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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

9Saltillo

10Petal

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

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

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

Saltillo$1,420/mo

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

Petal$1,340/mo

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

SaltilloPetal

Snow a year1″1″

January low—38°F

July high—91°F

Growing season (days)—261d

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

Outdoors & history

SaltilloPetal

Trails1 mi 5 mi

Conserved land3.2%0.5%

Settled1849 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos—7

Famous people born here—6

Community

SaltilloPetal

Library hours a week—38 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.

SaltilloMS PetalMS

Saltillo ↔ Petal212 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

SaltilloPetal

People

Population 4,952Lowest 11,294Highest

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

Median age 34.1±3.3Lowest 12% below MS 37±1.9Highest 4% 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 22.8%±5.8Lowest MS: 23.3% 24.8%±3.6Highest 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+ 15.9%±6.1Highest MS: 17.2% 15.2%±2.4Lowest 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+ 34.6%Highest MS: 25.1% 27.8%Lowest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±3Lowest MS: 6.1% 4.5%±2Highest 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 $80,640±$21kHighest 43% above MS $74,750±$7kLowest 32% 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 $204,900±$19kHighest 21% above MS $174,900±$17kLowest 3% 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 $999±$411Lowest 5% above MS $1,047±$65Highest 10% 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 $1,372Lowest 13% above MS $1,502Highest 24% above MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.7%±22.1Highest MS: 51.3% 47.2%±9.1Lowest 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 6.8%Lowest MS: 18.9% 11.1%Highest MS: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 6.1%±3.9Highest MS: 5.9% 5%±2.3Lowest 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 3.4%Lowest 14%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 7.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PetalFew work in Saltillo

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 4.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 4Highest

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

Schools

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

School district Lee CountyPetal School District

High school in town Saltillo High SchoolPetal High School

Students per teacherat that high school 14.0Highest 12.8Lowest

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.

Saltillo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Saltillo’s Town Square.

Petal neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Petal’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Saltillo and Petal

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

Bordering Saltillo

+ Compare

Tupelo37,791 people · $213K homes

Towns like Saltillo

+ Compare

Guntown2,594 people · $211K homes

+ Compare

Booneville9,246 people · $137K homes

+ Compare

Florence4,696 people · $231K homes

+ Compare

Farmington2,312 people · $130K 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.

Saltillo vs Petal

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 Saltillo and Petal

Bordering Saltillo

Towns like Saltillo

Post to Saltillo

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