As per usual, and in a vain effort to defeat the Starkville inferiority complex, in no particular order:
1) Bay Springs
2) Ocean Springs
3) Laurel
4) Natchez
5) Oxford
6) New Albany
7) Tupelo
8) Hernando
9) Anywhere else
10) Starkville on a wing and a prayer
I didn’t say there were necessarily 10 better. And the Top 10 in Mississippi pale in comparison to some other states. I said it was lucky to be in the Top 10 of anything. Hate to break it you, but Starkville contains little, is on the way to nothing, and offers zilch outside of a place to sleep. The 60-mile radius is a societal cess pool. Additional hotels and growth aside in the last 20 years, it’s still a Petty’s, Dave’s Darkhorse, Cheers, and Flo and Eddie’s, kind of town. While not a problem for some, the talent it attracts speaks for itself. Its people have a chip on their shoulder while it’s basically the Louisiana Tech of Mississippi and little more than a piss stop for most off Hwy. 45 or 82. That isn’t meant to be offensive. It’s just reality.