%), Ridgeland (4%) and Canton (3%).
| Yazoo City | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 19% | 8% |
| Median household income | $28,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Yazoo City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Yazoo City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
7 places in Yazoo City on the National Register of Historic Places.
40 notable people were born in Yazoo City.
City in Mississippi, United States
Yazoo City is a city in and the county seat of Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert de La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. Yazoo City is the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Jackson–Yazoo City Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Yazoo City had a population of 10,316.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yazoo City grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #86 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D− for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
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 B+.
40 notable people were born here, including Stella Stevens and Haley Barbour.
