Thank God for Mississippi

"Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Examples include business opportunities, income, obesity rates, overall health, the poverty rate, life expectancy, city homicide rates, or other criteria of the quality of life or government in the 50 U.S. states.

Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings, residents of other states also ranking near the bottom may say, "Thank God for Mississippi", since the presence of that state in 50th place spares them the embarrassment of being ranked last. The phrase is in use even among state government officials and journalists, though occasionally with a slight modification.

Mississippi's poor reputation is such a common trope in American culture that when Mississippi does rank well in something, the phrase "Thank God for Mississippi" may get brought up just to discuss how it does not apply in the given circumstance. The saying comes from Mississippi's poor ranking as compared to the other 49 U.S. states, not from a global perspective.

The saying historically was especially commonly used in reference to Mississippi's position in rankings of educational achievement, but due to Mississippi's growth in student learning over the past fifteen years, the saying has taken on a positive meaning or disappeared altogether.

History

The saying has been attributed since before the induction of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959, and its use, while found throughout the entire country, is especially common in Alabama, which shares significant cultural and historical ties with its neighbor and former Mississippi Territory co-constituent. Its use is also noted in nearby Arkansas and other frequently low-ranking states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia.