Moving to Mississippi from New York

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from New York to Mississippi, you would find that Mississippi is 24.4% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $55,677 in Mississippi to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jackson averages 76°F vs 58°F in Albany, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from New York to Mississippi.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $55,677

To maintain the same standard of living in Mississippi

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 19.8% less

Groceries

pay 22.0% less

Transportation

pay 24.1% less

Housing

pay 21.5% less

Childcare

pay 44.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 31.0% 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 New York to Mississippi.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
381
MS
202
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NY
1760
MS
1579

Mississippi performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NY
5.0%
MS
11.3%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NY
29.9%
MS
41.9%

New York 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

NY
$403,000
MS
$161,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NY
$1,576
MS
$923

Mississippi performs significantly better than New York 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

NY
89.7%
MS
82.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NY
33 min
MS
26 min

New York generally does better on infrastructure, though Mississippi leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NY
4.4%
MS
3.1%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NY
$91,992
MS
$41,778

New York 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

NY
77.7 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

NY
28%
MS
16%

New York 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.

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Albany Jackson
Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 62°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 83°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 90°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 67°/46°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Albany Jackson
Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C)
Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C)
Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C)
May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C)
Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C)
Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C)
Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C)
Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C)
Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 New York?

Yes — Mississippi is on average about 26% cheaper than New York. 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 $13,919 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 New York across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Mississippi compared to New York?

New York performs better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Mississippi compared to New York?

The average high temperature in Jackson is 76°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Jackson receives around 54.3 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in.

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