What it's like to live in Brookhaven
Brookhaven is a small city in Mississippi with rent below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Brookhaven deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and very rainy.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Very rainy — 62" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Brookhaven compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
What it takes to move to Brookhaven
Based on Brookhaven's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,480
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $29,600 a year
- 42% of Brookhaven renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 48% below US
$740/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $740 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country.
42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lincoln County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lincoln County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 24% below US
293 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 3029/100k · Brookhaven Police Department · 2023 data
Getting around▼ 29% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument (54 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Brookhaven's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($740/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Brookhaven
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