Fastest Growing Cities in Mississippi in 2022

The fastest growing cities in Mississippi today are not the ones most people expect. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest city and town estimates (Vintage 2025, released in May 2026), the biggest percentage gains since 2020 belong to Gulf Coast towns like Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian, DeSoto County suburbs like Hernando and Southaven, and the Rankin County cities east of Jackson. This guide was first written in 2022 and has been updated for 2026 with the new numbers, so the ranking below reflects where people are actually moving now.

We at Spyder Moving and Storage in Mississippi have offices in Oxford and Hattiesburg and move families into many of these cities. Below you’ll find the ranking, a short profile of each growing city, the places that have slowed down, and what to budget before you move.

What is the fastest-growing city in Mississippi?

Bay St. Louis is the fastest-growing city in Mississippi by percentage among cities with at least 5,000 residents. Its population rose from 9,290 in April 2020 to an estimated 10,634 on July 1, 2025, a gain of 14.5%. If you measure by the number of new residents instead, Gulfport leads: it added about 3,569 people over the same period and grew faster than any other large Mississippi city between 2024 and 2025.

The table uses the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates. It compares the April 1, 2020 estimates base with the July 1, 2025 estimate and shows the 12 Mississippi cities with 5,000 or more residents that grew fastest by percentage.

A few very small towns show bigger percentage jumps. Sumrall in Lamar County, for example, grew 30.6% to about 2,299 residents, and Spyder’s Sumrall movers serve it along with the rest of the Hattiesburg area. With small bases, a single subdivision can swing the percentage, which is why the ranking starts at 5,000 residents.

Which Mississippi cities added the most new residents?

Percentages favor smaller towns, so it helps to look at raw numbers too. Between April 2020 and July 2025, these cities added the most people:

• Gulfport: +3,569 (now about 76,506)
• Southaven: +3,169 (about 57,819)
• Pearl: +1,804 (about 28,864)
• Hernando: +1,676 (about 18,824)
• Bay St. Louis: +1,344 (about 10,634)
• Oxford: +1,270 (about 26,773)

For the largest cities in Mississippi by population, the 2025 order is Jackson (141,196), Gulfport (76,506), Southaven (57,819), Hattiesburg (48,802), Biloxi (48,516), Olive Branch (47,563) and Tupelo (38,087). Jackson is still the biggest city by a wide margin, but it has lost about 8.1% of its residents since 2020, while Gulfport keeps closing the gap as the second-largest city.

Where is Mississippi growing? The fastest-growing cities up close

The growth falls into a few clear clusters: the Gulf Coast, the Memphis suburbs in DeSoto County, the Jackson suburbs in Rankin County, and the college towns of north and south Mississippi. Here is what each place looks like on the ground.

Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian

These two small coastal cities top the percentage ranking. Bay St. Louis sits in Hancock County on the west end of the Mississippi coast, and Pass Christian sits just across the Bay of St. Louis in Harrison County. Both have rebuilt waterfronts, walkable old town areas and a slower pace than the casino strip in Biloxi. If you’re relocating to the coast, keep hurricane season (June through November) in mind when you schedule the move and when you shop for homeowners and flood insurance.

Gulfport

Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi and the big-number winner of this update. It grew by about 1,624 people between July 2024 and July 2025 alone, the largest one-year gain of any city in the state. Jobs in the port, health care, tourism and the casino and resort industry keep drawing newcomers. The city is also home to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, a nonprofit that researches and rehabilitates dolphins and sea turtles. Our Gulfport movers handle local moves along the coast and long-distance moves into the area.

Hernando and Southaven

DeSoto County grew by about 12,600 people since 2020, more than any other county in Mississippi, and Hernando and Southaven carry much of that growth. Southaven borders Memphis and has the Landers Center arena, shopping and quick access to I-55. Hernando, the county seat, has grown almost 10% while keeping its historic courthouse square and small-town feel. Families who work in the Memphis area often pick these cities for newer homes and a suburban setting. Spyder’s Hernando movers and Southaven movers cover the whole corridor.

