Biggest Retail Cities in Mississippi: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Mississippi has 21,328 independent retail places spread across 242 towns. Jackson leads with 1,251 — 5.9% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Mississippi by the numbers
Where the stores are
Mississippi has 21,328 independent retail places — 725.5 per 100,000 residents, 1.0× the national average of 724.8 and 32nd of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Jackson holds 1,251 of them (5.9% of the state total). Gulfport is second with 1,020 (4.8%). The 25 towns below account for 56.2% of Mississippi's retail; 242 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (1,892, 8.9% of the state's retail), followed by clothing stores (1,442).
Top 25 retail towns in Mississippi
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Mississippi's 21,328 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | 1,251 | 5.9% |
| 2 | Gulfport | 1,020 | 4.8% |
| 3 | Hattiesburg | 944 | 4.4% |
| 4 | Tupelo | 927 | 4.3% |
| 5 | Ridgeland | 597 | 2.8% |
| 6 | Southaven | 572 | 2.7% |
| 7 | Meridian | 520 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Biloxi | 510 | 2.4% |
| 9 | Columbus | 465 | 2.2% |
| 10 | Oxford | 448 | 2.1% |
| 11 | Olive Branch | 388 | 1.8% |
| 12 | Vicksburg | 385 | 1.8% |
| 13 | Pearl | 367 | 1.7% |
| 14 | Laurel | 363 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Starkville | 349 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Flowood | 347 | 1.6% |
| 17 | Ocean Springs | 347 | 1.6% |
| 18 | Corinth | 325 | 1.5% |
| 19 | Brandon | 317 | 1.5% |
| 20 | Natchez | 289 | 1.4% |
| 21 | Greenville | 268 | 1.3% |
| 22 | Madison | 257 | 1.2% |
| 23 | Brookhaven | 251 | 1.2% |
| 24 | Picayune | 247 | 1.2% |
| 25 | McComb | 231 | 1.1% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Mississippi
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Mississippi, with each one's share of the state's 21,328 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 1,892 | 8.9% |
| 2 | Clothing Store | 1,442 | 6.8% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 1,136 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Discount Store | 1,035 | 4.9% |
| 5 | Miscellaneous Store | 1,022 | 4.8% |
| 6 | Shoe Store | 923 | 4.3% |
| 7 | Hardware Store | 886 | 4.2% |
| 8 | Print Store | 875 | 4.1% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Mississippi has the most retail stores?
- Jackson, with 1,251 independent retail places — 5.9% of Mississippi's 21,328 total. Gulfport is next with 1,020.
- How many independent retail stores are in Mississippi?
- 21,328 shoppable independent retail places, or 725.5 per 100,000 residents (1.0× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Mississippi 32nd of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Mississippi?
- The construction supplies store: 1,892 places, or 8.9% of Mississippi's retail. Clothing Stores are second at 1,442.
Related reports
Store types where Mississippi ranks in the top 10
- Shoe Stores by State: Every State RankedMississippi ranks #7 per capita (31.4 per 100k)
- Clothing Stores by State: Every State RankedMississippi ranks #8 per capita (49.1 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Massachusetts: Top 25 Towns Ranked54,068 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Michigan: Top 25 Towns Ranked74,342 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Minnesota: Top 25 Towns Ranked46,452 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Missouri: Top 25 Towns Ranked48,327 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Montana: Top 25 Towns Ranked10,398 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Nebraska: Top 25 Towns Ranked11,183 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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