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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Mississippi beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Jackson stands out at 84 on the index, with rent of $1,283/month and household income of $43,238. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
#1 Ranked: Jackson — cost index 84, rent $1,283/mo, income $43,238
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Jackson | 5% | 7.07% | 0.63% | $30,372 |
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Mississippi beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Jackson stands out at 84 on the index, with rent of $1,283/month and household income of $43,238. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
On a $40K salary, the key number is $1,000/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Jackson ($1,283/mo, 38%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $30,372 to $30,372/year across these top picks.
Here's Jackson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,283/month. Income: $43,238/year. Home price: $86,017. Population: 143,709. The strongest category is Housing at 61; the most expensive is Healthcare at 87. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,344 per year vs. the national median. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have.
Look, If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In Jackson, the healthcare index sits at 87 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
143,709 residents · Mississippi
What does daily life actually cost in Jackson? Start with the 36% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 61) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 87) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $43,238 and homes at $86,017 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
We calculate what percentage of a $40K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Jackson ranks #1 in Mississippi for this analysis with a cost index of 84 and median income of $43,238.
Yes. On a $40K salary in Jackson, rent would consume about 38% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Jackson is $1,283/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $612 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5% state income tax, estimated take-home on $40K in Jackson is approximately $30,372/year ($2,531/month). After median rent of $1,283/month, you'd have roughly $14,976/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Jackson is $86,017, which is 2.0× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Mississippi has a 5% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.07%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.63%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.