Is Hattiesburg cheaper than Jackson?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Hattiesburg and Jackson metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Hattiesburg or Jackson?

Household incomes are similar — $61,871 in the Hattiesburg metro versus $62,566 in Jackson (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in Hattiesburg or Jackson?

A paycheck stretches further in Jackson. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $73,158 there versus $70,602 in Hattiesburg.

Which has cheaper rent, Hattiesburg or Jackson?

Rents are close — $1,096/mo in the Hattiesburg metro versus $1,102/mo in Jackson (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Hattiesburg vs Jackson

Metro-area medians — Hattiesburg, MS Metro Area vs Jackson, TN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Jackson comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 7 clearly-decided measures.

Hattiesburg and Jackson are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. 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 5.5%.

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.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Hattiesburg, MS

$58,555

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$66,818

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 $4,875/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

Hattiesburg

Jackson

Livability (CityLedger)

37/100

42/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

87.6

85.5

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$70,602

$73,158

Median household income

$61,871

$62,566

Median rent

$1,096/mo

$1,102/mo

Median home value

$216,100

$209,300

Unemployment

5.5%

3.5%

Bachelor's degree or higher

32.9%

27.8%

Average commute

22.4 min

23.6 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

67°F

60°F

Choose Hattiesburg for

+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Average commute

Full Hattiesburg profile →

Choose Jackson for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Jackson profile →

More comparisons

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

Hattiesburg vs Greenville→Hattiesburg vs Las Cruces→Hattiesburg vs Valdosta→Jackson vs Florence→Jackson vs Monroe→Jackson vs Lake Charles→

Hattiesburg vs Jackson — frequently asked

Is Hattiesburg cheaper than Jackson?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Hattiesburg and Jackson metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Hattiesburg or Jackson?: Household incomes are similar — $61,871 in the Hattiesburg metro versus $62,566 in Jackson (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Hattiesburg or Jackson?: A paycheck stretches further in Jackson. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $73,158 there versus $70,602 in Hattiesburg.
Which has cheaper rent, Hattiesburg or Jackson?: Rents are close — $1,096/mo in the Hattiesburg metro versus $1,102/mo in Jackson (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).