For the third time in as many years, Starkville has been named the “Best Small Town in the South” by readers of USA Today.
After a month of voting through the publication’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Starkville grabbed the top spot over Inverness, Fla., Lewisburg, W. Va., West Monroe, La., and Thomasville, Ga., among other small-town destinations. Starkville was the only Mississippi town to crack the list.
“Though it’s home to Mississippi State University, Starkville is much more than just a college town,” USA Today editors wrote. “You’ll find a thriving arts scene, multiple historic districts, many opportunities for birdwatching, and plenty of great food. Be sure to check out the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, a treasure trove of artifacts and correspondence.”
Even though Starkville has more than Mississippi State – including a thriving Cotton District full of popular eateries and bars, an incoming multi-use Crossroads District, and outdoor recreational opportunities like Chadwick Lake – the university remains the town’s biggest draw with over 23,000 students and plenty of alumni flooding the campus every weekend. Just recently, Bulldog baseball fans captured another attendance record, now holding all of the 25 largest NCAA on-campus baseball crowds.
Mississippi State Athletics celebrated the USA Today honor on social media with a cowbell-filled video including sports announcers, former football players like Jeffery Simmons, and even famous fans like HARDY and Brandon Walker.
There is no place like Starkville, Mississippi. https://t.co/DhFiTCq4dl pic.twitter.com/kIIyxzPCeR
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) April 8, 2026
100 miles northeast of Starkville, Oxford was ranked the No. 4 “Best Small College Town” behind Murray, Ky. (Murray State), Blacksburg, Va. (Virginia Tech), and State College, Pa. (Penn State). The home of Ole Miss finished second for the honor in 2025 and won it in 2024.
Other in-state honors include Grammy Museum Mississippi coming in as the No. 2 “Best Music Museum” and Coastal Mississippi being named the No. 4 “Best Golf Destination.” The full list of winners from USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards can be found here.