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

APetalSafer than 86% of U.S. towns –SaltilloNot graded

Schools

A+PetalBetter than 99% of districts in the state BSaltilloBetter than 64% of districts in the state

Health

C+PetalHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns C+SaltilloHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns

10Petal

9Saltillo

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 104 towns #59#12 Highest graduation rateSchools · 93 towns #4#45 Most conserved landOutdoors · 94 towns #81#42 Most walkableOutdoors · 104 towns #54#88 Most remote workersWork · 102 towns #54#39 Most educatedPeople · 104 towns #37#22 Lowest obesityHealth · 104 towns #11#24 Most activeHealth · 104 towns #22#35

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Petal$1,340/mo

Typical home $226K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $1,047/mo · Housing →

Saltillo$1,420/mo

Typical home $245K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $999/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $900 a year, between Saltillo and Petal.

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

PetalSaltillo

Snow a year1″1″

January low38°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)261d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)67th 56th

Outdoors & history

PetalSaltillo

Trails5 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0.5%3.2%

Settled—1849

National Register places—1

Archive photos7 —

Famous people born here6 —

Community

PetalSaltillo

Library hours a week38 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

212 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PetalMS SaltilloMS

Petal ↔ Saltillo212 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

PetalSaltillo

People

Population 11,294Highest 4,952Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.3%Highest +3.6%Lowest

Median age 37±1.9Highest 4% below MS 34.1±3.3Lowest 12% below MS

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

Kids under 18 24.8%±3.6Highest MS: 23.3% 22.8%±5.8Lowest MS: 23.3%

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

Age 65+ 15.2%±2.4Lowest MS: 17.2% 15.9%±6.1Highest MS: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.8%Lowest MS: 25.1% 34.6%Highest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±2Highest MS: 6.1% 4.3%±3Lowest MS: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,750±$7kLowest 32% above MS $80,640±$21kHighest 43% above MS

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $174,900±$17kLowest 3% above MS $204,900±$19kHighest 21% above MS

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,047±$65Highest 10% above MS $999±$411Lowest 5% above MS

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,502Highest 24% above MS $1,372Lowest 13% above MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.2%±9.1Lowest MS: 51.3% 57.7%±22.1Highest MS: 51.3%

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

Below poverty line 11.1%Highest MS: 18.9% 6.8%Lowest MS: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70%Lowest MS: 70% 83.6%Highest MS: 70%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 9 yrs older than MS 2000Highest 14 yrs newer than MS

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 16% below MS 21 minLowest 16% below MS

Work from home 5%±2.3Lowest MS: 5.9% 6.1%±3.9Highest MS: 5.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 14%Highest 3.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.3 miLowest 9.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.91Highest 0.73Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Hattiesburg (45%)Tupelo (47%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SaltilloFew work in Petal

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 3.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.5 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 33.7Highest 23.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #25 of 92 in MS #27 of 92 in MS

School district Petal School DistrictLee County

High school in town Petal High SchoolSaltillo High School

Students per teacherat that high school 12.8Lowest 14.0Highest

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.

Petal neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Petal’s Town Square.

Saltillo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Saltillo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Petal and Saltillo

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

Bordering Petal

+ Compare

Hattiesburg48,619 people · $166K homes

Towns like Petal

+ Compare

Booneville9,246 people · $137K homes

+ Compare

Gautier19,046 people · $166K homes

+ Compare

Cleveland10,623 people · $159K homes

+ Compare

Richland7,346 people · $126K homes

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.

Petal vs Saltillo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Petal places higher on 10 of 20 MS lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

212 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Petal and Saltillo

Bordering Petal

Towns like Petal

Post to Petal

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