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CityLedger

Augusta vs Jackson

Metro-area medians — Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area vs Jackson, MS Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Jackson comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Jackson is about 3% cheaper to live in, while Augusta households earn about 11% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Augusta.

Their widest everyday difference: Jackson has the tighter job market — 4.8% unemployment versus 6%.

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.

Augusta, GA
$58,044
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$63,158
real value after local prices
Jackson, MS
$58,555
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$65,756
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Jackson leaves you about $2,599/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
Augusta
Jackson
Livability (CityLedger)
40/100
39/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
91.9
89.0
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$78,535
$72,809
Median household income
$72,176
$64,835
Median rent
$1,243/mo
$1,100/mo
Median home value
$262,100
$210,000
Unemployment
6%
4.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
29.8%
32.5%
Average commute
25.2 min
24.9 min
Air quality (median AQI)
52
48
Avg temperature
67°F
66°F

Choose Augusta for

  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
Full Augusta profile →

Choose Jackson for

  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Jackson profile →

More comparisons

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

Augusta vs Chattanooga→Augusta vs Greensboro→Augusta vs Knoxville→Jackson vs Montgomery→Jackson vs Little Rock→Jackson vs Winston-Salem→

Augusta vs Jackson — frequently asked

Is Augusta cheaper than Jackson?
Jackson is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 3% below Augusta's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Augusta or Jackson?
Augusta has the higher median household income — $72,176 versus $64,835 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 11% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Augusta or Jackson?
A paycheck stretches further in Augusta. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $78,535 there versus $72,809 in Jackson.
Which has cheaper rent, Augusta or Jackson?
Jackson has cheaper rent — a median of $1,100/mo versus $1,243/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).