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Alexandria vs Jackson

Metro-area medians — Alexandria, LA Metro Area vs Jackson, TN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Jackson comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

Alexandria and Jackson cost about the same to live in, but Jackson households earn about 12% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Jackson.

Their widest everyday difference: Jackson has the tighter job market — 3.5% unemployment versus 4.5%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Alexandria, LA
$59,439
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$69,368
real value after local prices
Jackson, TN
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$71,693
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Jackson leaves you about $2,325/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Alexandria
Jackson
Livability (CityLedger)
31/100
42/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
85.7
85.5
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$65,249
$73,158
Median household income
$55,909
$62,566
Median rent
$899/mo
$1,102/mo
Median home value
$165,800
$209,300
Unemployment
4.5%
3.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
24.1%
27.8%
Average commute
22.3 min
23.6 min
Air quality (median AQI)
39
33
Avg temperature
67°F
60°F

Choose Alexandria for

  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Average commute
Full Alexandria profile →

Choose Jackson for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Jackson profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Alexandria and Jackson on cost, income, size, and education.

Alexandria vs Florence→Alexandria vs Terre Haute→Alexandria vs Monroe→Jackson vs Florence→Jackson vs Monroe→Jackson vs Lake Charles→

Alexandria vs Jackson — frequently asked

Is Alexandria cheaper than Jackson?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Alexandria and Jackson metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Alexandria or Jackson?
Jackson has the higher median household income — $62,566 versus $55,909 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 12% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Alexandria or Jackson?
A paycheck stretches further in Jackson. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $73,158 there versus $65,249 in Alexandria.
Which has cheaper rent, Alexandria or Jackson?
Alexandria has cheaper rent — a median of $899/mo versus $1,102/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).