Mississippi is an incredibly beautiful state, situated in the deep south of the U.S. It is in a region oozing with culture, controversy, and much, much more.
There are many stories and a lot of history to look back on when considering facts about Mississippi, with the state being first discovered all the way back in the mid-1500s by a Spanish explorer!
Mississippi offers a lot to do and a lot to see, whether you are visiting family or friends, vacationing, or choosing to call the state your new home. There is plenty to delve into when looking into the interesting facts about Mississippi, so, let’s check them out.
If you want to skip straight to the economic facts, and business highlights section, click on the link to take you there or scroll down the page.
24 Interesting Facts About Mississippi
1. Jackson, Mississippi is the capital city of the state, and also the most heavily populated city, boasting a population of over 166,000. The famous city was named after General Andrew Jackson in honor of his victory at the battle of New Orleans in 1815.
2. The University of Mississippi is the birthplace of the Marijuana Research Project, which is the only federally-funded research center based on growing cannabis and investigating the medical benefits of the plant!
3. Mississippi is a pretty religious state, supported by the fact that there are more churches per capita than any other state in the country. And to back this statement up, even more, n 2009, the Gallup poll discovered that people actually go to church in Mississippi more than any other state.
4. Mississippi has an incredibly beautiful landscape, readily presenting opportunities for an abundance of activities and fun. According to a 2011 report by the Mississippi Forestry Commission, over 63% of the state’s land is covered in forest, amounting to more than 19 million acres!
5. The cleaning product, “Pine-Sol”, was developed in 1929 by the chemist Harry A. Cole, who resided in a pine forest, on the outskirts of Jackson, Mississippi.
6. There are over 100,000 acres of Catfish Ponds in Mississippi. It will come as no surprise to know that the state is the “farm-raised catfish” capital of the U.S.
7. The world-famous fizzy soda, Coca-Cola was indeed invented in Atlanta, GA in 1866, however, it was initially only sold as a fountain drink for almost 30 years. This all changed though when Joseph Biedenharn decided to bottle the drink for the first time in 1894, at a plant in Vicksburg Mississippi.
8. The magnolia is both the state flower and tree of Mississippi, due to the school children of the state voting this during two separate elections.
9. Mississippi’s major industries are Agriculture, Manufacturing, Mining, and Fishing.
10. Mississippi is the 34th most populous state out of all 50, it is also the 32nd most extensive in the United States.
11. There are 82 counties in the state of Mississippi.
12. During 1963, the University of Mississippi Medical Center witnessed the world’s first human lung transplant, and the following year (1964) saw Dr. James D. Hardy perform the world’s first heard transplant surgery.
13. Mississippi is home to the longest man-made beach in the world, the 26-mile section of the Mississippi Gulf Coast stretches all the way from Biloxi to Henderson Point.
14. Barq’s Root Beer – this famous root beer was born in Biloxi, Mississippi by Edward Adolf Barq Sr.
15. Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc., located in West Point, MS has claimed to have made the very best snow sled in the U.S., which then became an American tradition. Named, “The Flexible Flyer”.
16. Mississippi is hit with an average of 27 tornadoes each year! Also, two of the five deadliest tornadoes to hit the United States have taken place in Mississippi.
17. The famous Nina Simone song named, “Mississippi Goddamn” was written and composed in an hour. The song is a response to the violence against Blacks in the South of the U.S., which was highlighted due to the murder of Medgar Evers, which took place in Jackson Mississippi on June 12, 1963, and also the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama.
18. Mississippi is the home of, you may have guessed it, the iconic Mississippi River! The river itself is the second-longest river in North American, flowing 2,350 miles from its source – Lake Itasca, all the way through the center of the United States ending in the Gulf of Mexico.
19. The Mississippi River is extremely long, and this is evident by the number of states actually have access to the River! There are a total of 10 states that touch the iconic River; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Interesting Economic Facts About Mississippi
There is plenty to consider when looking into the economic facts about Mississippi. The state is observed by many as having an incredibly up-and-coming business and work environment for business and economic development, aiding entrepreneurs, investors, and employees seeking opportunity alike.
If you would like to learn how to register a business in Mississippi so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.
Here are some Mississippi Economic Facts
- Mississippi’s GDP is around $115 billion!
- Mississippi has a progressive state income tax rate of 3.23%.
- Mississippi ranks #3 out of all 50 states for air and water quality (US News & World Report).
- Mississippi ranks #15 for business and economic affordability (US News & World Report).
- Over 32% of Mississippi’s population are college-educated (US News & World Report).
- The Mississippi minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
- Mississippi’s median income is $23,121.
- The average house price in Indiana is $131,973, however, this number is seasonally adjusted, to keep updated, take a look at Zillow’s website.
- There are over 262,000 small businesses operating out of Mississippi.
- Small businesses make up over 99% of all Mississippi businesses.
- There are over 437,000 small business employees in Mississippi.
- Over 46% of Mississippis employees work for small businesses.
- Mississippi is home to over 1,545 small business exporters.
- The sales tax rate in Mississippi is currently 7%.
All of these economic facts about Mississippi prove the reasons people move to the state for business and work opportunities, and it’s hard to argue with any of them!
5 Interesting Facts About Mississippi
Here are our final five facts!
20. Each state has a nickname, usually derived from a historical event, or something the state is known for by the rest of the nation. Mississippi’s nickname is the Magnolia State. The Magnolia State also goes by another, non-official nickname, make sure to check out our page through the link to see what it is!
21. The iconic, King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi!
22. Mississippi has two name abbreviations, one is a two-letter postal abbreviation which you will find on any document or address which shows a geographical location within the United States, “MS” and the other abbreviation consists of four letters, “Miss.”.
23. The maximum speed limit you can legally travel within the state is 70 MPH. However, this is can only be achieved on major highways that pass through rural and parsley populated areas of highways that have been officially signposted.
24. The nation’s first-ever Memorial Day celebration was held in the city of Columbus, Mississippi. This was due to the city’s heavy losses during the Civil War.
Thanks for taking a look at our 20+ interesting facts about Mississippi! If you have some facts and fun information regarding Mississippi’s past and present that we have not covered, make sure to add a comment below.
