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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 84 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.
#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
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 84 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.
Why Jackson ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 84 on the cost index, residents save roughly 28% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,283/month while the median household pulls in $43,238/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 61, though Healthcare (87) lags behind. Home prices average $86,017 — $381,353 below the national median. If you've been scrolling through listings in high-cost metros and feeling defeated, look at these numbers again. Seriously. The difference between renting here and renting in a major coastal city could literally fund a retirement account. That's not hyperbole — run the math yourself. A thousand dollars a month saved, compounded over a decade, is a down payment on a house. In this city, that math actually works.
Rent data is sourced from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which tracks the median rent across all active listings — not just new leases. This gives a more representative and stable signal than asking prices alone. Jackson: $1,283/mo. The cheapest city here is $612 under the national median — that's $7,344/year in savings on rent alone.
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. It's fine. Not great, not bad. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
Why Jackson ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 84 on the cost index, residents save roughly 28% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,283/month while the median household pulls in $43,238/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 61, though Healthcare (87) lags behind. Home prices average $86,017 — $381,353 below the national median.
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.