Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mississippi instead of Louisiana, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years less
In Louisiana, the average life expectancy is 73 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2020. In Mississippi, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 20.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Louisiana, 3.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mississippi, that number is 3.1% as of 2025.
make 24.9% less money
Louisiana has a GDP per capita of $55,662 as of 2024, while in Mississippi, the GDP per capita is $41,778 as of 2024.
Safety
be 62.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 543 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 202 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 39.4% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Louisiana has a property crime rate of 2,605 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 1,579 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 22.7% less for a home
The median home value in Louisiana is $208,700 as of 2023, compared to $161,400 in Mississippi as of 2023.
pay 11.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Louisiana is $1,038 as of 2023, while in Mississippi, it is $923 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live in an area that is 40.5% less densely populated
Louisiana has a population density of 40.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 24.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 43.0% more likely to be uninsured
In Louisiana, 7.9% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 11.3% as of 2023.
be 10.1% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Louisiana, 17.9% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 16.1% as of 2023.
be 50.0% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Louisiana, 2.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Mississippi, that number is 1.4% as of 2023.
be 10.1% more likely to be food insecure
In Louisiana, 14.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Mississippi, that number is 16.3% as of 2021.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2020–2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
