Ridgeland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ridgeland
Canton
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs54 · Bottom 44%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 43%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 37%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Schools
46 · Bottom 42%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Ridgeland | Canton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,587 | 10,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,038 | $38,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,065 | $25,403 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 936/sq mi | 508/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $275,200 | $112,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,336 | $989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.3% | 36.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -1.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.7% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 33.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 47 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 104.3% | 38.5% | 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 | 9 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.94 | 15.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 29.5% | 22.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.1% | 30.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 74.6% | 87.9% | 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
Ridgeland
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Canton
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Ridgeland, MS · Canton, MS · How this is calculated: methodology