Bay St. Louis, MS vs Starkville, MS

Starkville is moderately more affordable than Bay St. Louis, with a 6% lower cost of living index. Bay St. Louis scores 85 compared to 80 for Starkville, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Bay St. Louis can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Bay St. Louis is $1,138/month compared to $875/month in Starkville — a 30% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Starkville has cheaper rent, Bay St. Louis actually has lower median home values ($231,900 vs $265,900).

Median household income in Bay St. Louis is $70,082 compared to $39,751 in Starkville (+76.3%). While Bay St. Louis is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Bay St. Louis spend roughly 19.5% of their income on rent, less than the 26.4% in Starkville.

Climate-wise, Bay St. Louis is notably warmer with an average of 68.3°F compared to 63.6°F in Starkville. Bay St. Louis receives more rainfall at 62.8" per year compared to 57.7" in Starkville.