I have lived in Mississippi all my life. I live in the Meridian area which is about an hour or so south of Starkville. Have been collecting Busse knives since about 2014 (Blade Show was my introduction) and have a couple of your sheaths as well.
I agree with DrHenley, very gun friendly. Don't need a permit to carry concealed. Most of my friends and many of my employees carry one way or another. Almost everyone grew up with, owns, and is comfortable around guns. Lots of hunting, including white tail deer, turkey, duck, dove and wild hogs. Hogs are horribly invasive and there are almost no restrictions on killing them.
The heat in summer can be oppressive, but winters are mild. Snow is a novelty here. When it snows it's like an zombie apocalypse.
Football is a religion here and people are tribal about it. Starkville, by the way, is a nice college town - Mississippi State Bulldogs. Oxford and Hattiesburg are also great college towns. Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach are hopefully going to bring some much needed drama to our Saturdays this Fall.
Your dollar is worth far more here than most of the country.
Crime and quality of public schools are completely location specific. There are many really great places to live here.
Mississippi would love to have you and your family!
Of note: The south in general and Mississippi specifically has been the butt of jokes by much of our country since the civil war, but I have never met anyone married to his cousin, sleeping with his cousin, or with a family tree that doesn't branch. I have never seen a Klan member, much less met anyone I thought was in the Klan. I've never eaten possum, raccoon, saw dust or road kill. Almost everyone I know can read and write and wears shoes.
