Relocating from Michigan (Jackson, Clinton, Ridgeland: apartment, crime rate, houses)

[Dani0088]

We may be making a move to Madison soon for my husband to take a job in Canton, Mississippi. We have never been there before. If anyone would be willing to let me know about these areas I would greatly appreciate it. I also have a son who will be in the 8th great this fall so if you know anything about the public schools or the Madison-Ridgeland Academy I would also appreciate knowing anything about those as well. He is a swimmer and I will need to take him into Flowood for this so also about that area as well. We are apprehensive about this move as I'm sure most people would be about such a great distance, leaving family a friends, especially our son, so any info and feedback we could have would be very helpful and appreciated. Thanks.
Dani

[beamseight]

There isn't too much in Canton, MS. There's the square, the nissan plant, and nature. However, Jackson and Madison are just South of Canton, offering the expected necessities and amusements of larger cities. If you have ever seen the movie A Time To Kill, it was filmed mostly in Canton.

[Tama]

Dani--I can't help with the schools or other stuff specifically about Canton. I have had the experience of moving to Mississippi from a northern state and leaving family, friends, and a lifestyle that couldn't be replicated here. That being said I have come to truly appreciate this state and now that we are retired we stay because it suits us fine. You will find so many differences and some will be seen as negatives that later will become positives-does that make sense? I urge you to be open and not focus on what you miss but drink in the new adventures and delight in different foods, weather, manners, and activities. If you were just on vacation you would do just that, right? It absolutely will not be that same as Michigan. But now you can have a new experience that your old buddies are missing! Don't be quick to judge and if something doesn't suit you avoid it--there will be plenty of things not to like--but under it all is a fabulously interesting unique place in America--Mississippi!

[kellyjae]

Hi Dani,

We too are relocating to MS from Michigan Grand Rapids area suburb), and my husband is also going to work for Nissan. We drove down a few weeks ago to see the area....and settled for a 3 bdrm, two bath apartment in Ridgeland, MS. About a 20 minute drive from Nissan for my husband. My husband is down there now, and my girls and I will leave sometime after school gets out, depending on what goes on with selling our house here. Any way, best of luck to you....I was told that as far as the best schools in the area, Ridgeland , Madison, and Canton.

[Dani0088]

Thanks for the info so far. After my first post yesterday I did some further reading since this was my first time at this forum and found quite a bit of info on the area. It definitely sounds like the Madison area is the place to buy and to put my son in school whether it be public or private. We should know something soon and then to go down and take a look. I still welcome anyone else's opinion's and/or information however.

[auntbee]

There are some really nice subdivisions in Flowood and at the reservoir. They are in the Northwest Rankin school district which is a good one also.

[auntbee]

You might want to check out the Mississippi Dept of Education website to compare school districts. Despite what people from Madison might tell you, their schools are no better than Northwest Rankin.

[DeLaSalle]

Just out of Curiosity; Are you white, Black or somewhere in-between?

The racial makeup of the city is 18.64% White, 80.30% African American,

Racial demographics surprize even me...

Well, What I can tell you about the State Of MS is:
The Natives are some of the most Precious Souls I have ever met...
They are genuinely very good and humble people, unless they are pushed against the wall...

Best Regards

[Smiley982]

Hi there,

I live in the great city of Madison, MS, and all I have to say about it is that you definitely choose one of the best places to move to in Mississippi. Madison is one of the safest, wealthiest towns in the state, and the crime rate here is pretty much zero. The Madison County School District is also probably one of the, if not the best in the state. Madison Central High School, the public high school for the city of Madison, ranks up on top in both academics and athletics. I'm also gonna list some positives and negatives about the city so that you will have a 360 degree perspective of the city.

Positives: VERY safe, great schools (both public and private), very family oriented, beautiful houses and neighborhoods, "upper class" (this can be a positive or a negative..), good restaurants and shops close to reach, and an overall friendly atmosphere

Negatives: the reason why i made the comment about how "upper class" can be negative also is that many who do not live in Madison often think of the people and even the city itself as being very elitist, snobby, and image-conscious. I won't say that these descriptions aren't true. It just whether or not you like this type of crowd.. Other negatives I can think of is that traffic is starting to become more and more of a problem b/c the population is rapidly growing. But rush hour is not nearly as bad as compared to the big metropolitan cities.

I hope this gives you a good overall perspective of Madison. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to message me. In my opionion, there is not another city better to live in Mississippi than Madison.

Oh and BTW, about Madison-Ridgeland Academy, honestly, Madison Central High School is seriously better than Madison-Ridgeland Academy, despite the fact that MCHS is public and MRA is private. Whatever benefits you can get from going to MRA, you can get the same, maybe even better, from MCHS. I have even heard people in MS refer to Madison Central as a "public private school". MCHS has an absolutely wonderful reputation, and it is probably the best public school in the state. MRA is good too, but compared to the top private schools in MS such as Jackson Prep, it pales in comparison.

[HarleyDude]

Dani:
Canton itself is not a very safe place to live, unless you live over in the Fairfield subdivision, or somewhere like that. Madison the City is pretty expensive, house-wise! Madison County is cheaper on taxes than Hinds County, (Jackson, Clinton, Byram, etc.) but I much prefer Rankin County, especially Flowood or Brandon. You can find some nice homes out near the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Have to warn you, it IS hot & HUMID here in the Summer, but I moved here from SE Florida in 1994, and do NOT miss Florida AT ALL! Not NEAR as hot per annum! We have 4 seasons here, maybe not as pronounced as Michigan, and winters DEFINITELY not as LONG, minus the snow you're used to! Occasionaly, we'll have light snow, or up to @ 4", and that's about it. ICE storms can & do happen, occasionally. I take it your husband is going to work at Nissan? That's a HUGE plant, if that's where he's going! Go to Welcome to Mississippi for a free travel guide. That should help. And come down & visit when ya can! Plenty of Southern Hospitality on hand! ; ) Y'all COME! : )