Mississippi has a cost of living index of 71 (US average = 100) with a median household income of $49,929 and a population of 1,659,119. We ranked 15 cities based on affordability, income, housing value, and climate to find the best places to call home in Mississippi.
Olive Branch is 3% more expensive than the national average with a median income of $98,421 and a population of 46,538.
Madison is 13% more expensive than the national average with a median income of $120,918 and a population of 27,775.
Brandon is 9% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $93,073 and a population of 25,352.
Southaven is 9% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $76,159 and a population of 55,531.
Ocean Springs is 8% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $78,929 and a population of 18,561.
Byram is 14% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $74,103 and a population of 12,847.
Petal is 26% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $72,845 and a population of 11,195.
Clinton is 16% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $70,913 and a population of 27,418.
Tupelo is 23% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $66,314 and a population of 37,825.
Jackson is 29% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $43,238 and a population of 149,827.
Long Beach is 15% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $71,121 and a population of 16,876.
Flowood is 2% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $83,204 and a population of 10,384.
Gautier is 23% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $62,480 and a population of 19,026.
Horn Lake is 16% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $56,847 and a population of 26,622.
D'Iberville is 17% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $65,712 and a population of 13,033.
Our livability score combines four data-driven factors: affordability (35% — cost of living index relative to national average), income (25% — median household income from the Census Bureau), housing value (15% — home price to income ratio), and climate (15% — NOAA temperature normals favoring moderate climates). Population serves as a proxy for amenities (10%).
Only cities with at least 5,000–10,000 residents are included. Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, Zillow, HUD, and NOAA.