Jackson, Mississippi sounds like it could be a nice place to live and there are many good reasons to live there. Yet, the local residents do not always agree that Jackson, Mississippi is a good place to live and often argue that there are more flaws than benefits. I have been able to gather some local opinions on the 17 reasons why you should not move to Jackson, Mississippi, and have listed some of them below.
17. Weather
The weather in Jackson, Mississippi is very hot and humid. The summers are considered super-hot and muggy. Winters are short but very wet and cold during the duration of the winter months. Temperatures will often vary between 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the year. Temperatures rarely will go above or below this range.
Another major issue is humidity. If you are not a fan of a humid climate, consider moving somewhere that fits the climate you are looking for. If you have never lived in a humid climate take this as a little example of why you should not want to live in a humid environment.
Humidity makes everything hotter or colder than it really is. Humidity also makes you get smellier faster and your clothing will stick to your skin. Overall, humidity is a good thing to avoid if possible, and you won’t be able to avoid it when living in Jackson.
16. Bugs
There are many bugs that inhabit the state of Mississippi. There are hundreds of different types of bugs that shouldn’t be welcome inside the house. There are so many bugs in Jackson, Mississippi because of the hot and humid climate. Here are a few bugs that you will find in Jackson.
- Eastern Velvet Ant– This type of ant has a forceful and very painful sting painful enough to kill cattle.
- Carrion Beetle– These bugs eat other insects around such as maggots, larvae, and decayed animals.
- Wolf Spider- They are not poisonous spiders, but they bite with their fangs, which is quite painful.
- Assassin Bug– Assassin bugs are painful when they bite humans. This bug will kill its prey by stabbing other bugs to death.
If you aren’t fine with a lot of bugs roaming around, Jackson, Mississippi should be avoided at all costs.
15. Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are common in Jackson, Mississippi. There isn’t a high risk of wildfires due to the humidity, but there is a higher threat of the following:
- Hurricanes
- Severe storms
- Heat
- Drought
- Winter storms
- Power outages
- Landslides
- Tornadoes
The location and type of climate in Jackson, Mississippi make it more likely for natural disasters to occur.
Be aware of these things when looking for a home. Living in this state would need to require a good type of home insurance against these disasters. Natural disasters can happen in any state, so be aware of the natural disasters specific to Jackson, Mississippi.
14. High Poverty Rate
High poverty rates in Jackson Mississippi make the area more prone to higher crime rates. According to Reuters
, “20% of Mississippi residents live in poverty, the 2019 census reported. In Jackson, it’s 25%”.
Jackson is not the safest place in the U.S. Consider the poverty and crime rates before deciding to live in Jackson. Every day people here have to think about ways to be safe because crimes happen often. Find the safest areas in Jackson in order to combat this issue.
There is also a reason for the high poverty rate. There is a very high unemployment rate in Jackson, Mississippi. There are more people than jobs in the area, which means that the competition to get a job is extreme. Likewise getting promoted and climbing the career ladder is hard, if not impossible, to do with such a large job-searching crowd.
13. Population Growth is Declining
Population growth in Jackson, Mississippi continues to decline each year for the past 5 years. Many people in Mississippi moved away because of the Coronavirus pandemic, food shortages, and the reasons included in this post.
When the population starts to decline, more employees will be needed, which can be a good thing. However, if you are an entrepreneur there won’t be enough people to fill the roles that your business needs to function if the decline keeps going for years to come.
Larger businesses will likewise close down their operation to save on costs due to the low employment. Population growth has stunted because of bad healthcare, poverty, natural disasters, and other reasons that keep people away from Jackson, Mississippi.
12. Low-Quality Education
With high poverty rates, education is declining in Jackson, Mississippi. This is because parents are not able to spend more money on keeping their child’s education as modern as the rest of the country. The government also offers little support to impoverished areas to improve schools.
Schools in Mississippi are ranked as one of the lowest in the United States. Many students don’t have the ability to succeed because of their environment. The schools are low-funded, and there isn’t much learning going on when the priority isn’t being put on the schools.
Many children are burdened with having to work to support their families. Many teachers and administrators have had to accept lower wages in order to keep teachers working in the schools.
There is also a high teen pregnancy rate in schools in this city. Schools have made it mandatory to receive sex education because the rate of this happening is becoming a problem. This has made an impact and is helping with the issue. Still, access to contraceptives and support from their community will help prevent this from happening more.
Overall, Jackson Mississippi needs to make many changes in the school system so that education quality and environment can improve in the future.
11. Poor Quality Healthcare
The state of Mississippi doesn’t have a good healthcare system in the United States. Arielle Dreher says that “Mississippi ranks 50th for the second year in a row in the United Health Foundation’s health rankings.”
