The exodus of highly educated or skilled adults from their home state, known as “brain drain,” has been an issue facing Mississippi going back decades. Affordability looms large for these former residents, who often cite a lack of jobs, adequate wages, and, in at least one part of the state, affordable housing, as the reason why they can’t stay.
The statistics are cause for concern. In a 14-year timeframe, 80,000 residents left the state, making Mississippi the sixth-worst in the country in terms of net migration. The 2020 U.S. Census found that Mississippi was one of only three states to lose population. The death rate was higher than the birth rate for four years, and the 2024 U.S. Census confirmed the trend has not abated.
A study from the state auditor’s office revealed that the state government is concerned about the issue, writing, “Failure to maintain and replenish our state’s most highly educated population could be disastrous for the economic future of Mississippi.”
But the economic realities of today are often why Mississippians feel they have no choice but to leave. In Oxford, Mississippi, for example, it doesn’t matter whether you have an advanced degree or work in a blue-collar trade — your chances of finding affordable housing are extremely slim, according to both former and current residents.
Oxford is home to the state’s largest public institution, the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss receives billions in annual endowments and experienced a 31% growth in enrollment over the past five years. Its enrollment currently sits around 26,500 students.
Meanwhile, the town of Oxford has around 26,700 residents, indicating a dramatic growth in population during the academic year.
A third of Oxford’s economy is tourism-based. Each year, thousands flock to the school for its nationally renowned college tailgating experience, and every spring, Oxford hosts a celebrated arts festival with well-known musical acts. The fall football season, the spring baseball season, and the arts festival result in millions of dollars in revenue for the local economy. But it’s the year-round residents who seem to be paying the price.
According to residents, there’s a drastic shortage of affordable properties. For a town of its size, Oxford has an unprecedented short-term rental (STR) economy to supplement game weekends and other tourism events. As of July 2026, there are almost 2,000 active STR listings in Oxford across three different booking sites. Over 96% of those listings are entire homes or single-family properties, meant to cater to large groups of out-of-town visitors.
In most cases, these are properties that could be rented or sold to residents, but are being used to subsidize one-night to weekend stays.
The city’s Annual Housing Report for 2024 found that short-term rental properties have been increasing year over year since 2020. The report estimates that hundreds of properties have been removed from the permanent housing supply to be used for short-term rentals.
Despite this, the city has advertised itself as committed to providing accessible housing, with the creation of its Affordable Housing Commission. As of 2024, the city has plans to develop two housing communities for residents making well below the median income. But these options won’t be available until 2034.
One resident experiencing this crisis firsthand is single parent Justin Pratt. As an Army combat veteran, he hoped to retire in Oxford and raise his child there.
Several years ago, Pratt paid $1,800 per month in rent. When the lease ended, that rent was raised to $2,100. As a veteran on a fixed income, he couldn’t afford that amount and had to move out, which he believes the landlord knew.
“I don’t pretend I have the answers,” Pratt told IW Features. He has since moved to a rural area outside Oxford.
Alyssa Lee agrees with him. A native Mississippian, Lee came to Oxford for college and never left. Once, she paid $640 per month for a one-bedroom duplex. That same property now charges $1,200 per month.
“I get that we have to grow with inflation and the students, but … no one who’s from Mississippi can afford to keep up with Georgia and Texas money,” Lee said.
Critics of the city’s housing market often point to properties specifically catering to out-of-state students. The university has a 97% acceptance rate and the estimated cost of attendance for an out-of-state student for 2026 is $52,938 per year. Many theorize that if a student can afford the cost of tuition, they have no problem signing a lease for an apartment or house that raises the rent each year.
Problems arise, though, when those students graduate and leave, and residents remain, with no affordable options. Studies show that it isn’t a guarantee Ole Miss students will stick around to find employment in the state. In fact, they’re far more likely to leave, according to brain drain data. One report found that only 50% of Mississippi university graduates were working in the state three years after graduation, and that number only continues to decline.
“As someone who received a [Ole Miss] degree, I’d never want to deny [a] student the option to experience it. The other part of this is that there’s just not enough housing, so the landlords can charge whatever they want because there’s a shortage,” Lee said.
Lee expressed that she knows it’s time to leave Oxford, though moving is proving to be difficult since her finances are limited from paying inflated rent for so many years. But the writing is on the wall for her and many others.
“I can’t afford to live here anymore,” she said.
