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%

Benoit$1,080/mo

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

Ashland$810/mo

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

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

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

BenoitAshland

Snow a year1″2″

January low—29°F

July high—89°F

Growing season (days)—224d

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

Outdoors & history

BenoitAshland

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1871

National Register places1 —

Archive photos17 5

Famous people born here4 2

Community

BenoitAshland

Library hours a week—40 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.

BenoitMS AshlandMS

Benoit ↔ Ashland133 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

BenoitAshland

People

Population 509Lowest 657Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -3.2%

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

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

Kids under 18 35.2%±11Highest MS: 23.3% 27.2%±6.6Lowest 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+ 15.5%±9.9Lowest MS: 17.2% 24.4%±6.7Highest 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+ 11.7%Highest MS: 25.1% 10.2%Lowest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±4.1Lowest MS: 6.1% 4.7%±3.8Highest 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 $83,100±$75kLowest 51% below MS $98,800±$30kHighest 42% 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 $455±$174Lowest 52% below MS $713±$230Highest 25% 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 $1,040Highest 14% below MS $827Lowest 32% below MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest MS: 51.3% 30.8%±55.3Lowest 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 38.3%Highest MS: 18.9% 27.5%Lowest MS: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 1.5%±2.8Lowest MS: 5.9% 3.1%±3.3Highest 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 0%Lowest 6.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miLowest 34.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AshlandFew work in Benoit

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

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

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.

Benoit neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Benoit’s Town Square.

Ashland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ashland’s Town Square.

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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.

Benoit vs Ashland

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 Benoit and Ashland

Towns like Benoit

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