Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of Mississippi, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years longer
In Mississippi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 25.8% less likely to be obese
In Mississippi, 41.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.
be 36.0% less likely to have diabetes
In Mississippi, 13.6% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 8.7% as of 2022.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Mississippi has a GDP per capita of $41,778 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
be 48.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mississippi, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Washington, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
be 71.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Mississippi, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Basic Needs
be 13.5% more likely to have internet access
In Mississippi, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Washington, about 93.1% do as of 2023.
Safety
be 72.8% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Mississippi has a violent crime rate of 202 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 78.5% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Mississippi has a property crime rate of 1,579 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 2,819 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 72.9% more money
The median household income in Mississippi is $54,915 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $94,952 as of 2023.
pay 3.2 times more for a home
The median home value in Mississippi is $161,400 as of 2023, compared to $519,800 in Washington as of 2023.
pay 82.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Mississippi is $923 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $1,682 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 46.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Mississippi, 11.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
be 42.0% less likely to smoke
In Mississippi, 18.8% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 10.9% as of 2022.
be 45.7% less likely to be physically inactive
In Mississippi, 31.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 17.2% as of 2022.
be 62.7% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Mississippi, 16.1% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 26.2% as of 2023.
be 5.4 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Mississippi, 1.4% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
be 47.2% less likely to be food insecure
In Mississippi, 16.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Washington, that number is 8.6% as of 2021.
commute 1.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Mississippi takes 25.6 minutes as of 2023. In Washington, it takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 88.4% more densely populated
Mississippi has a population density of 24.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
