Moving to Alabama from Mississippi

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Mississippi to Alabama? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Mississippi to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 6.0% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $75,626 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and Alabama.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $75,626

To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 10.3% more

Groceries

pay 9.4% more

Transportation

pay 5.0% more

Housing

pay 2.1% less

Childcare

pay 14.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Alabama compared to Mississippi.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
202
AL
397
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
1579
AL
1671

Mississippi performs better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MS
11.3%
AL
9.0%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MS
41.9%
AL
39.6%

Alabama performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MS
$161,400
AL
$195,100
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MS
$923
AL
$963

Mississippi generally does better on what about housing?, though Alabama leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MS
82.0%
AL
85.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MS
26 min
AL
25 min

Alabama performs significantly better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MS
3.1%
AL
2.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MS
$41,778
AL
$49,225

Alabama performs significantly better than Mississippi across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MS
71.9 yrs
AL
73.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MS
16%
AL
18%

Alabama performs significantly 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.

JacksonRain: 54.3 in/yr (1380 mm)
76°/55°F

Avg. annual high / low

MontgomeryRain: 53.1 in/yr (1348 mm)
76°/54°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsJacksonMontgomery
Jan–Mar62°/41°F (17°/5°C)63°/40°F (17°/4°C)
Apr–Jun83°/62°F (28°/17°C)84°/60°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep90°/70°F (32°/21°C)90°/69°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec67°/46°F (20°/8°C)69°/45°F (21°/7°C)
View all months
MonthJacksonMontgomery
Jan56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C)57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)
Feb61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)
Mar68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C)70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)
Apr76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C)77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)
May83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C)84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)
Jun89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)
Jul92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C)92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C)92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)
Sep87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C)87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)
Oct77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C)78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)
Nov67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)
Dec58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Alabama than Mississippi?

Alabama and Mississippi are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to Alabama?

Budget about $18,906 for 3 months in Alabama (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Alabama safe?

Mississippi performs better than Alabama across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Mississippi?

Alabama performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Alabama compared to Mississippi?

The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.

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