Mississippi is ranked 34th in the nation in terms of population, with a total estimated population of 2.9 million as of 2017. Jackson, the state’s most populous city, has a population of 170,674. Jackson also serves as the state’s capital city. This is the only city in Mississippi that has a population of over 100,000. The second most populous city is Gulfport, which has half of the population count of Jackson with 71,856 inhabitants. Rounding out the top three is Southaven, which has a population of 52,589. In total, there are 41 cities across Mississippi which have populations that range between 10,000 and 100,000.
There is a total of 299 incorporated municipalities across the state, which are designated as cities, towns or villages. Like many other states, this designation is determined by population. Any area that has a population exceeding 2,000 is classified as a city. Population counts between 301 and 2,000 give the designation of a town, while populations between 100 and 300 are classified as villages. These municipalities are spread across a total of 82 counties. The smallest village in the state is Satartia, which is located in Yazoo County and has a population of just 55 inhabitants. The smallest municipality designated as a city is Mound Bayou in Bolivar County with a population of 1,533 inhabitants.