What it's like to live in Starkville
Starkville is a small city in Mississippi with rent below the national average, unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Starkville deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Starkville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Starkville
Based on Starkville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,832
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,640 a year
- 54% of Starkville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,990
- Homes cost 7.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$916/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $916 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $299,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $299,900 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 82% below US
58 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 1847/100k · Starkville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 22% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°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 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 40% above US
51% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Natchez Trace Parkway (25 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Starkville's strongest points are rent below the national average and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($916/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Starkville
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