Market rankings · Mississippi
Child care centers and preschools in Mississippi
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Mississippi, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 715
- 54 chain locations (8%)
- Official establishments
- 808
- +1.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $422.3M
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.2
- 7% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $591K
- 41% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #51 of 51
- Market score 12 · Low
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Mississippi by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 715 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Mississippi as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 8% of them, against 12% across the U.S. That is 6.2 per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Household spending on child care and other personal services in Mississippi comes to about $422.3M a year: $369 per household, 37% below the U.S. average. That works out to $591K per center, 41% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 808 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Mississippi in 2023, up 1.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,418 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 21 SBA-backed loans worth $8.8M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Mississippi.
Among the 50 states and DC, Mississippi ranks #51 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 12 (low). Of the 4 scored metro areas in or partly in Mississippi, the Gulfport-Biloxi metro area scores highest (40). Of the 16 scored small-town markets in or partly in Mississippi, the Oxford area scores highest (78).
Every market in Mississippi for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Mississippi, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 40 | 85 | 5.1 | $770K | +3.5% | #267 of 387 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 29 | 330 | 6.3 | $694K | −0.3% | #334 of 387 |
| 2Hattiesburg, MS | 26 | 42 | 7.0 | $554K | +2.6% | #353 of 387 |
| 3Jackson, MS | 12 | 176 | 7.4 | $542K | −1.4% | #382 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oxford, MS | 78 | 11 | 4.6 | $943K | +5.3% | #30 of 454 |
| 2Starkville, MS | 56 | 12 | 4.6 | $786K | +0.8% | #182 of 454 |
| 3Picayune, MS | 47 | 15 | 6.9 | $532K | +5.6% | #261 of 454 |
| 4Laurel, MS | 40 | 14 | 4.4 | $751K | −1.5% | #315 of 454 |
| 5Brookhaven, MS | 28 | 10 | 7.6 | $458K | +0.5% | #393 of 454 |
| 6Tupelo, MS | 28 | 47 | 9.1 | $421K | +0.8% | #394 of 454 |
| 7Vicksburg, MS | 26 | 16 | 9.5 | $435K | −6.3% | #404 of 454 |
| 8Natchez, MS-LA | 23 | 11 | 5.3 | $596K | −0.9% | #411 of 454 |
| 9Meridian, MS | 22 | 22 | 6.3 | $530K | −3.2% | #418 of 454 |
| 10Columbus, MS | 12 | 29 | 10.8 | $316K | −2.7% | #444 of 454 |
| 11Grenada, MS | 10 | 14 | 11.1 | $302K | −3.6% | #448 of 454 |
| 12Cleveland, MS | 9 | 8 | 6.7 | $456K | −8.3% | #449 of 454 |
| 13McComb, MS | 6 | 17 | 8.4 | $361K | −2.6% | #451 of 454 |
| 14Greenville, MS | 5 | 13 | 7.6 | $408K | −9.4% | #452 of 454 |
| 15Greenwood, MS | 4 | 16 | 11.1 | $280K | −8.8% | #453 of 454 |
| 16Clarksdale, MS | 2 | 11 | 13.1 | $200K | −6.5% | #454 of 454 |
| Corinth, MS | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −0.5% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lafayette County, MS | 82 | 7 | 3.7 | $1.3M | +6.6% | #66 of 1,611 |
| 2Hancock County, MS | 76 | 6 | 3.0 | $1.4M | +1.6% | #140 of 1,611 |
| 3DeSoto County, MS | 73 | 29 | 4.1 | $1.2M | +6.3% | #194 of 1,611 |
| 4Rankin County, MS | 61 | 23 | 3.8 | $1.2M | +3.2% | #507 of 1,611 |
| 5Madison County, MS | 60 | 26 | 5.9 | $907K | +6.5% | #549 of 1,611 |
| 6Oktibbeha County, MS | 47 | 11 | 5.0 | $733K | +0.4% | #903 of 1,611 |
| 7Jackson County, MS | 46 | 32 | 5.6 | $739K | +3.0% | #930 of 1,611 |
| 8Lamar County, MS | 44 | 19 | 7.5 | $592K | +4.7% | #990 of 1,611 |
| 9Marshall County, MS | 44 | 8 | 6.1 | $575K | +2.6% | #992 of 1,611 |
| 10Harrison County, MS | 42 | 45 | 5.4 | $690K | +4.0% | #1,043 of 1,611 |
| 11Pearl River County, MS | 41 | 15 | 6.9 | $532K | +5.6% | #1,084 of 1,611 |
| 12Jones County, MS | 38 | 11 | 4.4 | $779K | −1.0% | #1,140 of 1,611 |
| 13Itawamba County, MS | 33 | 5 | 5.2 | $667K | +1.3% | #1,266 of 1,611 |
| 14Tishomingo County, MS | 33 | 6 | 6.8 | $530K | −1.1% | #1,277 of 1,611 |
| 15Pontotoc County, MS | 29 | 6 | 5.1 | $644K | +2.9% | #1,349 of 1,611 |
| 16Panola County, MS | 26 | 5 | 4.1 | $803K | −1.4% | #1,399 of 1,611 |
| 17Forrest County, MS | 26 | 22 | 7.3 | $486K | +1.1% | #1,411 of 1,611 |
| 18Simpson County, MS | 23 | 6 | 6.3 | $545K | −1.5% | #1,438 of 1,611 |
| 19Warren County, MS | 22 | 16 | 9.5 | $435K | −6.3% | #1,460 of 1,611 |
| 20Monroe County, MS | 21 | 7 | 5.0 | $657K | −2.4% | #1,466 of 1,611 |
| 21Lauderdale County, MS | 20 | 18 | 6.3 | $544K | −3.2% | #1,480 of 1,611 |
| 22Copiah County, MS | 20 | 7 | 7.0 | $482K | −2.7% | #1,483 of 1,611 |
| 23Prentiss County, MS | 20 | 7 | 7.3 | $460K | +1.3% | #1,484 of 1,611 |
| 24Lincoln County, MS | 20 | 10 | 7.6 | $458K | +0.5% | #1,485 of 1,611 |
| 25Leake County, MS | 20 | 7 | 9.4 | $323K | +1.9% | #1,492 of 1,611 |
Show all 82 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Lee County, MS | 18 | 35 | 10.7 | $378K | +0.5% | #1,519 of 1,611 |
| 27Walthall County, MS | 17 | 6 | 11.3 | $302K | +0.4% | #1,534 of 1,611 |
| 28Adams County, MS | 16 | 11 | 9.6 | $333K | +2.2% | #1,541 of 1,611 |
| 29Grenada County, MS | 11 | 8 | 9.5 | $362K | −3.3% | #1,576 of 1,611 |
| 30Lowndes County, MS | 9 | 28 | 12.2 | $287K | −2.4% | #1,589 of 1,611 |
| 31Bolivar County, MS | 7 | 8 | 6.7 | $456K | −8.3% | #1,592 of 1,611 |
| 32Tippah County, MS | 7 | 6 | 7.5 | $395K | −1.6% | #1,593 of 1,611 |
| 33Sunflower County, MS | 7 | 8 | 10.0 | $280K | −10.9% | #1,597 of 1,611 |
| 34Hinds County, MS | 5 | 103 | 11.5 | $290K | −6.6% | #1,603 of 1,611 |
