At a glance: Mississippi Mississippi is the 35th most populous state in the U.S., with 2,939,690 residents across its 48,430 square miles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The state ranked No. 49 for business in 2024 by CNBC. Mississippi primary economic drivers are its agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism, and transportation industries. Energy Mississippi ranks No. 35 among states for most energy production, with its leading production sources being natural gas, motor gasoline, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Mississippi ranks No. 13 for most energy consumption. The leading energy sources consumed by Virginians is natural gas, motor gasoline and nuclear power. Mississippians’ residential electricity rate is $0.132/kWh, cheaper than the national average. Commercial electricity rate is also cheaper; Mississippi commercial users pay a rate of $0.124/kWh, compared to the national average commercial rate of $0.1259/kWh. Industrial users pay $0.0696/kWh, below the national average industrial electricity rate of $0.0804/kWh. Mississippians’ residential natural gas price is $15.64 per thousand cubic feet, above the national average of $14.75, according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Environment Annual carbon emissions increased 68 percent since 1970, while the state’s population soared 32 percent during the same span. The population is projected to increase another 4 percent, to 3,064,588 residents, by 2050. The federal government lists 53 species in Mississippi as threatened or endangered.
