Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brandon grades A− overall, ranked 3rd of 99 in Mississippi, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 92% of Mississippi towns on state tests and graduation and it reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $293K, 4.8 years of the Jackson metro’s $62K median household income. Brandon has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Hebron Academy and Stevens-Buchanan House. Among 57 Mississippi towns, just 2 have a lower property crime rate than Brandon. Shiloh Park, at 111 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Brandon beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Rouse Elementary | PK–1 | 798 |
| Brandon Elementary | 4–5 | 743 |
| StoneBridge Elementary | 2–3 | 742 |
Hebron Academy
Census counts: 867 in 1860, 25,138 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1831 and 4 maps from 1924 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Brandon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brandon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Brandon.
Brandon has less tooth loss than most of Mississippi, has household incomes well above the Mississippi norm and sees little violent crime.
Its public schools are run by the Rankin County School District. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brandon High School, with 1,609 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,155 | A |
| Brandon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,609 | A− |
| Brandon ElementaryTop results in townGrades 4–5 | Grades 4–5 | 743 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
At $1,382 a month, Brandon’s median rent is above both the Mississippi town median ($900 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 78% of households own their home in Brandon. The typical Brandon home is worth about $293,000, up 2.9% in a year, 51% above the Mississippi typical home.
| Brandon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,382 a month | $900 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.5 per 1,000 residents, Brandon’s violent crime rate is below both Mississippi’s towns (2.3) and U.S. towns (1.6).
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
5.4 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Brandon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shiloh Park | 1.1 mi | 111 |
| 2. Brandon City Park | 0.8 mi | 27 |
| 3. Bill Vance Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Mississippi is tooth loss: 8.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.5% statewide.
Among 101 Mississippi towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Brandon. 82% of Brandon adults had a checkup this year. Brandon beats the Mississippi average on 19 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Brandon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Brandon | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.5% | 18.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 22.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Brandon for work: only 10% work in town. The median household income in Brandon is $93,000. The top destinations are Jackson (29%), Flowood (12%) and Ridgeland (8%).
| Brandon | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.5% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 20% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brandon has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Brandon’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 56 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brandon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brandon. Close and well known come first.
12 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
12 mi Stadium & arenaMississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
14 mi National MonumentMedgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument61K visitors a year
31 mi National Military ParkVicksburg National Military Park410K visitors a year6 mi MuseumMississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
11 mi MuseumMississippi Civil Rights MuseumNatchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain · Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium: Jfurr1981 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument: Jud McCranie, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vicksburg National Military Park: Eoghanacht at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Mississippi Civil Rights Museum: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
5 within 15 miles of the center of Brandon
About 6 of every 100 Brandon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
21,705 counted in 2010 and 25,138 in 2020; an estimated 26,122 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
9 places in Brandon on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Brandon.
City in Mississippi, United States
Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 25,138 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Jackson, Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Area, and is located east of the state capital.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Brandon.
Pearl reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Brandon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Brandon grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #3 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades A− for health, A for safety and A for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
16 notable people were born here, including Justin Mapp and Anselm J. McLaurin.
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