Mississippi has been declared America’s least livable state by congressional article “State Rankings 2008,” published by Congressional Quarterly Press. In the rankings, New Hampshire topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, while Mississippi has held last place for nine years. Mississippi was preceded consecutively by South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.
CQ Press spokesperson Ben Krasney said that the publisher is a division of Congressional Quarterly located in Washington D.C., which publishes resource texts.
“People that make public policy can look at the rankings and see where improvements can be made [in specific states],” Krasney said.
The rankings were compiled by various sources and combine 44 factors, including state and income, government and tax statistics, as well as factors such as annual mean temperatures and annual number of sunny days, he said.
“[The rankings are] like when a consumer researches company rates cars,” Krasney said. “They serve the role of informing customers about what they’re looking for. We try to put together the big picture by using the 44 factors.”
Mississippi ranked worst in categories including the percentage of population living in poverty, household income and per capita personal income. It also ranked worst in infant mortality, teenage pregnancy and low birth weight.
State Rep. Gary Chism (R-Columbus) said the state’s perennially low rankings do not reflect well on Mississippi, but the state does well despite its lack of wealth.
“I hate that we are seen in a negative light, but Mississippi is one of the poorest states,” Chism said. “I don’t know what we can do but create more better paying, environmental jobs to improve our situation; we have a long road ahead of us to change it.”
Chism said improvements are being made, including the creation of jobs by bringing companies like Toyota and Nissan to the state with the help of Gov. Haley Barbour.
“Haley Barbour has had a lot to do with generating good jobs in the [Golden Triangle] area,” he said. “He has been changing our image.”
State Rep. Billy Nicholson (D-Little Rock) said bringing industries to the state is one way Mississippi is working to improve its image.
“We have a number of minimum wage jobs, but we’re trying to bring more high-tech jobs for the working people of Mississippi,” Nicholson said. “What we’re seeing in the automotive industry is higher paying jobs where Nissan and Toyota are paying more than what we’ve been used to with industries like textiles.”
Education is another factor Mississippi leaders hope will improve the state’s image, Nicholson said.
“We’re putting a lot of emphasis on education. We’re working to lower dropout rates and keeping children in school and that will lead to better jobs in the future,” he said.
Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government, said rankings like the livability statistics perpetuate stereotypes about Mississippi.
“Mississippians don’t always understand what the rest of the world thinks about them,” Wiseman said. “The more exposure we get, parts of that stereotype are dispelled, but it’s almost like you have to do it one outsider at a time.”
Increasing the level of education for all ages beginning at pre-kindergarten is key to improving the state as a whole, he said.
“We’re not maximizing the education level for all of our people,” Wiseman said. “We will never be free from the pressure of funding education, and we’ve got to simply admit it, step up to the plate and do it.”
Senior business information systems major Ben Rollins said poor statistics may lead businesses and educated citizens elsewhere.
The state should focus on retaining businesses it has, he said.
“I think [bringing new jobs] will help, but they also need to concentrate on not losing the business we have,” he said. “I think they need to stabilize what they have, as well as bringing it in.