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1 / 20#20. Clarke County and Wayne County
- Clarke County population: 15,228
- Wayne County population: 19,703
- Social connectedness index: 10,728,284
Most socially connected counties in Mississippi
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Mississippi using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Lincoln County and Franklin County
- Lincoln County population: 34,702
- Franklin County population: 7,610
- Social connectedness index: 11,670,630
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3 / 20#18. Neshoba County and Kemper County
- Neshoba County population: 28,789
- Kemper County population: 8,584
- Social connectedness index: 12,218,105
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4 / 20#17. Marshall County and Benton County
- Marshall County population: 34,123
- Benton County population: 7,438
- Social connectedness index: 12,261,569
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5 / 20#16. Smith County and Jasper County
- Smith County population: 14,099
- Jasper County population: 16,013
- Social connectedness index: 12,428,496
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6 / 20#15. Pike County and Walthall County
- Pike County population: 39,394
- Walthall County population: 13,863
- Social connectedness index: 12,518,241
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7 / 20#14. Jefferson Davis County and Covington County
- Jefferson Davis County population: 10,969
- Covington County population: 18,059
- Social connectedness index: 12,736,259
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8 / 20#13. Holmes County and Attala County
- Holmes County population: 15,777
- Attala County population: 17,359
- Social connectedness index: 13,458,113
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9 / 20#12. Tallahatchie County and Yalobusha County
- Tallahatchie County population: 11,837
- Yalobusha County population: 12,386
- Social connectedness index: 13,466,971
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10 / 20#11. Calhoun County and Chickasaw County
- Calhoun County population: 12,685
- Chickasaw County population: 16,866
- Social connectedness index: 13,755,720
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11 / 20#10. Sunflower County and Humphreys County
- Sunflower County population: 24,468
- Humphreys County population: 7,216
- Social connectedness index: 14,045,306
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12 / 20#9. Coahoma County and Tunica County
- Coahoma County population: 20,077
- Tunica County population: 9,234
- Social connectedness index: 14,434,936
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13 / 20#8. Noxubee County and Lowndes County
- Noxubee County population: 9,914
- Lowndes County population: 57,283
- Social connectedness index: 15,505,452
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14 / 20#7. Panola County and Quitman County
- Panola County population: 32,669
- Quitman County population: 5,546
- Social connectedness index: 18,290,869
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15 / 20#6. Greene County and Perry County
- Greene County population: 13,601
- Perry County population: 11,315
- Social connectedness index: 20,697,963
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16 / 20#5. Carroll County and Montgomery County
- Carroll County population: 9,535
- Montgomery County population: 9,600
- Social connectedness index: 27,619,184
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17 / 20#4. Amite County and Wilkinson County
- Amite County population: 12,442
- Wilkinson County population: 8,058
- Social connectedness index: 29,307,912
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18 / 20#3. Webster County and Choctaw County
- Webster County population: 9,988
- Choctaw County population: 8,088
- Social connectedness index: 30,753,601
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19 / 20#2. Jefferson County and Claiborne County
- Jefferson County population: 6,941
- Claiborne County population: 8,617
- Social connectedness index: 42,535,616
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20 / 20#1. Issaquena County and Sharkey County
- Issaquena County population: 1,256
- Sharkey County population: 3,336
- Social connectedness index: 114,607,826
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