Pearl, Flowood and Richland

While the city of Jackson has lost residents, its suburbs across the Pearl River in Rankin County are growing. Pearl added about 1,804 people since 2020, Flowood grew 7.4% and Richland 6.9%. Buyers like the newer subdivisions, the retail along Lakeland Drive and I-20, and the short commute to jobs in Jackson. If you’re moving within the metro area, our Pearl movers cover Rankin County and the surrounding cities.

Pontotoc

Pontotoc is the surprise of the list: a north Mississippi town of about 6,156 people that grew 9.2% since 2020. Trace State Park sits about seven miles east of town on the way to Tupelo. The Tanglefoot Trail, a 43.6-mile rail-trail between New Albany and Houston, runs right through Pontotoc and is popular with cyclists and walkers. For a move into town, see our Pontotoc movers.

Oxford

Oxford, home of the University of Mississippi and of Spyder’s headquarters at 1539 University Ave, grew about 5.0% since 2020 to roughly 26,773 residents. Lafayette County as a whole grew 6.8%, tied with DeSoto County for the fastest county growth among Mississippi’s larger counties. One caveat: the city’s estimate dipped about 1% between 2024 and 2025, so recent growth has been stronger in the county around Oxford than inside city limits. Our Oxford movers know both the in-town neighborhoods and the newer subdivisions around the county.

Petal and the Hattiesburg area

The city of Hattiesburg itself has stayed nearly flat (about 48,802 residents, +0.2% since 2020), but the area around it is growing. Neighboring Petal grew 5.8%, and Lamar County, which covers the west side of the metro, grew 5.0%. Lamar County includes Oak Grove and Sumrall, so much of the metro’s new housing sits just outside Hattiesburg city limits. Spyder’s Hattiesburg office at 602 Adeline St is in the middle of it. Our Hattiesburg movers handle moves anywhere in the Pine Belt.

Which Mississippi cities have slowed down since 2022?

The 2022 version of this guide included several cities that the new estimates no longer support as fast-growing. It’s only fair to show the current numbers:

• Senatobia: about 8,473 residents, +1.4% since 2020. Steady, not booming, with Northwest Mississippi Community College still the anchor of town.
• Meridian: about 33,370 residents, down 4.8% since 2020, though still the main city of east Mississippi.
• Holly Springs: about 6,402 residents, down 8.0% since 2020.

Slower growth isn’t a reason to rule a town out. These places often have less competition for homes and a quieter pace. If one of them fits your plans, our Senatobia movers, Meridian movers and Holly Springs movers can help. And if you’re comparing Mississippi with its neighbor to the north, our list of the best places in Tennessee for ex-New Yorkers covers the other side of the state line.

Is Mississippi’s population growing or shrinking?

Statewide, Mississippi is roughly holding steady. The Census Bureau estimates 2,954,160 residents on July 1, 2025, slightly below the April 2020 base of 2,961,264 but up for three years in a row from the 2022 low of 2,941,237. The growth is uneven. DeSoto, Harrison, Madison, Rankin and Lafayette counties gained the most people, while Hinds County, home to Jackson, lost about 7% of its population.

In short, growth is shifting from older city cores toward the suburbs, the coast and the college towns. You can check any city’s numbers yourself in the Census Bureau city and town estimates, which are updated every spring.

What should you know before moving to a growing Mississippi city?

Fast growth brings new homes and jobs, but also more competition for rentals and moving dates. A few practical points for 2026:

• State income tax: for tax year 2026, the first $10,000 of taxable income is taxed at 0% and the rest at 4%, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
• Groceries: the state sales tax on groceries dropped to 5% on July 1, 2025.
• Housing: in the fastest-growing cities, new subdivisions often sit outside city limits, so check which school district, utility provider and fire district serve the address.
• Timing: summer and the weeks around the start of a university semester tend to be the busiest in Oxford, Hattiesburg and Starkville, so book movers early.

If you’d rather not spend your evenings wrapping dishes, our packers and movers can pack the whole house, load the truck and unpack at the other end.

Planning a move to one of Mississippi’s growing cities

Whether you’re heading to Bay St. Louis, Hernando, Pearl or Oxford, Spyder Moving and Storage can plan the move with our own crews and trucks from offices in Oxford, Hattiesburg and Memphis. Tell us where you’re going and when, and request a free estimate for your move to one of the fastest growing cities in Mississippi.