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Ridgeland vs Jackson

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: home values (2.5× in Ridgeland) and trails (4.4× in Jackson).

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Ridgeland, MSA regional job hubMississippi · 24,587 people
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Jackson, MSA history townMississippi · 146,631 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.

RidgelandA regional job hub
Work25,080 jobsbased in Ridgeland, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 95%of MS districts HealthHealthier than 75%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Ridgeland →
JacksonA history town
HistorySettled in 182287 places on the National Register Famous people67 notable peopleborn in Jackson College town4 collegesJackson State University All about Jackson →
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.

Home values2.5×
Homes cost more in Ridgeland
Ridgeland $275,200Jackson $111,700
Trails4.4×
Jackson has more miles of trail
Jackson 26.1 miRidgeland 5.9 mi
Size6×
Jackson is the bigger place
Jackson 146,631Ridgeland 24,587
Household income+57%
Households in Ridgeland earn more
Ridgeland $66,038Jackson $42,071
Work in town+28 pts
More of Jackson’s workers stay in town
Jackson 45.1%Ridgeland 17.1%
Growth since 2010+12.6 pts
Ridgeland has grown faster since 2010
Ridgeland +1.2%Jackson -11.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,120 more a month in Ridgeland

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.

Ridgeland$1,660/mo
Typical home $286K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $1,336/mo · Housing →
Jackson$540/mo
Typical home $86K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.21% · or rent about $1,055/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,120 a month, about $13,500 a year, between Ridgeland and Jackson.

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

Ridgeland places higher on 15 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.

Schools
A+RidgelandBetter than 95% of districts in the state DJacksonBetter than 11% of districts in the state
Health
B+RidgelandHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns DJacksonHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
15Ridgeland
6Jackson

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 93 towns #15#87 Most affordableCost of living · 102 towns #93#25 Lowest obesityHealth · 104 towns #18#77 HealthiestHealth · 104 towns #9#58 Most activeHealth · 104 towns #11#60 Highest incomeIncome · 102 towns #30#75 Fastest growingGrowth · 103 towns #49#94 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 32 towns #17#30

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

Where they are

Ridgeland and Jackson share a border

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

RidgelandJacksonRidgelandJackson
Ridgeland ↔ Jackson8.0 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
4,247 Jackson residents work in Ridgeland (7.7% of its workers)
3,582 Ridgeland residents work in Jackson (35% of its workers)
Work & commute in Jackson →
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
RidgelandJackson
Snow a year1″1″
January low37°F37°F
July high92°F92°F
Growing season (days)245d245d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th84th
Outdoors & history
RidgelandJackson
Trails6 mi26 mi
Conserved land7.6%4.4%
Settled18051822
National Register places287
Archive photos—24
Famous people born here—67
Community
RidgelandJackson
Library hours a week52 hrs47 hrs
Colleges in town14
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.

RidgelandJackson
People
Population 24,587Lowest 146,631Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.2%Highest -11.4%Lowest
Median age 35.7±1.5Highest 8% below MS 34.5±0.6Lowest 11% below MS
Ridgeland and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.9%±2.3Lowest MS: 23.3% 23.9%±0.9Highest MS: 23.3%
Jackson and Ridgeland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.6%±1.6Lowest MS: 17.2% 15%±0.7Highest MS: 17.2%
Jackson and Ridgeland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 51.7%Highest MS: 25.1% 28.8%Lowest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.6%±1.9Lowest MS: 6.1% 8.9%±0.7Highest MS: 6.1%
Jackson and Ridgeland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $66,038±$3kHighest 17% above MS $42,071±$2kLowest 25% below MS
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $275,200±$19kHighest 62% above MS $111,700±$6kLowest 34% below MS
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,336±$40Highest 40% above MS $1,055±$23Lowest 11% above MS
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,909Highest 57% above MS $1,352Lowest 11% above MS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.6%±6.7Lowest MS: 51.3% 60.3%±3.7Highest MS: 51.3%
Jackson and Ridgeland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.9%Lowest MS: 18.9% 27.9%Highest MS: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 47.3%Lowest MS: 70% 48.6%Highest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 5 yrs newer than MS 1969Lowest 17 yrs older than MS
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 18% below MS 20 minLowest 22% below MS
Work from home 9%±2Highest MS: 5.9% 8.9%±1.2Lowest MS: 5.9%
Ridgeland and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 17.1%Lowest 45.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miHighest 6.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.45Highest 1.73Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (35%)Ridgeland (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 35% work in Jackson8% work in Ridgeland
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.6%Highest 4.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.9 miLowest 26.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 22Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 44.2Lowest 55.1Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #57 of 92 in MS#82 of 92 in MS
School district Madison County SchoolsReimagine Prep · Joel E. Smilow Prep
High school in town Ridgeland High SchoolMurrah High School
Students per teacherat that high school 12.9Lowest 15.8Highest
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.

Ridgeland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ridgeland’s Town Square.

Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ridgeland and Jackson

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Bordering Ridgeland

+ Compare
Madison27,946 people · $353K homes

Towns like Ridgeland

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Oxford26,411 people · $386K homes
F
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Flowood10,587 people · $342K homes
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Clinton27,195 people · $226K homes
S
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Starkville25,721 people · $300K 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.

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