The local economy of Mississippi and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
3.4%
-0.3 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Jones County 2.4%, highest Jefferson County 9.1%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,051
+3.3%vs a year ago
1,162,883 jobs at 93,255 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
8,718
+9.5%this year vs last year
Most in Harrison County 2,180, DeSoto County 910.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
-3,109
-1.4 per 1,000residents
57,236 moved in and 60,345 moved out. Most newcomers came from Tennessee.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Mississippi gas price
$3.94
+$1.27vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Jones County $3.80, highest Claiborne County $4.39. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Mississippi, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
60K
0.0%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
956K
+1.2%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (17.6%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$45.5B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$47,550
Highest sector: Utilities $96,882.
Per employee per year
Share of Mississippi's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 99,708 | $17,836 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 57,093 | $68,531 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 30,587 | $28,536 |
| Employment Services | 29,182 | $31,513 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 27,672 | $33,324 |
| Offices of Physicians | 19,028 | $91,775 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 18,488 | $38,960 |
| Religious Organizations | 17,835 | $21,562 |
| Grocery Stores | 17,744 | $24,363 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 17,240 | $73,449 |
| Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing | 15,912 | $37,121 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 14,697 | $38,412 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $76,000 a year in 769 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Mississippi, up 2.5% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Software Developers. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$76,000
+2.5%vs 2024
Middle half: $58,000 to $110,000.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
769
+13.1%vs 2024
837 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$95,680
Software Developers, 83 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$58,743
+77.8%vs 2024
162 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Mississippi, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 83 | $95,680 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 79 | $52,925 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 57 | $251,117 |
| Industrial Engineers | 31 | $91,235 |
| Physicians, All Other | 27 | $325,000 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 22 | $44,200 |
| Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians | 19 | $95,742 |
| Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 18 | $50,100 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 18 | $91,438 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 18 | $95,890 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| University of Mississippi Medical Center | 76 | 3 |
| Mississippi State University | 67 | 8 |
| Jackson Public School District | 67 | 1 |
| University of Mississippi | 51 | 1 |
| Eve Energy US Holding LLC | 22 | 1 |
| Vicksburg Warren School District | 19 | 1 |
| Amplify Cell Technologies LLC | 17 | 2 |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi | 14 | 1 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 13 | 2 |
| Meridian Public School District | 12 | 1 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 218 | $69,986 | $55,752 to $123,750 |
| University | 51 | $70,000 | $59,453 to $81,355 |
| Flowood | 51 | $102,960 | $90,948 to $120,000 |
| Mississippi State | 47 | $76,112 | $63,927 to $94,048 |
| Olive Branch | 41 | $111,238 | $94,578 to $124,654 |
| Ridgeland | 36 | $89,000 | $71,732 to $112,939 |
| Byhalia | 30 | $56,368 | $45,053 to $74,212 |
| Hattiesburg | 26 | $67,675 | $54,400 to $104,575 |
| Vicksburg | 23 | $44,200 | $44,200 to $44,200 |
| Meridian | 22 | $53,550 | $47,944 to $65,412 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Mississippi added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Mississippi has had 99 declared disasters and emergencies since 1953, 60 of them since 2000, most often Severe Storm. Flood insurance has paid $3.1 billion on 64,589 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2005 ($2.5 billion).
Declared disasters
60
47 major disasters. Most often Severe Storm (43 since 1953).
Since 2000, all types; 99 since 1953
Flood claims paid
$133.0M
5,270 claims. Biggest year 2005 ($2.5B).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
50,257
Average premium $1,101 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
27
Jefferson Davis County, latest Feb 6, 2026.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Mississippi, 1953 to today
Claims paid in Mississippi by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1953
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 80.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrison County | 15,939 | $1.3B | 17,377 |
| 2 | Hancock County | 9,927 | $745.6M | 8,431 |
| 3 | Jackson County | 11,325 | $720.7M | 16,088 |
| 4 | Hinds County | 4,716 | $70.8M | 4,096 |
| 5 | Washington County | 1,955 | $37.0M | 2,044 |
| 6 | Warren County | 2,690 | $35.6M | 452 |
| 7 | Bolivar County | 994 | $21.7M | 551 |
| 8 | Rankin County | 978 | $20.9M | 2,008 |
| 9 | Wilkinson County | 1,394 | $18.7M | 89 |
| 10 | Pearl River County | 828 | $18.1M | 931 |
| 11 | Forrest County | 1,755 | $12.8M | 840 |
| 12 | Madison County | 1,003 | $10.1M | 1,098 |
| 13 | Yazoo County | 410 | $7.76M | 453 |
| 14 | Marion County | 685 | $7.25M | 295 |
| 15 | Lowndes County | 1,186 | $7.24M | 1,061 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Mississippi, from official public data.
Official public data lists 4,642 facilities in Mississippi with records since 2010, 4,564 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at View INC in Olive Branch ($1,512,000). 165 large facilities reported 41.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, down 0.6% from 2022.
