Town · Panola County, Mississippi

Como, Mississippi

Como is a town in Panola County, Mississippi. It has 1,258 residents. Como, Mississippi has a quality-of-life score of 1 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,419 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Mississippi it ranks #168 of 194 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), effective property tax rate (low) and pharmacies (high). It ranks worst on lack of reliable transportation (high), food insecurity (high) and median household income (low).

1Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,419 of 15,651 cities and towns
Mississippi: #168 of 194 in MS
Population: 1,258 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 666.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 2815500

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety10#14,123/15,637
Economy6#14,732/15,631
Housing39#9,189/14,977
Health4#14,956/15,609
Healthcare19#12,727/15,650
Environment23#11,937/15,453
Education22#12,257/15,649
Infrastructure4#15,086/15,650
Community8#14,444/15,651
Leisure & amenities10#14,152/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Como, Mississippi ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Panola County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Job growth · high4.7%
97/100Mississippi -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataPanola County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.45%
91/100Mississippi 0.58%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
88/100Mississippi 2.2 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPanola County value
New business applications · high19.1 /1k
87/100Mississippi 17.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauPanola County value
Public libraries · high1.2 /10k
81/100Mississippi 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesPanola County value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100Mississippi 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyPanola County value

Weaknesses

Lack of reliable transportation · high26.6%
0/100Mississippi 12.4%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · high50.8%
0/100Mississippi 23.2%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Median household income · low$21,404
0/100Mississippi $59,301United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Adult obesity · high54.9%
0/100Mississippi 42.6%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Unemployment rate · high35.3%
0/100Mississippi 3.8%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Physical inactivity · high51.7%
0/100Mississippi 35.7%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,390 (2015-2019) → 1,258 (2020-2024)
−9.5%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
62.4% (2015-2019) → 17.7% (2020-2024)
−45 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
47.8% (2015-2019) → 17.5% (2020-2024)
−30 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateWorsening
16.8% (2015-2019) → 35.3% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
57.7% (2015-2019) → 39.7% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
46.4% (2015-2019) → 62.8% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Como, Mississippi improved on 1 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Poverty−30 points47.8% → 17.5%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Como, Mississippi between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.9%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−4.2 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Broadband subscriptions	46.4%2015-2019	62.8%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	63%
High school diploma or higher	74.3%2015-2019	70.5%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Home price to income ratio	5.3×2015-2019	8.4×2020-2024	+3.2×	Within the margin of error	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5692015-2019	0.4592020-2024	−0.110	Within the margin of error	97%
Median household income	$25,4002015-2019	$21,4042020-2024	−16%	Within the margin of error	2%
Poverty rate	47.8%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	−30 points	Improved	100%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	33.4%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Within the margin of error	81%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Como, Mississippi five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Como, Mississippi in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Como, Mississippi itself moved +5.3 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,258 residents (±501)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 men (+9.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,258 residents (±501)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

White19%†240
Black71%†896
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0

Education

882 residents (±254)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

No high school diploma29%†260
High school or GED34%†301
Some college26%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

513 households (±154)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $25k56%†285
$25k–50k23%†120
$50k–75k8.6%†44
$75k–100k4.7%†24
$100k–150k3.7%†19
$150k–200k2.3%†12
$200k or more1.8%†9

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

513 households (±154)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Own37%†190
Rent63%†323

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

312 households (±144)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $75057%†178
$750–1,00014%†45
$1,000–1,50026%†80

Home values

190 homes (±64)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $150k42%†80
$150k–250k26%†50
$250k–400k26%†50

Age of homes

604 homes (±164)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

2010 or later1.8%†11
2000–20095.8%†35
1980–199933%†201

Size of homes

604 homes (±164)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Studio23%†140
1 bedroom10%†63
2 bedrooms23%†141

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

304 workers (±148)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Drive alone88%†269
Carpool4.3%†13
Public transit0.0%0
Walk3.3%†10
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.9%†12
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

292 workers (±146)

Como, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under 15 min21%†61
15–29 min32%†92
30–44 min29%†85

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Panola County, the county holding most of Como's residents.

Panola County has 579 employer establishments, 177 for every 10,000 residents (0.71× the US rate of 248; 0.86× Mississippi's), with 8,911 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,168. The Census Bureau also counts 3,219 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 579; 3,219 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 177; US 248 · Mississippi 205
Paid employees: 8,911
Average annual pay: $43,168; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Panola County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	48	14.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	697	$56,538	153
Restaurants and other eating places	40	12.2	0.67×Fewer than typical	942	$16,381	24
Gasoline stations	39	11.9	3.68×More than typical	250	$27,572	6
Religious organizations	38	11.6	2.10×More than typical	155	$16,084	—
Specialty trade contractors	24	7.3	0.47×Fewer than typical	198	$48,207	257
Limited-service restaurants	21	6.4	0.80×About typical	558	$15,842	10
Full-service restaurants	17	5.2	0.68×Fewer than typical	378	$17,169	9
Banks and credit unions	16	4.9	1.52×More than typical	170	$57,971	—
Building equipment contractors	15	4.6	0.76×Fewer than typical	166	$47,916	77
Clothing and accessories stores	14	4.3	1.18×About typical	107	$18,346	36
General merchandise stores	14	4.3	2.43×More than typical	338	$28,541	16
Health and personal care stores	14	4.3	1.62×More than typical	102	$36,108	21

Rank places for an industry Open Panola County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 32,665 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Como is mostly in Panola County.

See federal money in Panola County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Como, Mississippi is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Bennie G. ThompsonD-MS-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Panola County3100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Panola County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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