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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. And broadly, 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. Solidly above average.
#1 Ranked: Jackson — cost index 75, rent $1,283/mo, income $43,238
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Jackson | 5% | 7.07% | 0.63% | $30,372 |
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Mississippi beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. And broadly, 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. Solidly above average.
On a $40K salary, the key number is $1,000/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Jackson ($1,283/mo, 38%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $30,372 to $30,372/year across these top picks.
Why Jackson ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 75 on the cost index, residents save roughly 36% 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 75, though Healthcare (95) lags behind. Home prices average $86,017 — $381,353 below the national median.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In Jackson, the healthcare index sits at 95 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
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.
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. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
We model what a $40K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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.
Yes. On a $40K salary in Jackson, rent would consume about 38% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5% state income tax, estimated take-home on $40K in Jackson is approximately $30,372/year ($2,531/month). After median rent of $1,283/month, you'd have roughly $14,976/year for all other expenses.
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.