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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The other side of the coin: Across Mississippi, the average cost of living index is 84 — 28 points below the national median. Known for the most affordable state in America by most measures, the state offers 1 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,283/month. That's $612 less than the nationa…
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 — for better or worse — and homes at $86,017 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
#1 Ranked: Jackson — cost index 84, rent $1,283/mo, income $43,238
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The other side of the coin: Across Mississippi, the average cost of living index is 84 — 28 points below the national median. Known for the most affordable state in America by most measures, the state offers 1 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,283/month. That's $612 less than the national average of $1,895. If two cities have the same income, this cost gap is the tiebreaker.
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.
Straight up: Dive into Jackson's numbers: cost index 84 (28 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 61, while Healthcare runs 87. With 143,709 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Jackson (index 84, rent $1,283). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Bottom line: Jackson leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. You get the picture. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in ascending order. This index weights housing (Zillow ZORI rent data) most heavily, with food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare sub-indices providing a composite picture. A score of 80 means overall costs are 20% below the national median. 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.
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.