City Overview

City Overview

Jackson is the capital and since 1944 the largest city of the state of Mississippi. The city is located on the Pearl River, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico and is part of the Jackson Prairie region of the state. Jackson is one of two county seats of Hinds County, with the city of Raymond being the other.

The city, the anchor for its metro area, is named after Andrew Jackson, who was honored for his role in the Battle of New Orleans and later was elected as US president. The current slogan for the city is “Jackson, Mississippi: City with Soul.”It has had numerous musicians prominent in blues, gospel and jazz, and was known for decades for its illegal nightclubs on the Gold Coast; one site has been designated for the Mississippi Blues Trail.

It had a decline in population from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census. The 2010 census ascribed a population of 539,057 to the five-county Jackson metropolitan area. The city is ranked third as the best “mud” city among the United States’ 100 largest metro areas, according to Forbes magazine. The study measured overall affordability in living costs, housing rates, and more.

In 2011 USS Jackson (LCS-6) was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the city.
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