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

Justin Mitchell
·1 min read
35

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

Cruisers roll into downtown Bay St. Louis for Cruisin’ The Coast on Thursday, October 4, 2018.
Cruisers roll into downtown Bay St. Louis for Cruisin’ The Coast on Thursday, October 4, 2018.
Glory Bound Gyro Co., a Hattiesburg favorite, is coming to Government Street in Ocean Springs. It will replace Leo’s Wood Fired Pizza, a longtime bar and restaurant in downtown.
Glory Bound Gyro Co., a Hattiesburg favorite, is coming to Government Street in Ocean Springs. It will replace Leo’s Wood Fired Pizza, a longtime bar and restaurant in downtown.