Moving to Idaho from Mississippi

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mississippi to Idaho — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Mississippi to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 15.5% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $85,060 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boise averages 64°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Mississippi to Idaho.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $85,060

To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 18.4% more

Groceries

pay 6.0% more

Transportation

pay 9.7% more

Housing

pay 8.6% more

Childcare

pay 33.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 29.9% 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

How Mississippi and Idaho stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
202
ID
226
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
1579
ID
784

Mississippi generally does better on safety, though Idaho leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MS
11.3%
ID
8.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MS
41.9%
ID
33.5%

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

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MS
$161,400
ID
$376,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MS
$923
ID
$1,150

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MS
82.0%
ID
91.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MS
26 min
ID
22 min

Idaho performs significantly better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MS
3.1%
ID
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MS
$41,778
ID
$49,054

Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MS
71.9 yrs
ID
78.4 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MS
16%
ID
19%

Idaho 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Boise Rain: 11.7 in/yr (298 mm)
64° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jackson Boise
Jan–Mar 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) 72°/47°F (22°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) 87°/57°F (30°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) 50°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Jackson Boise
Jan 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C)
Feb 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C)
Mar 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C)
Apr 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C)
May 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C)
Jun 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C)
Jul 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C)
Aug 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C)
Sep 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C)
Oct 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C)
Nov 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C)
Dec 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than Mississippi?

Day-to-day costs in Idaho run about 13% higher than Mississippi on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Idaho?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $21,265 in Idaho for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Idaho safe?

Mississippi generally does better on safety, though Idaho leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Idaho compared to Mississippi?

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

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

The average high temperature in Boise is 64°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Boise receives around 11.7 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.

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