From Elvis Presley’s birthplace of Tupelo to the delicious gator bites of Gulfport, Mississippi places are known for their affordable, fun-filled lifestyle.
While there’s plenty of affordable fun in the Magnolia State, finding the best possible deal on the cost of living is even more fun.
And we had fun using Saturday Night Science to look at Census data like median home price, average income, and overall cost of living. We then compare these factors across all cities in the state.
So, grab a Mississippi mud pie and find a quiet spot by the Mississippi River to give you the low down on the cheapest places in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Mississippi
What’s the most affordable place to live in Mississippi? The most affordable place to live in Mississippi is Yazoo City according to the most recent Mississippi Census data on incomes, rent, and home prices.
Ask any Mississippian, and they will say their corner of the deep South is the most affordable. But, if you care about home values and the cost of living, look at the list below of Mississippi’s cheapest places to live.
Check out some more reading about Mississippi and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi For 2026
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Population: 10,219
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $28,157
Median Home Price: $73,051
Median Rent: $767
Yazoo City is an affordable place to live in Mississippi with a median home value of $73,051 and median rent of $767.
As the county seat of Yazoo County, it boasts a rich history and culture. Named after the Yazoo River, which was named after the Yazoo tribe, this city has deep roots in Native American history. Today, residents can enjoy exploring local museums and landmarks that showcase the city’s history. Plus, with a population of 10,219, Yazoo City maintains a small-town feel while still offering all the amenities and services residents need to live comfortably.
More on Yazoo City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 6,632
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 79
Median Income: $38,507
Median Home Price: $133,497
Median Rent: $806
Columbia is a city in Marion County, Mississippi, which was formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood. Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had migrated. The population was 6,603 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.
More on Columbia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 14,231
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $36,382
Median Home Price: $42,685
Median Rent: $774
A city in the Mississippi Delta region, Clarksdale is a city with historic ties to the development of blues music in America. Blues musicians such as Ike Turner and Duke Ellington were hosted at the Riverside Hotel, a popular stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail. You’ll certainly have no reason to sing the blues if you decide to buy a home in Clarksdale, where the median home price is the first in the state at $42,685. With residents earning a median income of $36,382, Clarksdale has the best home price to income ratio in Mississippi.
More on Clarksdale: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 14,192
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $36,735
Median Home Price: $117,030
Median Rent: $806
More on Natchez: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 6,996
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $50,788
Median Home Price: $137,663
Median Rent: $791
Located about 40 miles northwest of Meridian, Philadelphia, Mississippi is a heck of a lot cheaper than it’s northern namesake. With a median rent of $791, Philadelphia is the least economical place to rent on this list. However, the city makes up for it by having the 14th cheapest homes in the state. Paying of a median mortgage of $137,663 on a median income of $50,788 is no sweat for Philadelphia residents. Since you’re already lucky enough to live in the fifth most affordable city in Mississippi, we vote you let your luck ride at Philadelphia’s Silver Star Casino. Even if you lose at the casino, you’ll be winning big on housing costs.
More on Philadelphia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 6,933
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $40,085
Median Home Price: $113,939
Median Rent: $814
Kosciusko, the sixth most affordable city in Mississippi, located in central Attala County, offers a cost-effective haven with a $113,939 median home value and a $814 median rent. The overall cost of living index is 82, 6.8% lower than the Mississippi average.
With a small 6,933 population, the city relies on outdoor activities like Niles Park or a quiet breakfast at Jason’s Southern Table for affordable fun.
More on Kosciusko: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 34,137
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $36,562
Median Home Price: $113,055
Median Rent: $910
Meridian is the sixth largest city in the state of Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. Along major highways, the city is 93mi east of Jackson, Mississippi; 154mi southwest of Birmingham, Alabama; 202mi northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; and 231mi southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.
More on Meridian: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 14,086
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $35,473
Median Home Price: $87,552
Median Rent: $678
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of the riverport of Memphis, Tennessee. It was a center of cotton planter culture in the 19th century.
