What it's like to live in Hernando
Hernando is a small city in Mississippi with county unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hernando deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, above-average rainfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Hernando compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hernando
Based on Hernando's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,604
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,080 a year
- 53% of Hernando renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,180
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,590
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,302/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,302 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $315,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $315,900 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in DeSoto County is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
DeSoto County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 68% below US
106 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 323/100k · Hernando Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument (64 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hernando's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,302/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Hernando
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