Madison receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pearl
Madison
Opportunity
64 · Top 34%
vs77 · Top 11%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 44%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs99 · Top 11%
Schools
62 · Top 36%
vs93 · Top 2%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs93 · Top 44%
Economic stability
63 · Top 44%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Pearl | Madison | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,737 | 27,946 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,695 | $119,338 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,473 | $59,649 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,088/sq mi | 1,107/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $182,500 | $352,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,175 | $1,853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 94.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.1% | 64.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 4.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 143 | 71 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 2.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 30.0% | 7.6% | 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 | 3 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 24.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.4 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.43 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 45.3% | 69.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.4% | 68.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.3% | 21.3% | 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
Pearl
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Madison
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Pearl, MS · Madison, MS · How this is calculated: methodology