Mississippi is currently in the last place for healthcare due to rising rates of obesity, poverty, and cardiovascular disease deaths. Mississippi ranks lowest for women’s, children’s, and senior citizens’ health. This is partially due to a lack of governmental support.
This is a concern for the state because lots of things go wrong despite people’s health and safety when the healthcare system is failing. If you or anyone you know suffers from various illnesses, Jackson, Mississippi doesn’t have much to offer.
10. Low Life Expectancy
There isn’t a high life expectancy in Jackson, Mississippi. This state has the lowest life expectancy compared to other states. People in Mississippi commonly struggle with poverty, and unhealthy behaviors have been reported among people who live here.
There are many adults who don’t exercise, and the lack of sports in this city may contribute to life expectancy. The problems with healthcare also impact the Jackson, Mississippi residents’ life expectancy since they cannot afford to get the treatment they need.
The encouragement to stay active is low in this state because lots of people don’t have the care to take care of themselves leading to high rates of obesity and other health issues.
However, the current life expectancy of residents of Jackson, Mississippi has actually improved. In 2015, residents of Jackson, Mississippi were expected to live for about 74.7 years. In 1980, people were only expected to live for about 71.6 years. This is an increase in life expectancy of 3.1 years. However, in other states, the increase in life expectancy was more dramatic.
9. Lack of Sports
In Jackson, Mississippi, there are not very many sports events going on. The state ranks towards the bottom of the best states to live in as a sports fan. There are no professional sports teams in Mississippi, and there are only three college teams. If you aren’t a sports fan, then Jackson, Mississippi may be a good place for you to live. However, if you are an avid sports fan, you will want to avoid living in Jackson.
As stated, there are a few college teams these are the Mississippi Rebels, Oxford; the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Starkville; and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Hattiesburg.
Jackson, Mississippi also is the home to a few leagues. These are the Jackson Bandits, the Mississippi Seawolves, and the Tupelo T-Rex. Unfortunately, these are all of the major sports teams located in Mississippi.
8. Lack of Diversity
Mississippi lacks diversity in its population. Their culture has a lot of southern aspects and doesn’t have much for other cultures when it comes to restaurants and activities around. According to Data USA, “In 2019, there were 1.49 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.68M people) in Mississippi than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.13M Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 51.4k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups”.
These percentages may be subject to change in the coming years, but for now, these are the standings. Keep this in mind when researching facts about Jackson, Mississippi before you move to the city.
7. Many People Move Out of the State
Many people move out of Jackson, Mississippi in order to find a different lifestyle. Jackson lacks a lot of things that people want or need when living here, so most people move out of the city and the entire state to find what they want. Lots of people will move away to find better-paying jobs with more employees, as Jackson, Mississippi has a high unemployment rate.
6. Low Cost of Living
Mississippi has very cheap houses, but the costs are low because people can’t afford houses that cost more. Housing costs in Mississippi are the lowest in the nation. Most people who are poor live in the area because that is all they can afford. A typical family of four requires an income of $80,523 to meet the needs of the family.
Even though this is the case, the average income in Jackson, Mississippi is about $70,656. This low makes it hard for families to thrive when moving to Mississippi. Consider finding a job that pays above this average or consider a different state to meet their income needs.
5. Lack of Transportation
There is a lack of public transportation across the state. It is important to have a way of getting around on your own because there won’t be many options to choose from for mode of transportation. Residents who don’t own a car struggle to travel to and from places without the help of family or friends. Consider this when looking at moving to Jackson.
4. Lack of Things to Do
Jackson, Mississippi has a few things to do outdoors, but not enough of the major activities that people love. Mississippi has various shopping centers, but there is a lack of other things to do unless traveling out of the city. Outside of Jackson, you can find beaches and lakes, but you will have to drive for at least a few hours to reach one. There will be more outdoor activities further away.
3. Pollution
Since Jackson is a huge city in Mississippi, many people drive to go to work or any other place and this makes the area more polluted. Don’t consider moving to Jackson if you have bad allergies or asthma-related symptoms. Living here could make existing health problems much worse.
2. Bad Environment
The majority of people in Jackson, Mississippi are poor and lack high-quality education. Because of this, the environment in neighborhoods and schools isn’t the best for children. When schools and neighborhoods lack success, the students and residents start acting like it.
Many people drop out of school because of poverty, hunger, and social issues. Keep neighborhoods and schools in mind when thinking about moving to this city and research more about them before deciding on a place to live.
1. Higher Rate of Illness
Since Jackson is a big city in Mississippi, there are more people around. Crowded areas in the city make it harder to stay healthy, especially for those who have health issues or are among the elderly population.
The lack of quality healthcare will make it difficult for those who come in contact with an illness that needs to be treated in a hospital.
