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Compare towns

Cleary vs Florence

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (28.8× in Florence) and homeowners (+12.3 pts renters in Florence).

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Cleary, MSOne of the healthiest townsMississippi · 2,295 people
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Florence, MSKnown for its schoolsMississippi · 4,696 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 $480 more a month in Florence

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.

Cleary$1,000/mo
Typical home $166K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $891/mo · Housing →
Florence$1,470/mo
Typical home $255K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $923/mo · Housing →

The difference: $480 a month, about $5,700 a year, between Florence and Cleary.

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.

Where they are

Cleary and Florence share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ClearyFlorenceClearyFlorence
Cleary ↔ Florence4.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
36 Cleary residents work in Florence (5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Cleary →
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.

Seasons
ClearyFlorence
Snow a year1″1″
January low37°F37°F
July high92°F92°F
Growing season (days)245d245d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th69th
Outdoors & history
ClearyFlorence
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0.9%
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—4
Community
ClearyFlorence
Library hours a week—42 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

ClearyFlorence
People
Population 2,295Lowest 4,696Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.3%Lowest +10.4%Highest
Median age 37.3±7.1Highest 3% below MS 35.4±5.4Lowest 8% below MS
Cleary and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.4%±6.9Lowest MS: 23.3% 30.7%±9.4Highest MS: 23.3%
Florence and Cleary are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.7%±13.4Highest MS: 17.2% 10.7%±4Lowest MS: 17.2%
Cleary and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.3%Highest MS: 25.1% 21.8%Lowest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.6%±6.4Highest MS: 6.1% 5.9%±3.2Lowest MS: 6.1%
Cleary and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian — $86,308±$17k 53% above MS
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $166,400±$142kLowest about the MS average $230,800±$14kHighest 36% above MS
Florence and Cleary are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $891±$475Lowest 7% below MS $923±$592Highest 3% below MS
Florence and Cleary are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,523 25% above MS $1,523 25% above MS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 85.3%±28.8Highest MS: 51.3% 58.9%±52.3Lowest MS: 51.3%
Cleary and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.3%Highest MS: 18.9% 6.7%Lowest MS: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 82%Highest MS: 70% 69.7%Lowest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Lowest same as MS 1999Highest 13 yrs newer than MS
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 25% above MS 32 minLowest 23% above MS
Work from home 3.9%±5.2Lowest MS: 5.9% 4.2%±3.5Highest MS: 5.9%
Florence and Cleary are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.1%Lowest 5.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 mi 12.3 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.05Lowest 1.44Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (28%)Jackson (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in FlorenceFew work in Cleary
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 19.8Lowest 23.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#15 of 92 in MS
School district —Rankin County School District
High school in town —Florence High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 13.4
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.

Cleary neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cleary’s Town Square.

Florence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Florence’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Cleary

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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