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%

Hernando$1,980/mo

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

Brandon$1,680/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

8Hernando

14Brandon

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

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

Left end = #1 in Mississippi. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Hernando’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

HernandoBrandon

Snow a year0″1″

January low—37°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—245d

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

Outdoors & history

HernandoBrandon

Trails2 mi 5 mi

Conserved land0.9%4.8%

Settled1839 1831

National Register places10 9

Archive photos—18

Famous people born here—14

Community

HernandoBrandon

Library hours a week58 hrs 59 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.

HernandoMS BrandonMS

Hernando ↔ Brandon178 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

HernandoBrandon

People

Population 17,949Lowest 25,542Highest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 25.7%±2.9Highest MS: 23.3% 25.2%±2.9Lowest 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+ 17.2%±2.8Lowest MS: 17.2% 17.6%±2.1Highest 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+ 34.5%Lowest MS: 25.1% 41.3%Highest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.3%±2Highest MS: 6.1% 5.5%±1.4Lowest 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 $76,950±$11kLowest 36% above MS $92,783±$5kHighest 64% 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 $315,900±$15kHighest 86% above MS $278,900±$16kLowest 64% above MS

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,302±$387Lowest 36% above MS $1,382±$262Highest 45% 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 $1,920Highest 58% above MS $1,822Lowest 50% above MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56.2%±19Highest MS: 51.3% 36.9%±8.4Lowest 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 8.8%Highest MS: 18.9% 8.5%Lowest MS: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 8.1%±2.4Highest MS: 5.9% 7.2%±1.7Lowest 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 19.2%Highest 10.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrandonFew work in Hernando

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Lowest 4.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 5.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 4Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district DeSoto County School DistrictRankin County School District

High school in town Hernando High SchoolBrandon High School

Students per teacherat that high school 17.1Highest 14.2Lowest

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.

Hernando neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hernando’s Town Square.

Brandon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brandon’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hernando and Brandon

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

Bordering Hernando

+ Compare

Southaven56,226 people · $236K homes

Towns like Hernando

+ Compare

Byram12,799 people · $207K homes

+ Compare

Long Beach17,009 people · $215K homes

+ Compare

Petal11,294 people · $175K homes

+ Compare

Ocean Springs18,646 people · $259K 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.

Hernando vs Brandon

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 Hernando and Brandon

Bordering Hernando

Towns like Hernando

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