Rankin Co School Dist, MS

Original Research by School Decision on Rankin Co School Dist

Rankin County School District is a large, full-spectrum district serving prekindergarten through twelfth grade across the communities east of Jackson. Its enrollment is among the largest for a Mississippi district, spread across nearly thirty schools in towns including Brandon, Florence, Flowood, Richland, Pearl, Pelahatchie, Puckett, Pisgah, and McLaurin. The district's footprint captures a range of settings, from suburban growth corridors near the capital to smaller rural communities farther out, and that variety is part of what defines the experience here.

The student body is majority white, with a substantial Black population and smaller Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial groups. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch figures, English learner counts, or special education rates in the data available, so it is hard to gauge economic need or special-population sizing from what we have. A parent wanting that context would need to ask the district directly.

On Mississippi's state assessments, the results are a clear strength in the elementary grades. Math proficiency across grades three through six sits well above a majority of students reaching proficient or higher, with fourth and sixth grade particularly strong. English language arts in the elementary band is solid as well, with third, fourth, and fifth grade all showing most students proficient. Fifth-grade science stands out as one of the district's best results, with roughly four in five students proficient.

The middle grades tell a more mixed story. Math proficiency in seventh grade holds up reasonably well, but eighth-grade math dips to below six in ten students proficient. ELA softens more visibly in the middle grades, with seventh grade falling below half of students proficient and eighth grade only modestly above that. This is a pattern a parent of a middle schooler may want to look into further with the school, to understand what is driving the drop and what supports are in place as students move toward high school.

The district includes four main high schools, Brandon, Florence, Northwest Rankin, and Pisgah, along with Richland High School, plus several attendance centers that combine grade levels in smaller communities. A Rankin County Learning Center also operates as part of the district. Graduation rate data was not available in what we received, and the state did not report high school level assessment results in this dataset, so we cannot characterize high school outcomes from the data on hand. The district does not report program offerings such as AP, dual credit, or career pathways in the available data, so families would need to inquire directly about advanced coursework and electives.

Housing across the district is moderate by national standards but above the statewide benchmark for Mississippi. Home values vary considerably from one community to another, with Flowood and parts of Brandon at the higher end and areas near Morton and Pearl more affordable. Rents show a similar spread. The weighted district home value sits below the national figure but above the state figure, and values have been rising modestly year over year. Rents have increased at a faster clip. For a family weighing a move, the district offers communities at several price points, though the more sought-after areas near Flowood and Brandon carry higher costs.

We looked for information on recent bond issues or strategic priorities for the district but found little in the available research, so we left that out rather than guess. What the data does show is a district with strong elementary academics, a middle-grade slide worth attention, a broad geographic reach, and housing that runs from modest to relatively expensive depending on the town. For a family comfortable with a large district and interested in communities ringing the capital, Rankin County presents a solid elementary foundation with questions to ask about the upper grades.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

18,485

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

Black 26%

White 62%

Asian 2%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

28 schools are officially reported under this district.

FLOWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RANKIN COUNTY LEARNING CENTER

BRANDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BRANDON MIDDLE SCHOOL

FLORENCE MIDDLE SCHOOL

MCLAURIN ATTENDANCE CENTER

PELAHATCHIE ATTENDANCE CENTER

PISGAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PUCKETT ATTENDANCE CENTER

RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL

MCLAURIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ROUSE ELEMENTARY

NORTHWEST RANKIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL

FLORENCE HIGH SCHOOL

NORTHWEST RANKIN HIGH SCHOOL

NORTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PELAHATCHIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PISGAH HIGH SCHOOL

RICHLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FLORENCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RICHLAND UPPER ELEMENTARY

NORTHSHORE ELEMENTARY

OAKDALE ELEMENTARY

STEEN'S CREEK ELEMENTARY

HIGHLAND BLUFF ELEMENTARY

STONEBRIDGE ELEMENTARY

PUCKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

67%

Grade 3

74%

Grade 4

66%

Grade 5

73%

Grade 6

71%

Grade 7

59%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

67%

Grade 3

66%

Grade 4

70%

Grade 5

60%

Grade 6

49%

Grade 7

55%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

80%

Grade 5

66%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$251,361

Year-over-year change+2.6%

Range across 11 ZIP codes$129K to $344K

vs. state typical1.29x

vs. national typical0.68x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (11 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
39042	Brandon	$287K	+2.0%	28.1%
39145	Brandon	$229K	+3.9%	16.9%
39073	Florence	$251K	+3.6%	16.8%
39047	Brandon	$295K	+1.6%	12.9%
39044		$181K	+2.5%	7.6%
39094	Lena	$174K	+4.4%	4.3%
39232	Flowood	$344K	+0.9%	3.4%
39208	Pearl	$217K	+3.3%	3.0%
39114		$156K	-2.3%	3.0%
39218	Richland	$223K	+4.0%	2.4%
39117	Morton	$129K	+3.5%	1.3%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,743/mo

Year-over-year change+5.7%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,469 to $1,898/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
39042	Brandon	$1,727	+6.8%	28.1%
39047	Brandon	$1,898	+4.2%	12.9%
39232	Flowood	$1,528	+3.9%	3.4%
39208	Pearl	$1,469	+3.5%	3.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,268/mo

Home price / national median income3.0x

Annual rent / national median income25.0%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$474/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$194,242 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.