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Iuka vs Florence

214 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.8× in Florence) and home values (+85% in Florence).

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Iuka, MSA history townMississippi · 3,110 people
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Florence, MSKnown for its schoolsMississippi · 4,696 people
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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.

IukaA history town
History18 archive photos & papers13 places on the National Register Housing$202K typical home2% above the MS typical home Work1,856 jobsbased in Iuka, a regional job hub All about Iuka →
FlorenceKnown for its schools
Schools#15 for schools in MSof 92 towns Housing$255K typical home29% above the MS typical home Health59% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Florence →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2.8×
Tax bills are bigger in Florence
Florence $1,523Iuka $540
Home values+85%
Homes cost more in Florence
Florence $230,800Iuka $124,700
Age 65++15 pts
Iuka has more people 65 and up
Iuka 25.7%Florence 10.7%
Typical home built30 yrs
Iuka’s homes are older
Florence 1999Iuka 1969
Average commute9 min
Iuka has the shorter commute
Florence 32 minIuka 23 min
Work in town+16 pts
More of Iuka’s workers stay in town
Iuka 21.1%Florence 5.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $340 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.

Iuka$1,130/mo
Typical home $202K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.43% · or rent about $664/mo · Housing →
Florence$1,470/mo
Typical home $255K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $923/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,100 a year, between Florence and Iuka.

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

Florence places higher on 10 of 19 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
B−IukaSafer than 48% of U.S. towns –FlorenceNot graded
Schools
B+IukaBetter than 72% of districts in the state A+FlorenceBetter than 95% of districts in the state
Health
C−IukaHealthier than 17% of U.S. towns C+FlorenceHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns
8Iuka
10Florence

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest property taxCost of living · 102 towns #2#77 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 104 towns #27#98 Cheapest rentCost of living · 99 towns #9#55 Most affordableCost of living · 102 towns #37#84 Highest incomeIncome · 102 towns #56#9 Highest graduation rateSchools · 93 towns #42#6 Shortest commuteGetting around · 104 towns #55#94 Best schoolsSchools · 92 towns #37#15

Left end = #1 in Mississippi. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Iuka’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
IukaFlorence
Snow a year1″1″
January low30°F37°F
July high90°F92°F
Growing season (days)213d245d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th69th
Outdoors & history
IukaFlorence
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0.9%
National Register places13—
Archive photos186
Famous people born here—4
Community
IukaFlorence
Library hours a week52 hrs42 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.

Where they are

214 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IukaMSFlorenceMS
Iuka ↔ Florence214 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.

IukaFlorence
People
Population 3,110Lowest 4,696Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.7%Lowest +10.4%Highest
Median age 36.9±6.2Highest 4% below MS 35.4±5.4Lowest 8% below MS
Iuka and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25%±6.3Lowest MS: 23.3% 30.7%±9.4Highest MS: 23.3%
Florence and Iuka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.7%±7Highest MS: 17.2% 10.7%±4Lowest MS: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17%Lowest MS: 25.1% 21.8%Highest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±2.6Lowest MS: 6.1% 5.9%±3.2Highest MS: 6.1%
Florence and Iuka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $49,290±$23kLowest 13% below MS $86,308±$17kHighest 53% above MS
Florence and Iuka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $124,700±$23kLowest 27% below MS $230,800±$14kHighest 36% above MS
Rentmedian gross, monthly $664±$255Lowest 30% below MS $923±$592Highest 3% below MS
Florence and Iuka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $540Lowest 56% below MS $1,523Highest 25% above MS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.3%±20.1Lowest MS: 51.3% 58.9%±52.3Highest MS: 51.3%
Florence and Iuka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.6%Highest MS: 18.9% 6.7%Lowest MS: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.3%Lowest MS: 70% 69.7%Highest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 17 yrs older than MS 1999Highest 13 yrs newer than MS
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 11% below MS 32 minHighest 23% above MS
Work from home 4.8%±5Highest MS: 5.9% 4.2%±3.5Lowest MS: 5.9%
Iuka and Florence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 21.1%Highest 5.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.55Highest 1.44Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Corinth (11%)Jackson (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FlorenceFew work in Iuka
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.9Highest 23.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #37 of 92 in MS#15 of 92 in MS
School district Tishomingo County School DistrictRankin County School District
High school in town None in townFlorence 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.

Iuka neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Iuka’s Town Square.

Florence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Florence’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Iuka and Florence

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

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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.

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