Mississippi State University may bring big energy to Starkville, MS, but it’s not just students calling the small town home these days.
In recent years, Starkville has expanded beyond its college town atmosphere due to a lower cost of living, a bustling downtown, and nearby nature preserves for hiking and birdwatching.
The area has also been named the best small Southern town in the country by USA Today, which cited its Southern hospitality, rich history and charming streets.
It’s the second year in a row Starkville snagged the top spot, also in part due to its creative arts scene and amazing food.
‘It’s a college town with Mississippi State University here. It’s vibrant. The kids keep us busy over here, but there’s also a large retirement population coming in from both alumni and other parts of the state,’ local RE/MAX realtor Colin Krieger told the Daily Mail.
‘It’s very welcoming. You feel safe. You walk the streets and it’s not as much of a throw down college atmosphere as you might think.’
The town has just over 25,000 residents and for history buffs, is home to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library.
Starkville has a relatively low cost of living, with homes available priced from $50,000 to $500,000. The average rental for a three bedroom house is $475 to $600 per month. There are more than 30 apartment complexes in town.
Mississippi State University may bring big energy to Starkville but it’s not just students calling the small town home these days
Starkville has a relatively low cost of living, with homes available and reasonably priced
Local realtor Colin Krieger
‘We’ve seen a lot of condominium development,’ Krieger said.
‘The town’s construction has been a ton of apartments made to make more room for the college kids. But the real estate market has continued going at full force now for 13-plus years, and has just continued going up every year.’
The current median home price is close to $300,000, he said.
‘You can find a nice clean house in a good neighborhood under $250,000. Then we have a large group of houses around $300,000 to $350,000 and another crop around $500,000.’
Residents are also drawn to the rich job market due to the university (the largest in the state with 22,000 students) and its surrounding businesses, including shops and bars.
‘University Avenue is a large stretch, which starts with a cotton district and ends up in a more adult section of downtown that has its own restaurants so you’re able to separate from the college kids a little more,’ Krieger added.
Growth in healthcare and technology companies has also spurred more jobs in the area.
The town is also known for its friendly vibes and top notch schools. Many of them work in tandem with the university to use its facilities and have professors visit the kids.
Mississippi State University brings a lot of jobs and businesses to the area
Outdoorsy types love visiting the Starkville Wildlife Refuge to birdwatch
The town is also known for its friendly vibes and top notch schools that work with the college
The town also draws retirees due to its low living costs and nice community feel
The Starkville Community Theater and Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra are both in town
‘They built a partnership with the middle school a few years back that’s actually integrated with Mississippi State University, so that the kids have access to some of the professors there.
‘And they have a plan to approve a high school to do the same thing that should come up later this year,’ Krieger said.
The town also draws retirees due to its relaxed atmosphere, low living costs, and access to state-of-the-art healthcare at nearby Oktibbeha County Hospital.
Outdoorsy types love visiting the Starkville Wildlife Refuge and there is plenty of hunting, fishing and bird watching nearby.
Most locals participate in MSU’s college game days, including tailgates and bar parties.
For arts lovers, the Starkville Community Theater and Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra are both in town.
Krieger says the only time it’s a madhouse is when MSU has a football home game. Yet, it’s still fun for the college kids and the locals to mix.
‘Of course there are times on SEC football weekends where it’s a madhouse and there’s traffic everywhere, but that’s one of the unique features I like about it for such a small town of the South.’
The college draws students and creates jobs but hasn’t caused a problem for locals
In addition to downtown there is plenty of nature surrounding the area
The median house cost in the area is $300,000 for a new build in a development
MSU game day draws students and locals, many whom are alumni who have returned to live
HGTV’s Home Town stars Ben and Erin Napier explained it is possible for people to ‘have it all’ while living in a small town
Alongside Starkville, USA Today also picked out various other small towns.
This included Lewisburg, West Virginia, Inverness, Florida, West Monroe, Louisiana, Safety Harbor, Florida, Clemson, South Carolina, Thomasville, Georgia, Cocoa Beach, Florida, Williamsburg, Virginia, and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Small towns, especially ones located in Mississippi, also get the thumbs up from two very popular HGTV stars.
Home Town stars Ben and Erin Napier explained it is possible for people to ‘have it all’ while living in a small town ahead of the premiere of a new season of the show.
The couple restores properties around their small hometown of Laurel, Mississippi on their successful show, which debuted in 2016.
The couple hopes the series it will convince viewers small towns can offer just as much as big cities.
The last season showed them working on projects nearby in Mississippi, including building gardens and greenhouses.
