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State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Mississippi

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Mississippi from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 3 metro areas.

87.0
Statewide RPP
#50
of 51 states by cost
56.5
Rents RPP
3
Metro areas

The verdict

Mississippi costs less than 98% of U.S. states — a statewide index of 87.0, 13.0% below the national average.

87.0
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#50
of 51 states by overall cost
bottom 2%
nationally, among all states
56.5
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $115,005 when earned in Mississippi.

Reading the Mississippi Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Mississippi's statewide Regional Price Parity at 87.0 for the 2024 data year, 13.0% less expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's categories sit near average, while rents offer the biggest relief at 56.5. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Mississippi captures 3 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS leads on cost at 90.0, while Hattiesburg, MS sits at the opposite end at 87.6 — a gap of 2.4 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 96.2, for services 78.4, and for rents 56.5 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Mississippi's statewide index has held steady within 1.1 points, suggesting a stable competitive position against other states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $115,005 of national buying power when earned inside Mississippi, and a household relocating here would need roughly $86,953 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

87.0
Overall
96.2
Goods
78.4
Services
56.5
Rents

Mississippi vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

87 Top 98% higher than 2% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). This entry sits in this band. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Above this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Most Expensive in Mississippi → Cheapest in Mississippi →

Metro areas in Mississippi, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Gulfport-Biloxi 90.0 96.2 76.3 67.9
2 Jackson 89.0 96.2 78.1 64.8
3 Hattiesburg 87.6 96.2 76.9 60.1

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 88.1
2009 85.6
2010 88.3
2011 88.9
2012 88.6
2013 88.9
2014 89.0
2015 88.3
2016 88.5
2017 87.7
2018 86.2
2019 86.5
2020 85.6
2021 86.2
2022 87.3
2023 86.8
2024 87.0

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Mississippi? ▼
Mississippi has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 87.0, meaning it is 13.0% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.2, services at 78.4, and rents at 56.5.
What salary in Mississippi equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $86,953 in Mississippi. Conversely, $100K earned in Mississippi has the purchasing power of $115,005 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Mississippi? ▼
Rents in Mississippi are indexed at 56.5, which is 43.5% below the national average. The state is relatively affordable for renters.
Which is the most expensive metro in Mississippi? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Mississippi is Gulfport-Biloxi, MS with an RPP of 90.0. The most affordable is Hattiesburg, MS at 87.6. There are 3 metro areas in Mississippi with BEA price data.
Is Mississippi getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Mississippi's overall cost index changed by -1.1 points (from 88.1 to 87.0). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.