Ridgeland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Byram
Ridgeland
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 27%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Access
91 · Bottom 49%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Byram | Ridgeland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,799 | 24,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,445 | $66,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,136 | $51,065 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 627/sq mi | 936/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,600 | $275,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $1,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 47.3% | 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% | 51.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 47 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.4% | 104.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.3" | 51.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.06 | 12.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.5% | 74.6% | 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.
Ridgeland
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Byram, MS · Ridgeland, MS · How this is calculated: methodology