Compare towns
Alligator vs Arcola 57 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (11.9× in Arcola) and bachelor’s degree+ (+10.1 pts in Arcola).
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Arcola, MS Known for its schools Mississippi · 204 people
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs about the same each month A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.
Down payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Alligator $580 /mo
Typical home $86K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $655/mo · Housing →
Arcola $470 /mo
Typical home $87K (Census) · tax rate 0.23% · or rent about $483/mo · Housing →
The difference: $110 a month , about $1,300 a year , between Alligator and Arcola.
Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.
Report cards Grades and rankings, side by side Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Mississippi ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.
Life in each What daily life feels like in each The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.
Outdoors & history
A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.
Where they are 57 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Alligator ↔ Arcola 57 miles apart
Everything, side by side What matters to you? Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
116 Lowest 204 Highest
Median age
40.4 ±43.1 Lowest 5% above MS 40.5 ±12 Highest 5% above MS
Kids under 18
17.2% ±40.5 Lowest MS: 23.3% 31.9% ±13.6 Highest MS: 23.3%
Age 65+
34.5% ±14.6 Highest MS: 17.2% 26% ±16.8 Lowest MS: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
3.3% Lowest MS: 25.1% 13.4% Highest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±17.1 Lowest MS: 6.1% 3.4% ±8.9 Highest MS: 6.1%
Household incomemedian
— $27,875 ±$11k 51% below MS
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$58,200 ±$29k Lowest 66% below MS $87,000 ±$28k Highest 49% below MS
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$655 ±$559 Highest 31% below MS $483 ±$196 Lowest 49% below MS
Property taxmedian, yearly
— $199 84% below MS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
100% ±100 Highest MS: 51.3% 45.5% ±100 Lowest MS: 51.3%
Below poverty line
37.9% Lowest MS: 18.9% 43.1% Highest MS: 18.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
69.4% Highest MS: 70% 68.2% Lowest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year
1986 Highest same as MS 1974 Lowest 12 yrs older than MS
Average commuteone way
— 29 min 14% above MS
Work from home
0% ±35 MS: 5.9% 0% ±25 MS: 5.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
45.3 mi Highest 18.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.00 Lowest 0.13 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Cleveland (21%) Greenville (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Arcola Few work in Alligator
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 0.4 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 2.0 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
12.5 Lowest 149 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 2020–2024
Deciding? Ask the people who live there The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.
Alligator or Arcola: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Alligator? → Moving to Alligator: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Alligator’s Town Square.
Arcola or Alligator: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Arcola? → Moving to Arcola: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Arcola’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Alligator and Arcola One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Alligator Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.
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