Smith County, Mississippi
Among the top 15% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 85% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 60% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade F, better than 4% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade F, better than 2% of US counties
- top 10% for violent crime
- top 12% for monthly rent
- bottom 1% for broadband access
Smith County is a county in Mississippi with about 14,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and F for lifestyle & connectivity. Standout strengths include violent crime, monthly rent, and property tax rate. It rates lower on school quality and broadband access.
- The median home value in Smith County is $120k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Smith County is $52k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Smith County is $649 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Smith County has a violent crime rate of 155/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Smith County is 30 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
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cool
81%56%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.7 in4.1 in
oppressive 95%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$52k25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$48kbetter than 28% of US counties
Home Value$120k26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$649better than 88% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$5kbetter than 64% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.52%better than 84% of US counties
Income Tax5.00%better than 46% of US counties
Sales Tax7.06%better than 54% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.53%better than 72% of US counties
Unemployment3.5%better than 74% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)47°F83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)81°F74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation59.9 in95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.8 inbetter than 79% of US counties
Sunny Days250 daysbetter than 64% of US counties
Summer Humidity71°Fbetter than 13% of US counties
Comfortable Days82 daysbetter than 57% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk47.2better than 52% of US counties
School Quality27.1better than 1% of US counties
Violent Crime155/100kbetter than 90% of US counties
Property Crime325/100kbetter than 82% of US counties
Community
Population14,31032nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.863rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3965th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.893rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+5774th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)73.5%39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)24.3%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)0.5%2nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.4%34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.4%8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time30 minbetter than 19% of US counties
Walkability3.7/20better than 2% of US counties
Airport Distance145 mibetter than 27% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access54.5%better than 1% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 12% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Smith County an affordable place to live?
- Smith County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $48k, better than 28% of comparable areas. Median rent is $649.
- Is Smith County safe?
- Smith County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 155/100k (better than 90%). Property crime is 325/100k.
- What is the weather like in Smith County?
- Smith County averages 81°F in July and 47°F in January, with 59.9 in of annual precipitation and about 250 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Smith County?
- Public-school quality in Smith County is below average, scoring better than 1% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Smith County?
- The average one-way commute in Smith County is 30 min.