Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Olive Branch grades B+ overall, ranked 13th of 99 in Mississippi, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $101K and its schools outperform 89% of the state's. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $334K, 5 years of the Memphis metro’s $66K median household income. Only 2 of the 96 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher median rent than Olive Branch. Olive Branch's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns. Among 99 Mississippi towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Olive Branch.
Where Olive Branch beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Hill Elementary School | PK–5 | 1,079 |
| Overpark Elementary School | PK–5 | 635 |
| Olive Branch Elementary School | PK–1 | 504 |
33,484 counted in 2010 and 39,711 in 2020; an estimated 47,563 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Olive Branch is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 73 in 1880, 39,711 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1944 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Olive Branch. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Ancient siteSS Sultana
14 mi Stadium & arenaSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium
17 mi MuseumNational Civil Rights Museum
17 mi Stadium & arenaFedExForum
14 mi Stadium & arenaMid-South Coliseum
18 mi MuseumBlues Hall of FameSS Sultana: Template:Thomas W. Bankes, Public domain · Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · National Civil Rights Museum: Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0 · FedExForum: Marco Espino-Ovalle, Public domain · Mid-South Coliseum: bcbuckner, CC BY 2.0 · Blues Hall of Fame: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Olive Branch, 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 Olive Branch.
Olive Branch sends many workers across the state line to Collierville, looks healthier within Mississippi than nationally and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Mississippi.
The median property tax bill is $1,864, against $1,215 across Mississippi, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
82% of Olive Branch households own their home, against 62% in Mississippi’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The typical Olive Branch home is worth about $334,000, up 1% in a year, 72% above the Mississippi typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the DeSoto County School District. Three of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Hill Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,079 | A+ |
| Center Hill High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,059 | A |
| Center Hill Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 757 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
January nights average 32°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 86% of Mississippi places with climate records; July afternoons average 90.9°.
Olive Branch has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. At 32°F, Olive Branch’s January low is where Mississippi’s towns sit at 36°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. The July high in Olive Branch is 91°F.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 32°F | 36°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Mississippi it is healthier than 87% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures. Its widest gap with Mississippi is tooth loss: 11.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.5% statewide.
12% of Olive Branch adults report frequent physical distress. Olive Branch beats the Mississippi average on 16 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 13% of Olive Branch adults smoke cigarettes.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 27% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Olive Branch | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 18.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.7% | 22.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
49% of working residents cross a state line to work, Collierville among the top destinations. Jobs based here grew from 15,001 in 2013 to 31,016.
Most working residents leave Olive Branch for work: only 19% work in town. Jobs based in Olive Branch grew to 31,016 in 2023, 16,015 more than in 2013. Only 3 of the 99 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher median household income than Olive Branch.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 20% | 8% |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 5.3% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
7.0 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Among 87 Mississippi towns, just 8 have a lower share of conserved land than Olive Branch. Olive Branch City Park, at 128 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 2.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Olive Branch City Park | 2.2 mi | 128 |
| 2. Magnolia Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
| 3. George Harrison Municipal Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median household earns $100,606, against $56,447 across Mississippi, one input to its A for jobs and income.
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Mississippi average. 13% of residents are 65 or older in Olive Branch. Olive Branch has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 47,563 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 24% | 29% |
| Median age | 38 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.6 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.4, men 37.4.
| Olive Branch | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.2% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.9% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.3% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.6% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 920 to 574 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Mississippi, it does better than 66% of towns.
| Olive Branch | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.3 per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 2007, 22 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Olive Branch.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7 within 15 miles of the center of Olive Branch
About 5 of every 100 Olive Branch residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
7 notable people were born in Olive Branch.
City in Mississippi, United States
Olive Branch is a city located in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. With a population of 39,711 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth most populous city in Mississippi. A suburb of Memphis, Olive Branch is part of the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region that consists of three counties in southwest Tennessee, five counties in northwest Mississippi, and one county in eastern Arkansas. Along with other rapidly growing places in DeSoto County, Olive Branch attributes most of its growth and development to urban sprawl and flight radiating out from Memphis.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Olive Branch.
| Town | MS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Branch | #13 | B+ | C | C+ | A | B+ |
| Bridgetown | #1 | A | B | — | A | A− |
| Southaven | #31 | C+ | C | C− | A | B− |
Bridgetown reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Olive Branch with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Olive Branch grades B+ overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #13 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades B+ for health, C+ for safety and A for schools.
Within Mississippi, it does better than 66% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
7 notable people were born here, including Leon Gray and Jerrick Reed II.
