Two Mississippi cities are the top Coastal towns in the US, according to USA Today poll

People around the U.S. are figuring out what we already knew, giving the Mississippi Coast another reason to chant “OS the best” or “Bay rat for life.”

Two Mississippi Coast cities were voted the best Coastal Small Towns by USA Today readers.

Ocean Springs was ranked No. 1, with Bay St. Louis right behind in the No. 2 spot.

The 10 cities on the list “offer unpretentious and affordable seaside fun without the crowds, proving that bigger isn’t always better,” USA Today said.

Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis, on opposite ends of the Mississippi Coast, both boast beaches and downtowns booming with development and local business that draw in locals and tourists. They were the only two cities in the state to make the list.

Ocean Springs also ranked No. 4 for small town with the best cultural scene.

Here’s the 2022 list of USA Today’s Best Coastal Small Towns:

1. Ocean Springs, Mississippi
2. Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
3. Georgetown, South Carolina
4. Rockport, Texas
5. Nags Head, North Carolina
6. Bandon, Oregon
7. Half Moon Bay, California
8. Los Osos, California
9. Bar Harbor, Maine
10. Cape May, New Jersey

This story was originally published June 18, 2022 at 1:55 PM.

Justin Mitchell

Sun Herald

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Justin Mitchell is the Sun Herald senior news editor and works on McClatchy’s audience engagement and development team. He also reports on LGBTQ issues in the Deep South, particularly focusing on Mississippi.