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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 111. Jackson stands out at 75 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 75, rent $1,283/mo, income $43,238
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Mississippi beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Jackson stands out at 75 on the index, with rent of $1,283/month and household income of $43,238. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
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 75) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $43,238 — and that's before you even look at taxes — and homes at $86,017 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
And here's the trade-off: Mississippi — the most affordable state in America by most measures. The 1 cities we track here average a cost index of 75 and median income of $43,238. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,283/month, which is $612 less than the national median.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers. That's not nothing.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
Dive into Jackson's numbers: cost index 75 (36 points below national average), rent $1,283/month, income $43,238, and a home price of $86,017. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 75, while Healthcare runs 95. With 143,709 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
We rank cities by their home-price-to-income ratio (median home price ÷ median household income). A lower ratio means homes are more attainable relative to local earnings. The standard benchmark is 3-5×; above 5× is considered stretched. 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 75 and median income of $43,238.
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.
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.