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%

Brandon$1,680/mo

Typical home $290K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.65% · or rent about $1,382/mo · Housing →

Hernando$1,980/mo

Typical home $345K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $1,302/mo · Housing →

The difference: $300 a month, about $3,600 a year, between Hernando and Brandon.

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

Brandon places higher on 14 of 22 MS lists

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.

Safety

ABrandonSafer than 88% of U.S. towns A−HernandoSafer than 83% of U.S. towns

Schools

A+BrandonBetter than 95% of districts in the state AHernandoBetter than 86% of districts in the state

Health

A−BrandonHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns B+HernandoHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns

14Brandon

8Hernando

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 104 towns #99#8 Most conserved landOutdoors · 94 towns #25#70 Lowest depressionHealth · 104 towns #27#74 Most trailsOutdoors · 64 towns #34#61 Most new homesHousing · 88 towns #31#6 Most walkableOutdoors · 104 towns #50#67 Most educatedPeople · 104 towns #12#24 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 104 towns #3#14

Left end = #1 in Mississippi. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Brandon’s rankings →

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

BrandonHernando

Snow a year1″0″

January low37°F —

July high92°F —

Growing season (days)245d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd 50th

Outdoors & history

BrandonHernando

Trails5 mi 2 mi

Conserved land4.8%0.9%

Settled1831 1839

National Register places9 10

Archive photos18 —

Famous people born here14 —

Community

BrandonHernando

Library hours a week59 hrs 58 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

178 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrandonMS HernandoMS

Brandon ↔ Hernando178 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

BrandonHernando

People

Population 25,542Highest 17,949Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +15.8%Lowest +21.6%Highest

Median age 40.6±3.4Highest 5% above MS 38.6±2.6Lowest about the MS average

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

Kids under 18 25.2%±2.9Lowest MS: 23.3% 25.7%±2.9Highest MS: 23.3%

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

Age 65+ 17.6%±2.1Highest MS: 17.2% 17.2%±2.8Lowest MS: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 41.3%Highest MS: 25.1% 34.5%Lowest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±1.4Lowest MS: 6.1% 6.3%±2Highest MS: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $92,783±$5kHighest 64% above MS $76,950±$11kLowest 36% above MS

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $278,900±$16kLowest 64% above MS $315,900±$15kHighest 86% above MS

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,382±$262Highest 45% above MS $1,302±$387Lowest 36% above MS

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,822Lowest 50% above MS $1,920Highest 58% above MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.9%±8.4Lowest MS: 51.3% 56.2%±19Highest MS: 51.3%

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

Below poverty line 8.5%Lowest MS: 18.9% 8.8%Highest MS: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 78.3%Lowest MS: 70% 81.2%Highest MS: 70%

Typical home builtmedian year 1996Lowest 10 yrs newer than MS 2002Highest 16 yrs newer than MS

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 8% above MS 27 minLowest 5% above MS

Work from home 7.2%±1.7Lowest MS: 5.9% 8.1%±2.4Highest MS: 5.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 10.3%Lowest 19.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 16.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.74Lowest 1.36Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (29%)Memphis (32%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HernandoFew work in Brandon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.8%Highest 0.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.4 miHighest 2.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 37.2Highest 29.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #5 of 92 in MS #1 of 92 in MS

School district Rankin County School DistrictDeSoto County School District

High school in town Brandon High SchoolHernando High School

Students per teacherat that high school 14.2Lowest 17.1Highest

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.

Brandon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brandon’s Town Square.

Hernando neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hernando’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Brandon and Hernando

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Brandon

+ Compare

Pearl27,737 people · $183K homes

Towns like Brandon

+ Compare

Ocean Springs18,646 people · $259K homes

+ Compare

Olive Branch47,019 people · $290K homes

+ Compare

Clinton27,195 people · $226K homes

+ Compare

Byram12,799 people · $207K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Mississippi towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Brandon vs Hernando

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $300 more a month in Hernando

Brandon places higher on 14 of 22 MS lists

What daily life feels like in each

178 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Brandon and Hernando

Bordering Brandon

Towns like Brandon

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