Cost of Living in Mississippi
What it costs to live in Mississippi, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 2,943,045
- Median household income
- $59,127
- State income tax
- Up to 4%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 87.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in Mississippi
The typical Mississippi worker earns $40,120 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $5,692 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $40,120
- Federal income tax
- −$2,634
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,069
- State income tax
- −$873
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$11,136
- Everyday costs
- −$16,716
a year, or $474 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Mississippi.
Cost of living in Mississippi
Prices across Mississippi run 13% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing44% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities22% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% below the US average
- All items13% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $928 | $11,136 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $338 | $4,056 |
| Utilities | $204 | $2,448 |
| Total before taxes | $2,321 | $27,852 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Mississippi taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $10,000 | 4% |
Taxes on the median household income
$59,127 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$4,915 |
| Payroll taxes | −$4,523 |
| State income tax | −$1,633 |
| Effective tax rate | 18.7% |
Cities in Mississippi
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Mississippi city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Mississippi
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $143,660 | $76,592 |
| Pharmacist | $133,230 | $69,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $124,730 | $64,410 |
| Physician assistant | $105,920 | $51,988 |
| Veterinarian | $105,370 | $51,623 |
| Civil engineer | $100,170 | $48,173 |
| Physical therapist | $99,990 | $48,053 |
| Mechanical engineer | $98,000 | $46,733 |
| Software engineer | $95,330 | $44,961 |
| Occupational therapist | $94,930 | $44,696 |
| Lawyer | $91,690 | $42,546 |
| Financial analyst | $79,580 | $34,511 |
| Project manager | $78,870 | $34,040 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $78,130 | $33,549 |
| Registered nurse | $77,090 | $32,859 |
Salary pages in Mississippi, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Mississippi
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $137,220 |
| Pharmacists | $133,230 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $124,730 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $124,280 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $118,660 |
| Financial Managers | $111,390 |
| Sales Managers | $108,750 |
| General and Operations Managers | $106,680 |
| Electrical Engineers | $104,990 |
| Civil Engineers | $100,170 |
| Physical Therapists | $99,990 |
| Construction Managers | $99,520 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $98,160 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $98,000 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $96,030 |
Living in Mississippi
Mississippi against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $186,500 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $990 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 17.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.4 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 6.2% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Mississippi with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Mississippi?
Prices in Mississippi are 13% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $928 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,393 a month.
Does Mississippi have a state income tax?
Yes. Mississippi's income tax rate is up to 4%. On a typical wage of $40,120, a single filer pays about $873 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Mississippi?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $32,700 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Mississippi earns $40,120 and keeps $5,692 after those costs.
Where in Mississippi does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Mississippi cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Gulfport ($7,883 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Jackson ($6,081).
What jobs pay the most in Mississippi?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Mississippi goes to Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary ($137,220); Pharmacists ($133,230); Nurse Practitioners ($124,730) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate