For Mississippi residents, it’s going to take more than throwing salt over their shoulders to ward off hypertension. StatisNostics looks at high blood pressure levels in Mississippi cities.

The salt-over-the-shoulder superstition dates all the way back to biblical times. The act of tossing salt over your left, or sinistral, shoulder was intended to blind the devil and keep him from sneaking up on you.

However, what was once used as protection may be the source of destruction for one particular U.S. state. With more than 700,000 Mississippi adults having hypertension, many more could also be susceptible.

The three biggest cities in Mississippi: Jackson, Gulfport, and Southaven, were put through StatisNostics.com, a database that utilizes U.S. government census data, to determine what percentage of adults are dealing with hypertension. In Southaven, MS, 38% of adults struggle with high blood pressure, 39% of adults have hypertension in Gulfport, and in Jackson, nearly 48% of adults have high blood pressure— almost half. Aware of this issue, the Mississippi government advises its citizens to stay physically active, reduce smoking, eat healthier, and, of course, reduce their salt intake.

If you’re curious about the high blood pressure levels for your own city, or if you want to know more about your town’s health statistics, visit www.statisnostics.com. By entering your address into the search bar, StatisNostics will provide you with information about your city’s health data, demographics, schools, real estate, economics, safety, climate, and government. 

1. Mississippi State Department of Health. “High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).” High Blood Pressure - Mississippi State Department of Health, 2023, msdh.ms.gov/page/43,0,297,431.html. 

2. World Population Review. Mississippi Cities by Population (2024), worldpopulationreview.com/states/cities/mississippi. Accessed 15 Jan. 2024.