Madison and Brandon receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Madison
Brandon
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 43%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
93 · Top 2%
vs86 · Top 6%
Access
93 · Top 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Madison | Brandon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,946 | 25,542 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,338 | $92,783 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,649 | $40,305 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,107/sq mi | 995/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $352,900 | $278,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,853 | $1,382 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 94.3% | 78.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.2% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.8% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 71 | 262 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 10.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.6% | 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 | 12 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.89 | 14.42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 69.6% | 62.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 68.7% | 54.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.3% | 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
Madison
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Brandon
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Madison, MS · Brandon, MS · How this is calculated: methodology