Mississippi

State Office of Rural Health

Mississippi Office of Rural Health

Phone: 601.576.7216

Works to help rural Mississippi communities build productive healthcare delivery systems. Focuses on data collection on rural health needs, policy analysis and development, technical assistance, health manpower recruitment, coordination of rural health interests statewide, and support for rural healthcare facilities. Part of the Mississippi State Department of Health.
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Mississippi Nonmetro Population

2,958,846

Estimated population

1,503,102 (50.8%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

Mississippi Rural Healthcare Facilities

29

Critical Access Hospitals

5

Rural Emergency Hospitals

238

Rural Health Clinics

238

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

41

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Mississippi

10.8% of Mississippi residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Mississippi residents in 2021 was $45, 881 with the rural per capita income at $43,412. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Mississippi is 21.5%, compared with 16.7% in urban areas of the state. 16.9% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 11.5% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Mississippi is 4.2%, while in urban Mississippi, it is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2022).