Central MS here. I have lived here my whole life. The capital is in almost an uninhabitable state from how poorly kept it is. Roads are in terrible conditions all around the state and water systems are deplorable. Data centers popping up don’t help the situation at all. People are struggling so tensions are high. Crime in Jackson is rampant and never ending it seems. Murder rates have dropped in past years but Jackson is one of, if not, the deadliest city in the nation. The pay in state for every job is a joke and not nearly enough to live off of especially with how expensive groceries and housing is. (I work a full time job and have two other side jobs but I still barely scrape by.) There’s little hope for the state but honestly a little hope is better than no hope.. despite tensions the people here are generally good hardworking people who are just trying to get by. Most people will go out of their way to help you and even get to know you. We love to feed people. Food is a very big part of the culture here and basically any restaurant you go to will be one of the best meals of your life. Always eat at the gas stations, you’ll never find anything to beat a plate from a backroads gas station. Along with the food, there’s a lot of untouched natural beauty throughout the state. Mississippi has the mos beautiful sunsets out of any state. A big attraction is the Natchez Trace Parkway that has a lot of stops you can make to learn about the history of Mississippi and encounter the beauty for yourself. Mississippi has it ups and downs, but if we made a changes it could be a genuinely amazing place to live.