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%

Shannon$980/mo

Typical home $171K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $822/mo · Housing →

Union$670/mo

Typical home $117K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $715/mo · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,700 a year, between Shannon and Union.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

–ShannonNot graded BUnionSafer than 62% of U.S. towns

Schools

BShannonBetter than 64% of districts in the state A−UnionBetter than 84% of districts in the state

Health

CShannonHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns DUnionHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns

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

ShannonUnion

Snow a year0″0″

January low33°F 33°F

July high92°F 93°F

Growing season (days)233d 222d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 54th

Outdoors & history

ShannonUnion

National Register places—1

Famous people born here4 4

Community

ShannonUnion

Library hours a week—39 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

109 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ShannonMS UnionMS

Shannon ↔ Union109 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

ShannonUnion

People

Population 1,383Lowest 2,090Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -14.7%Lowest +2.7%Highest

Median age 35.4±8.6Lowest 8% below MS 37.8±10.1Highest about the MS average

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

Kids under 18 21.1%±3.6Lowest MS: 23.3% 31%±5.5Highest MS: 23.3%

Age 65+ 16.3%±2.6Lowest MS: 17.2% 17.7%±3Highest MS: 17.2%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.8%Lowest MS: 25.1% 15.1%Highest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±4.6Highest MS: 6.1% 2.6%±1.9Lowest MS: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $42,297±$10kLowest 25% below MS $44,643±$10kHighest 21% below MS

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $130,900±$24kLowest 23% below MS $138,400±$28kHighest 18% below MS

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $822±$242Highest 14% below MS $715±$205Lowest 25% below MS

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $714Lowest 41% below MS $800Highest 34% below MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.3%±19.4Lowest MS: 51.3% 43.2%±13.7Highest MS: 51.3%

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

Below poverty line 24.1%Lowest MS: 18.9% 31.7%Highest MS: 18.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.5%Highest MS: 70% 58.7%Lowest MS: 70%

Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest same as MS 1971Lowest 15 yrs older than MS

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 15% below MS 24 minHighest 7% below MS

Work from home 3.3%±4.2Lowest MS: 5.9% 4.4%±4Highest MS: 5.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.8%Lowest 11.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 23.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.62Highest 1.23Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Tupelo (40%)Philadelphia (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in UnionFew work in Shannon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.3Lowest 37.6Highest

Schools

School district Lee CountyUnion Public School District

High school in town Shannon High SchoolUnion High School

Students per teacherat that high school 10.3Highest 9.2Lowest

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.

Shannon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shannon’s Town Square.

Union neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Union’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Shannon

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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.

Shannon vs Union

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Shannon

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

109 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Shannon and Union

Towns like Shannon

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