Moving to Mississippi from Michigan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Michigan to Mississippi? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Michigan to Mississippi, you would find that Mississippi is 6.6% cheaper than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $69,095 in Mississippi to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jackson averages 76°F vs 58°F in Lansing, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and Mississippi.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,095
To maintain the same standard of living in Mississippi
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.8% less
Groceries
pay 3.2% less
Transportation
pay 7.9% less
Housing
pay 4.8% less
Childcare
pay 16.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.9% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Mississippi compared to Michigan.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Michigan 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
Michigan 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Michigan leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Michigan performs better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Michigan 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
Michigan performs better than Mississippi across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lansing | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lansing | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| Mar | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) |
| Apr | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) |
| Sep | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) |
| Oct | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) |
| Nov | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Mississippi than Michigan?
On average Mississippi is about 8% less expensive than Michigan, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Mississippi?
Budget about $17,274 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?
Michigan generally does better on safety, though Mississippi leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Mississippi compared to Michigan?
Michigan performs better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Mississippi compared to Michigan?
The average high temperature in Jackson is 76°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Jackson receives around 54.3 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.
