Updated August 2026
Best beaches in Mississippi by water quality
Mississippi has 24 public beaches in the EPA monitoring dataset, 19 of them with enough bacteria samples to grade. 8 grade an F for frequently exceeding the safe-swimming limit. Full ranking below.
| Grade | Beach | County | % over limit | Samples | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Pascagoula Beach West | Jackson | 5% | 221 | Good |
| B | Pascagoula Beach East | Jackson | 5.4% | 224 | Good |
| C | Biloxi East Beach | Harrison | 7.1% | 225 | Fair |
| C | Shearwater Beach | Jackson | 11.4% | 236 | Fair |
| D | Front Beach | Jackson | 15.5% | 245 | Poor |
| D | Edgewater Beach | Harrison | 18.2% | 253 | Poor |
| D | Lakeshore | Hancock | 18.9% | 275 | Poor |
| D | Biloxi West Central Beach | Harrison | 19.1% | 262 | Poor |
| D | Buccaneer State Park Beach | Hancock | 22.4% | 559 | Poor |
| D | East Courthouse Road | Harrison | 24.8% | 270 | Poor |
| D | Gulfport Central Beach | Harrison | 24.9% | 277 | Poor |
| F | Gulfport Harbor Beach | Harrison | 26.8% | 585 | Failing |
| F | Bay St. Louis Beach | Hancock | 30.7% | 309 | Failing |
| F | Biloxi Porter Avenue Beach | Harrison | 31.5% | 298 | Failing |
| F | Pass Christian West Beach | Harrison | 35.2% | 327 | Failing |
| F | Pass Christian East Beach | Harrison | 37.6% | 327 | Failing |
| F | Pass Christian Central Beach | Harrison | 42.1% | 356 | Failing |
| F | Gulfport West Beach | Harrison | 44.2% | 369 | Failing |
| F | Long Beach | Harrison | 48.5% | 390 | Failing |
Download the full Mississippi beach safety ranking
All 19 graded Mississippi beaches with their Beach Safety Grade, exceedance rate, sample counts, and program status — from EPA monitoring data. Enter your email to download; you'll also get swim-advisory alerts. A grade is a multi-year classification, not a same-day safety clearance.
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