Flowood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Flowood
Ridgeland
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 44%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 47%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
83 · Top 10%
vs46 · Bottom 42%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Flowood | Ridgeland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,587 | 24,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,880 | $66,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,620 | $51,065 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 368/sq mi | 936/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $342,200 | $275,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,430 | $1,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 47.3% | 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 | 55.0% | 51.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.4% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 54 | 47 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.0% | 104.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 57.3" | 51.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.5 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.80 | 12.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 56.2% | 29.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.7% | 37.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 37.4% | 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
Flowood
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Ridgeland
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Flowood, MS · Ridgeland, MS · How this is calculated: methodology