Canton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Byram
Canton
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs54 · Bottom 44%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 27%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Access
91 · Bottom 49%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Byram | Canton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,799 | 10,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,445 | $38,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,136 | $25,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 627/sq mi | 508/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,600 | $112,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 33.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.4% | 38.5% | 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 | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.06 | 15.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.5% | 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
Byram
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Canton
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Byram, MS · Canton, MS · How this is calculated: methodology