Brandon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Brandon
Canton
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs54 · Bottom 44%
Growth
83 · Top 3%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Schools
86 · Top 6%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Brandon | Canton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,542 | 10,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,783 | $38,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,305 | $25,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 995/sq mi | 508/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $278,900 | $112,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,382 | $989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 33.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 262 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 227.5% | 38.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 57.3" | 57.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.42 | 15.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 62.1% | 22.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.6% | 30.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 38.6% | 87.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Brandon
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Canton
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Brandon, MS · Canton, MS · How this is calculated: methodology