Olive Branch receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Horn Lake
Olive Branch
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 11%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
68 · Bottom 40%
vs68 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
31 · Bottom 23%
vs71 · Top 26%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs79 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Horn Lake | Olive Branch | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,647 | 47,019 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,311 | $100,606 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,749 | $43,248 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,663/sq mi | 842/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $171,400 | $290,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,435 | $1,829 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.1% | 82.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.5% | 31.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.0% | 4.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 177 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3.0% | -9.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.9" | 54.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.9 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.74 | 16.01 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.1% | 52.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.8% | 49.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.8% | 41.7% | 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
Horn Lake
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Olive Branch
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Horn Lake
57
Your Score
52
Area Score
Olive Branch
73
Your Score
70
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Horn Lake, MS · Olive Branch, MS · How this is calculated: methodology