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 paymentRate%

Ashland$810/mo

Typical home $137K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $713/mo · Housing →

Benoit$1,080/mo

Typical home $172K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.25% · or rent about $455/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,200 a year, between Benoit and Ashland.

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.

Schools

C+AshlandBetter than 41% of districts in the state –BenoitNot graded

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.

Seasons

AshlandBenoit

Snow a year2″1″

January low29°F —

July high89°F —

Growing season (days)224d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th 65th

Outdoors & history

AshlandBenoit

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Settled1871 —

National Register places—1

Archive photos5 17

Famous people born here2 4

Community

AshlandBenoit

Library hours a week40 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

133 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AshlandMS BenoitMS

Ashland ↔ Benoit133 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.

Only big differences vs Mississippi average

AshlandBenoit

People

Population 657Highest 509Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.2% —

Median age 34.9±11.2Lowest 10% below MS 39.7±11.1Highest about the MS average

Benoit and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.2%±6.6Lowest MS: 23.3% 35.2%±11Highest MS: 23.3%

Benoit and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 24.4%±6.7Highest MS: 17.2% 15.5%±9.9Lowest MS: 17.2%

Ashland and Benoit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.2%Lowest MS: 25.1% 11.7%Highest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±3.8Highest MS: 6.1% 4.3%±4.1Lowest MS: 6.1%

Ashland and Benoit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $38,482±$10k 32% below MS —

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $98,800±$30kHighest 42% below MS $83,100±$75kLowest 51% below MS

Ashland and Benoit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $713±$230Highest 25% below MS $455±$174Lowest 52% below MS

Ashland and Benoit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $827Lowest 32% below MS $1,040Highest 14% below MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.8%±55.3Lowest MS: 51.3% 100%±100Highest MS: 51.3%

Benoit and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 27.5%Lowest MS: 18.9% 38.3%Highest MS: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.1%Lowest MS: 70% 81.7%Highest MS: 70%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 10 yrs older than MS 1958Lowest 28 yrs older than MS

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minLowest 16% above MS 42 minHighest 63% above MS

Work from home 3.1%±3.3Highest MS: 5.9% 1.5%±2.8Lowest MS: 5.9%

Ashland and Benoit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 6.3%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 34.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.05Highest 0.11Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Memphis (12%)Cleveland (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BenoitFew work in Ashland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 22.0Lowest 31.4Highest

Schools

School district Benton County School District—

High school in town Ashland High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 10.4 —

Mississippi average“±” Census margin of errorACS 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.

Ashland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ashland’s Town Square.

Benoit neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Benoit’s Town Square.

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Towns like Ashland

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Weir704 people · $68K homes

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.

Ashland vs Benoit

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Benoit

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

133 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Ashland and Benoit

Towns like Ashland

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