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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.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
Jackson earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 75 cost index sits 36 points below the national baseline, and the $43,238 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $86,017 — $381,353 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 75, while Healthcare trails at 95.
#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.
Jackson earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 75 cost index sits 36 points below the national baseline, and the $43,238 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $86,017 — $381,353 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 75, while Healthcare trails at 95.
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.
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.