Could you afford to live in the biggest MS boom town? See where it is & cost
A Mississippi town and suburb of Memphis, Tenn. known for its family-friendly lifestyle is the biggest boom town in the Magnolia State, a recent study found.
GoBankingRates, a personal finance company, identified the cities experiencing the most population growth and positive economic activity in each state.
Olive Branch — a town of more than 46,000 residents — stood out as the most promising place for people looking to make a financially beneficial move in Mississippi, according to the study.
Here’s why Olive Branch is considered a boomtown and how much it costs to live there.
What is a boom town?
A boom town is a town or city experiencing sudden and extreme economic and population growth and development.
One of the most famous boom towns in history is San Francisco, which transformed into a metropolis with people moving there during the California Gold Rush.
Why is Olive Branch the biggest boom town in MS?
Similar to San Francisco though on a smaller scale, Olive Branch has been experiencing high levels of economic growth, according to data analyzed by GoBankingRates.
Here’s how the town has changed over the past eight years, according to the analysis:
- Population change: 32.9% growth
- Income per capita change: 46.66% increase
Olive Branch is home to several distribution centers, including Sephora, Nike and Walmart.
In 2024, the town was named one of the 50 best places for families to live in the U.S. by Fortune magazine, which highlighted its affordable lifestyle, school system, parks and local business community.
How much does it cost to live in Olive Branch?
The household median income in Olive Branch is about $10,000 more than the national average of $83,730, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, while the cost of living is lower than the national average.
Here’s an analysis of living expenses in the town, according to GoBankingRates:
- Cost-of-living index: 91.7
- Monthly cost of living: $3,768
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,849
- Household median income: $93,762
What is the biggest boom town in the US?
The biggest boom town in the country is Fulshear, Texas, according to the GoBankingRates study. The town has grown by 736% in total population over the past eight years, the analysis found.
How did personal finance website come up with study?
GoBankingRates analyzed data collected on Nov. 11, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for cities with a total population between 25,000 and 500,000, according to the study.
Then, analysts calculated the changes in total population and per capita income for the past eight years to see which city in each state had the largest increase, according to the company.
