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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Mississippi is a genuine bargain: 1 of the 1 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Jackson leads at an index of 75 with rent at just $1,283/month — 32% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
The numbers for Jackson are straightforward: 75 on the cost index, $1,283/month rent, $43,238 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's more or less in line with the region.
#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
Mississippi is a genuine bargain: 1 of the 1 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Jackson leads at an index of 75 with rent at just $1,283/month — 32% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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.
The utilities sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 92 (the top-10 average here) means utilities costs are about 8% below the national median. Jackson leads at 92. Note: a low utilities index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages.
Cities are ranked by their utilities cost sub-index within Mississippi. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Jackson, MS has the lowest utilities index at 92, compared to the national average of 100.
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.