What it's like to live in Olive Branch
Olive Branch is a small city in Mississippi with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Olive Branch deals with rent well above the national average, hot summers, above-average rainfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Olive Branch compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Olive Branch
Based on Olive Branch's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,658
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,160 a year
- 37% of Olive Branch renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$58,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,000
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 29% above US
$1,829/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,829 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $290,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $290,000 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 26% below US
3.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 47% below US
175 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1036/100k · Olive Branch Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.5 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 91°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
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 13% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% 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
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below 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 Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site (70 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Olive Branch's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,829/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
See all the data for Olive Branch →·All Mississippi cities →
Other places near Olive Branch
All Mississippi guides →Moving to Southaven →
8 mi away · pop. 56,226
Rent $1,445/mo · Income $78,483
Compare with Olive Branch →Moving to Hernando →
11 mi away · pop. 17,949
Rent $1,302/mo · Income $76,950
Compare with Olive Branch →Moving to Horn Lake →
12 mi away · pop. 26,647
Rent $1,435/mo · Income $53,311
Compare with Olive Branch →Moving to Oxford →
44 mi away · pop. 26,411
Rent $1,071/mo · Income $64,451
Compare with Olive Branch →Not sure Olive Branch is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.