Moving to Mississippi from Massachusetts
What to Expect
Considering a move from Massachusetts to Mississippi? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Mississippi, you would find that Mississippi is 30.1% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $52,400 in Mississippi to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jackson averages 76°F vs 59°F in Boston, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Massachusetts and Mississippi.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $52,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Mississippi
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.0% less
Groceries
pay 23.2% less
Transportation
pay 3.6% less
Housing
pay 47.2% less
Childcare
pay 51.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Mississippi cost about 27% less than cities in Massachusetts.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Mississippi compared to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Mississippi leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Massachusetts performs better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Mississippi leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Massachusetts performs better than Mississippi across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Boston | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Mississippi than Massachusetts?
On average Mississippi is about 30% less expensive than Massachusetts, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Mississippi?
Budget about $13,100 for 3 months in Mississippi (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Mississippi safe?
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Mississippi leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Mississippi compared to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts performs better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Mississippi compared to Massachusetts?
The average high temperature in Jackson is 76°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Jackson receives around 54.3 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.
