Experimental · sample data · not for decisions

plantmap

A research slice testing whether MissionInsite demographics and Mississippi Baptist ACP data can be combined into a ranked gap score: where the ratio of people to Southern Baptist presence is highest and getting worse. Counties first, ZIPs later.

Hinds County — gap score 65 (rank 4)HindsHarrison County — gap score 68 (rank 3)HarrisonDeSoto County — gap score 83 (rank 1)DeSotoRankin County — gap score 48 (rank 11)RankinJackson County — gap score 63 (rank 5)JacksonMadison County — gap score 76 (rank 2)MadisonLee County — gap score 21 (rank 15)LeeForrest County — gap score 46 (rank 12)ForrestLauderdale County — gap score 32 (rank 13)LauderdaleLamar County — gap score 56 (rank 8)LamarLafayette County — gap score 63 (rank 6)LafayetteOktibbeha County — gap score 56 (rank 9)OktibbehaHancock County — gap score 57 (rank 7)HancockWashington County — gap score 50 (rank 10)WashingtonIssaquena County — gap score 31 (rank 14)Issaquena
low gap high gapDot area ≈ population. Sample counties only; no county polygons yet.
#CountyGapPopulation5-yr ΔChurchesPeople / churchAttend %Bapt / 100
1DeSoto83185,314+7.5%384,8776.2%3.7
2Madison76109,145+6.0%244,5487.1%3.3
3Harrison68208,621+2.0%484,3464.6%3.5
4Hinds65227,742-3.0%524,3804.0%3.3
5Jackson63143,252+1.5%363,9795.2%3.4
6Lafayette6355,813+6.5%202,7917.5%3.3
7Hancock5746,053+4.0%182,5596.3%3.3
8Lamar5664,222+5.5%222,9198.1%3.7
9Oktibbeha5651,788+2.5%153,4535.0%4.2
10Washington5044,922-6.0%202,2465.3%2.5
11Rankin48157,031+3.5%552,8558.9%3.4
12Forrest4678,158+1.0%282,7916.4%3.6
13Lauderdale3272,984-2.5%401,8258.2%2.8
14Issaquena311,338-8.0%11,3384.5%3.3
15Lee2183,343+1.2%451,85211.8%3.3

Weights: coverage 35% · reach 25% · growth 25% · vitality 15%. Each component is min-max normalized across the counties shown, so scores are relative to this set, not absolute.

How the score is built

Coverage
People per SBC church (log scale). More people per church, more gap.
Reach
Weekly SBC worship attendance as a share of population. Lower share, more gap.
Growth
Projected 5-year population change. Shrinking counties get no growth bonus, not a penalty.
Vitality
Baptisms per 100 attendees. Plateaued churches raise the gap a little; smallest weight.

About this data

Method and the field list requested from MissionInsite and the ACP are in docs/approach.md in the repo.