When it comes to small towns, this Mississippi town is in the Top Ten, according to Southern Living readers

Published 7:14 am Saturday, April 2, 2022

When it comes to the South’s best small towns, one Mississippi town is in the top 10, according to voters in Southern Living magazine’s The South’s Best 2022 contest.

When the online voting was complete, Natchez came in number 8 in this year’s “South’s Best Small Town” competition.

The online competition asked readers to rank cities and towns in a number of categories, such as best mountain town, best beach town, best college town and the like. Readers voted from July through September 2021.

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The top ten for Best Small Town were the following:

  1. Beaufort, South Carolina
  2. Williamsburg, Virginia
  3. Fairhope, Alabama
  4. Fredricksburg, Texas
  5. Beaufort, North Carolina
  6. Stuart, Florida
  7. Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee
  8. Natchez, Mississippi
  9. Decatur, Georgia
  10. Aiken, South Carolina

About Natchez, Southern Living editors said, “It’s one of the best paddling towns in the state, and there are lots of guided tours on offer that will take you through the area’s picturesque swamps, creeks and lakes.”

Nearby St. Francisville, Louisiana, came in No. 17.

“We are thrilled to be named one of the top small towns in the South by Southern Living readers and we hope to continue to grow as a sought-after destination,” said Executive Director of Visit Natchez, Devin Heath. “This honor is a testament to our community, its scenic beauty and our visitor experience.”