Moving to Mississippi from Montana

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Montana to Mississippi — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Montana to Mississippi, you would find that Mississippi is 17.5% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $61,409 in Mississippi to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jackson averages 76°F vs 58°F in Helena, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Montana to Mississippi.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $61,409

To maintain the same standard of living in Mississippi

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 21.2% less

Groceries

pay 11.5% less

Transportation

pay 2.5% less

Housing

pay 20.5% less

Childcare

pay 30.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 17.8% less

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Montana to Mississippi.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
MS
202
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
MS
1579

Mississippi performs significantly better than Montana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

MT
8.0%
MS
11.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
MS
41.9%

Montana performs 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

MT
$338,100
MS
$161,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
MS
$923

Mississippi performs significantly better than Montana across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

MT
88.7%
MS
82.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
MS
26 min

Montana performs 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

MT
3.7%
MS
3.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
MS
$41,778

Montana 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

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MT
23%
MS
16%

Montana 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.

Helena Rain: 11.2 in/yr (285 mm)
58° / 33°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Jackson
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 62°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 83°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 90°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 67°/46°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Helena Jackson
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Mississippi than Montana?

Yes — Mississippi is on average about 18% cheaper than Montana. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Mississippi?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,352 in Mississippi on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Mississippi safe?

Mississippi performs significantly better than Montana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Mississippi compared to Montana?

Montana performs better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Jackson is 76°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Jackson receives around 54.3 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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