Compare towns
Chunky vs Paden 166 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (2.6× in Chunky) and homeowners (+11.7 pts renters in Chunky).
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Paden, MS A small town of 131 Mississippi · 131 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.
Paden A small town of 131
Quiet strengths Paden doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Paden →
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 $400 more a month in Chunky 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
Chunky $910 /mo
Typical home $154K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $1,150/mo · Housing →
Paden $510 /mo
Typical home $75K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $442/mo · Housing →
The difference: $400 a month , about $4,800 a year , between Chunky and Paden.
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.
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
Growing season (days) — 216d Outdoors & history
National Register places 1 —
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 166 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Chunky ↔ Paden 166 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
242 Highest 131 Lowest
Median age
36.5 ±24 Highest 5% below MS 35.4 ±26.2 Lowest 8% below MS
Kids under 18
21.1% ±12.3 Lowest MS: 23.3% 21.4% ±24.7 Highest MS: 23.3%
Age 65+
15.7% ±11.7 Lowest MS: 17.2% 16% ±25.1 Highest MS: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
23.2% Highest MS: 25.1% 18.8% Lowest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
3.7% ±5.4 Highest MS: 6.1% 3.1% ±11.9 Lowest MS: 6.1%
Household incomemedian
$57,500 ±$24k Highest about the MS average $51,042 ±$19k Lowest 10% below MS
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$88,300 ±$25k Highest 48% below MS $75,000 ±$9k Lowest 56% below MS
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,150 ±$164 Highest 21% above MS $442 ±$360 Lowest 54% below MS
Property taxmedian, yearly
$670 45% below MS —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 Lowest MS: 51.3% 40% ±100 Highest MS: 51.3%
Below poverty line
7.1% Lowest MS: 18.9% 16.8% Highest MS: 18.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
81.3% Lowest MS: 70% 93% Highest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year
1975 Highest 11 yrs older than MS 1974 Lowest 12 yrs older than MS
Average commuteone way
30 min Highest 16% above MS 27 min Lowest 6% above MS
Work from home
2.4% ±3.9 Lowest MS: 5.9% 13.6% ±13.5 Highest MS: 5.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
14.8 mi Lowest 16.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.00 Lowest 0.43 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Meridian (19%) Red Bay (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Paden Few work in Chunky
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 0.1 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.1 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
26.7 Highest 25.6 Lowest
“±” 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.
Chunky or Paden: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Chunky? → Moving to Chunky: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Chunky’s Town Square.
Paden or Chunky: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Paden? → Moving to Paden: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Paden’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Chunky and Paden One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Chunky 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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