State relocation profile · Federal data
Mississippi
Mississippi sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 87.0
- Cost index (US=100)
- $924
- 2BR rent / mo
- $57,873
- Median salary
- 64.7
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Mississippi ranks #2 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (64.7/100, C), with its strongest marks in rent and cost of living.
- #2 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 64.7
- Life Score · C
- 87.0
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $57,873
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: wages (0/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Mississippi ranks #2 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 87.0 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $924/mo, median salary $57,873; Life Score 64.7/100 (C), strongest in rent and cost of living.
Signature: BEA RPP 87.0 ranks #2 of 51 states for lower prices (cheaper third of the corpus).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 87.0 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $924/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $57,873.
Composite Life Score 64.7/100 (C) puts Mississippi in the top third (#2 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (3 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet MS · Mississippi 64.7/100 · C · #2 of 51
LIFE-C · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-RENT · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-C Life Score C
- RANK-TOP #2/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.4 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 87.0
- LEAD-RENT Lead · rent
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: West Virginia (+ 0.4 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Mississippi
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Mississippi on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Mississippi childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Mississippi (infant $6,498/yr leads the book).
Mississippi Life Score breakdown
Mississippi composites to 64.7/100 (C) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #2 of 51.
Mississippi - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Rent
Rent
100 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
98 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
98 /100
- Safety
Safety
86 /100
- Environment
Environment
50 /100
- Schools 24
Schools
24 /100
- Wages 0
Wages
0 /100
What this shows Mississippi's strongest dimensions are rent and cost of living; its weakest among scored dims is wages at 0/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Mississippi on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Mississippi on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Mississippi
Explore detailed relocation data for 3 metropolitan areas in Mississippi. Mississippi contains 3 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Gulfport-Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Gulfport-Biloxi metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Mississippi cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Mississippi wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.