Article Overview:10 Things to Consider Before Moving to Mississippi
Thinking about living in Mississippi?
Sadly, it wasnt until I left Mississippi that I realized how essential it is to leave.
I dont want to rely on emotions, so I used data and facts to back up my logic.
Pros and Cons of Living in Mississippi (Sean Pavone/Getty Images)
Yep, the average life expectancy in the state is74.5 years.
On average, men have is worse than women.
Mississippis healthcare system is nothing short of dangerous for birthing mothers and infants.
Image Courtesy AP News
Were facing a crisis with our infant mortality rates.
How the hell can we possibly justify that?
Whether thats good or bad is up to you!
Image Courtesy ABC News
This rate is significantly above the national average, which is around 7.8 per 100,000.
On a personal level, it detrimentally affects quality of life, mobility, and overall well-being.
Is it any wonder werethe 7th unhappiest state in the countryto boot?
The racism and oppression have lingering effects that are felt to this day.
The end result?Black Mississippi residents have lower graduation ratesand lower salaries than white residents.
Surely we cant keep making excuses and/or relying on egregious stereotypes to justify these criminal discrepancies.
Mississippi is Not LGBTQ-Friendly
Ive had many friends move out of Mississippi after identifying as LGBTQ.
Bright minds that were eager to contribute to the community, but were hated out of their home state.
Hard to blame them.
Nobody deserves to be disrespected (and downright despised) for not checking the white and straight box.
Navigating the traditionally conservative landscape is challenging.
All told, if you identify as LGBTQ, youll want to think twice before moving to Mississippi.
Its definitely a rinse-and-repeat cycle.
Around19.1% of the population lives below the poverty line.
This means Mississippi has thesecond highest poverty rates in the United States.
For locals, this might mean encountering challenges in accessing affordable housing, nutritious food, and reliable transportation.
If youre living in Mississippi, you probably know the drill.
Rely on bottled water or filtration systems for safe drinking water.
Lack of Career Opportunities
As I mentioned earlier, I was born and raised in Mississippi.
I graduated from Ole Miss and moved to NYC to start my career.
The reason?The job market in Mississippi sucks.
Folks living in Mississippi like to pride themselves on being blue collar.
But what about those that dont want blue collar jobs?
Where does that leave us?
Its the Most Religious State in the Nation
To be clear, I have nothing against religion.
Because were bad at so many things.
From cheap utilities and gas to groceries and haircuts, everyday living in Mississippi wont break the bank.
But (as mentioned earlier) the affordability comes at a cost.
Im hardly the first to tell you that housing prices are obnoxious across the country.
Thankfully, thats not the case in Mississippi.
