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%

Union$670/mo

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

Shannon$980/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

UnionShannon

Snow a year0″0″

January low33°F 33°F

July high93°F 92°F

Growing season (days)222d 233d

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

Outdoors & history

UnionShannon

National Register places1 —

Famous people born here4 4

Community

UnionShannon

Library hours a week39 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.

UnionMS ShannonMS

Union ↔ Shannon109 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

UnionShannon

People

Population 2,090Highest 1,383Lowest

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

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

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

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

Age 65+ 17.7%±3Highest MS: 17.2% 16.3%±2.6Lowest 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+ 15.1%Highest MS: 25.1% 13.8%Lowest MS: 25.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±1.9Lowest MS: 6.1% 6.9%±4.6Highest 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 $44,643±$10kHighest 21% below MS $42,297±$10kLowest 25% 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 $138,400±$28kHighest 18% below MS $130,900±$24kLowest 23% 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 $715±$205Lowest 25% below MS $822±$242Highest 14% 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 $800Highest 34% below MS $714Lowest 41% below MS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.2%±13.7Highest MS: 51.3% 29.3%±19.4Lowest 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 31.7%Highest MS: 18.9% 24.1%Lowest MS: 18.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 4.4%±4Highest MS: 5.9% 3.3%±4.2Lowest 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 11.3%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ShannonFew work in Union

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

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

Schools

School district Union Public School DistrictLee County

High school in town Union High SchoolShannon High School

Students per teacherat that high school 9.2Lowest 10.3Highest

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.

Union neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Union’s Town Square.

Shannon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shannon’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Union and Shannon

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

Towns like Union

+ Compare

Lucedale2,995 people · $156K homes

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Tylertown2,024 people · $117K homes

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Rolling Fork2,038 people · $105K homes

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Belmont2,028 people · $163K 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.

Union vs Shannon

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 Union and Shannon

Towns like Union

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