Brandon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Byram
Brandon
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 27%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
91 · Bottom 49%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Byram | Brandon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,799 | 25,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,445 | $92,783 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,136 | $40,305 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 627/sq mi | 995/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,600 | $278,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $1,382 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 78.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 262 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 10.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.4% | 227.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.3" | 57.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.06 | 14.42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.5% | 38.6% | 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
Byram
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Brandon
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Byram, MS · Brandon, MS · How this is calculated: methodology