Facilities with records
4,642
4,564 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$1.51M
View INC, Olive Branch.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
41.8M t
-0.6%vs 2022
165 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
5.08M t
Mississippi Power Company, Plant Victor, Moss Point.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| View INC Olive Branch | $1,512,000 | 1 |
| Mississippi Silicon LLC Burnsville | $400,000 | 0 |
| Westlake Chemicals & Vinyls LLC Aberdeen | $340,000 | 1 |
| International Paper, Columbus Mill Columbus | $200,000 | 5 |
| Jindal Tubular USA LLC Bay St. Louis | $175,000 | 3 |
| Amite Bioenergy LLC, Wood Pellet Manufacturing Facility Gloster | $150,000 | 1 |
| Superior Pallet Company City of Jackson | $125,000 | 0 |
| Shuqualak Lumber Company INC, Planer Mill Division Shuqualak | $122,815 | 2 |
| USA Yeast Company LLC Hattiesburg | $122,500 | 9 |
| Bfi Waste Systems of Mississippi LLC - Little Dixie Landfill Ridgeland | $119,000 | 6 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Mississippi Power Company, Plant Victor Moss Point | 5,076,458 |
| Chevron Pascagoula Refinery Pascagoula | 4,784,595 |
| Red Hills Generation Facility Ackerman | 3,159,041 |
| CF Industries Nitrogen LLC Yazoo City | 2,433,917 |
| Tva Magnolia Combined Cycle Ashland | 2,321,855 |
| Batesville Generation Facility Batesville | 1,980,799 |
| Choctaw County Generating Station French Camp | 1,950,979 |
| Watson Electric Generating Plant Gulfport | 1,839,378 |
| Tva Southaven Combined Cycle Plant Southaven | 1,681,842 |
| Tva Caledonia Combined Cycle Plant Steens | 1,499,074 |
Large facilities in Mississippi, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Their facilities in Mississippi, 2022 to 2026. Click a company for its Risk & Compliance tab.
| Company | Facilities | Penalties | CO2e (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlake Corporation WLK | 2 | $340K | 56K |
| International Paper Company IP | 9 | $200K | 325K |
| Republic Services, Inc. RSG | 3 | $119K | 199K |
| The Chemours Company CC | 2 | $79K | 448K |
| Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. SWK | 2 | $37K | - |
| The Southern Company SO | 10 | $26K | 12.3M |
| Steel Dynamics, Inc. STLD | 1 | $24K | 498K |
| Tyson Foods, Inc. TSN | 6 | $23K | 108K |
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Mississippi, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Mississippi is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Mississippi, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Mississippi was 3.4% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 3.7% a year earlier. 1,230,940 people were employed out of a labor force of 1,274,635. Among its counties, Jones County had the lowest rate (2.4%) and Jefferson County the highest (9.1%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Mississippi was $1,051 in Q1 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier, across 1,162,883 jobs at 93,255 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 661 new homes in Mississippi in August 2026 (609 single-family and 39 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 5,837, up 9.5% from the same months last year, and 8,718 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Harrison County (2,180), DeSoto County (910), Jackson County (882) over the last 12 months.
No, more people moved out than in. From 2022 to 2023, 57,236 people moved to Mississippi and 60,345 moved away, a net loss of 3,109 (-1.4 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, and most people who left went to Tennessee, Texas, Alabama.
Regular gasoline in Mississippi averaged $3.94 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.27 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $5.88. Among its counties, Jones County had the lowest regular price ($3.80) and Claiborne County the highest ($4.39).
Health Care and Social Assistance (168,795 employees), Manufacturing (146,261 employees), Retail Trade (136,728 employees) were the largest sectors in Mississippi in 2023. In all, 60,465 business locations employed 956,079 people at an average pay of $47,550 a year.
$76,000 a year was the median pay offered in 769 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Mississippi in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), up 2.5% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $58,000 to $110,000. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
University of Mississippi Medical Center (76), Mississippi State University (67), Jackson Public School District (67), University of Mississippi (51), Eve Energy US Holding LLC (22) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Mississippi in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Software Developers (83 filings, median $95,680), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (79 filings, median $52,925), Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (57 filings, median $251,117) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Mississippi in fiscal year 2025.
$102,960 was the median offered pay in Flowood, the highest among the Mississippi cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (51 filings).
$58,743 a year was the median pay offered in 162 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Mississippi in fiscal year 2025.
99 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Mississippi since 1953, 60 of them since 2000 (47 major disasters). The most common type is Severe Storm (43 declarations).
Jefferson Davis County, with 27 declarations since 2000, followed by George County (25) and Greene County (25). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$3.1 billion on 64,589 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2005, with $2.5 billion paid on 19,764 claims. Harrison County received the most ($1.3 billion).
$1,101 a year in 2025, across 50,257 flood insurance policies in Mississippi. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.