Living in Jackson, MS
Small city in Mississippi
Jackson is a small city in Mississippi, home to about 150,000 people, with 352,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Jackson a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $86k and rents for $1,540 a month
- Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Smaller job market: about 352,000 people live within 31 mi
- Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Jackson ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Jackson: common questions
What is the cost of living in Jackson?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $86k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,540 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Jackson?
Mississippi collects about $803 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.24% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Jackson safe?
Jackson isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Jackson?
Jackson has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 92°F.
Does Jackson get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and hail: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.83 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Jackson?
The nearest major airport is MSY, about 160 mi away.
How Jackson scores
Each bar compares Jackson with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
See all the best places to live in Mississippi.
Is Jackson right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.