| 35Washington County, MS | 4 | 13 | 7.6 | $408K | −9.4% | #1,604 of 1,611 |
| 36Pike County, MS | 4 | 11 | 7.3 | $393K | −3.7% | #1,605 of 1,611 |
| 37Coahoma County, MS | 2 | 11 | 13.1 | $200K | −6.5% | #1,610 of 1,611 |
| 38Leflore County, MS | 1 | 16 | 15.7 | $195K | −9.4% | #1,611 of 1,611 |
| Alcorn County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −0.5% | |
| Neshoba County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 2.9 | $1.1M | −0.9% | |
| Tate County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 3.6 | $1M | +2.1% | |
| Union County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $851K | +2.3% | |
| Scott County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $716K | +0.4% | |
| George County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $1.8M | +8.1% | |
| Yazoo County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 4.6 | $647K | −14.0% | |
| Marion County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $1.3M | −1.5% | |
| Newton County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $827K | −1.4% | |
| Wayne County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $1.1M | 0.0% | |
| Stone County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 3.0 | $1.1M | +7.2% | |
| Clay County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 3.8 | $724K | −2.0% | |
| Covington County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $1.2M | −2.2% | |
| Winston County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Attala County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 4.5 | $754K | −4.0% | |
| Chickasaw County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 6.0 | $451K | −2.0% | |
| Holmes County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 4.9 | $641K | −8.4% | |
| Jasper County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 4.5 | $646K | −3.5% | |
| Clarke County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 6.7 | $467K | −2.8% | |
| Smith County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $1.9M | −1.5% | |
| Greene County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $1.4M | +1.3% | |
| Calhoun County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 3.6 | $763K | −4.4% | |
| Amite County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.7% | |
| Yalobusha County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $395K | −0.5% | |
| Lawrence County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $670K | −1.4% | |
| Tallahatchie County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $1.2M | −14.0% | |
| Perry County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.2 | $1.3M | +1.1% | |
| Jefferson Davis County, MS | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $652K | −2.9% | |
| Noxubee County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $1.1M | −4.2% | |
| Webster County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.5 | $1.4M | +2.6% | |
| Carroll County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −7.2% | |
| Montgomery County, MS | Not scored | 6 | 14.5 | $222K | −4.5% | |
| Tunica County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.1M | −9.4% | |
| Kemper County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $954K | −4.1% | |
| Claiborne County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 13.3 | $178K | −11.4% | |
| Wilkinson County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 12.6 | $202K | −11.0% | |
| Choctaw County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 2.9 | $984K | −1.9% | |
| Franklin County, MS | Not scored | 1 | 3.3 | $1.1M | −2.2% | |
| Benton County, MS | Not scored | 4 | 13.0 | $218K | −2.1% | |
| Humphreys County, MS | Not scored | 3 | 10.3 | $265K | −9.5% | |
| Jefferson County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.8% | |
| Quitman County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −12.9% | |
| Sharkey County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −17.9% | |
| Issaquena County, MS | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.7% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Mississippi?
As of September 2026, map listings count 715 child care centers and preschools in Mississippi. 54 of them (8%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 808 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 1.4% from 2019. Another 6,929 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Mississippi spend on child care and other personal services?
About $422.3M a year, or $369 per household. That is 37% below the U.S. average (an index of 63, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 715 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $591K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,145,431 households in Mississippi and national spending patterns by income.
How does Mississippi compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Mississippi has 6.2 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $591K, 41% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Mississippi would have about 422, against 715 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,418 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Mississippi has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 4 scored metro areas in or partly in Mississippi, the Gulfport-Biloxi metro area scores highest, at 40 (lower middle). Among 16 scored small-town markets in or partly in Mississippi, the Oxford area scores highest, at 78 (high). Among 38 scored counties in Mississippi, Lafayette County scores highest, at 82 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Mississippi scores 12 for child care centers and preschools (low), #51 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Mississippi. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Mississippi
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.