More on Greenwood: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 11,650
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $36,685
Median Home Price: $160,659
Median Rent: $740
Brookhaven is a small city in Lincoln County, Mississippi, United States, 60 miles south of the state capital of Jackson. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County. It was named after the Town of Brookhaven, New York by founder Samuel Jayne in 1818.
More on Brookhaven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 10,811
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $38,337
Median Home Price: $223,699
Median Rent: $989
More on Canton: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Cheapest places to live in Mississippi FAQs
The county in Mississippi with the lowest cost of living is Holmes County. The average living wage in Holmes County is $72,424 according to MIT data. Holmes County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Mississippi as a whole. Childcare costs $4,791 a year in Holmes County for two children compared to the Mississippi average of $10,663. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,208 per year in Holmes County compared to $9,444 on average in Mississippi.
The cost of living in Mississippi is 10.3% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Mississippi is $80,523 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Mississippi household is $46,511.
The cheapest housing market in Mississippi is Clarksdale. The average home value in Clarksdale is $65,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Mississippi is $125,500, almost 1.9 times higher than Clarksdale.
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The county in Mississippi with the lowest cost of living is Holmes County. The average living wage in Holmes County is $72,424 according to MIT data. Holmes County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Mississippi as a whole. Childcare costs $4,791 a year in Holmes County for two children compared to the Mississippi average of $10,663. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,208 per year in Holmes County compared to $9,444 on average in Mississippi.
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The cost of living in Mississippi is 10.3% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Mississippi is $80,523 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Mississippi household is $46,511.
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The cheapest housing market in Mississippi is Clarksdale. The average home value in Clarksdale is $65,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Mississippi is $125,500, almost 1.9 times higher than Clarksdale.
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Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Magnolia State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Mississippi boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Mississippi using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Mississippi to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 61 places in Mississippi that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Mississippi with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Yazoo City.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Mississippi.
Mississippi Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Mississippi for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Mississippi.
The cheapest cities in Mississippi are Yazoo City, Columbia, Clarksdale, Natchez, Philadelphia, Kosciusko, Meridian, Greenwood, Brookhaven, and Canton.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Mississippi according to the data:
- Madison
- Oxford
- Olive Branch
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yazoo City | 10,219 | 79 | $28,157 | $73,051 | $767 |
| 2 | Columbia | 6,632 | 79 | $38,507 | $133,497 | $806 |
| 3 | Clarksdale | 14,231 | 82 | $36,382 | $42,685 | $774 |
| 4 | Natchez | 14,192 | 82 | $36,735 | $117,030 | $806 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 6,996 | 82 | $50,788 | $137,663 | $791 |
| 6 | Kosciusko | 6,933 | 82 | $40,085 | $113,939 | $814 |
| 7 | Meridian | 34,137 | 84 | $36,562 | $113,055 | $910 |
| 8 | Greenwood | 14,086 | 84 | $35,473 | $87,552 | $678 |
| 9 | Brookhaven | 11,650 | 84 | $36,685 | $160,659 | $740 |
| 10 | Canton | 10,811 | 84 | $38,337 | $223,699 | $989 |
| 11 | Indianola | 9,062 | 84 | $41,708 | $103,787 | $720 |
| 12 | Holly Springs | 6,704 | 84 | $45,462 | $175,426 | $773 |
| 13 | Greenville | 28,166 | 85 | $40,083 | $61,070 | $872 |
| 14 | Laurel | 17,679 | 85 | $47,661 | $147,336 | $909 |
| 15 | Moss Point | 11,957 | 85 | $44,296 | $146,443 | $1,075 |
| 16 | Picayune | 11,900 | 85 | $41,213 | $193,808 | $931 |
| 17 | West Point | 9,900 | 85 | $38,064 | $143,439 | $746 |
| 18 | New Albany | 7,663 | 85 | $51,332 | $199,590 | $973 |
| 19 | Forest | 5,357 | 85 | $49,724 | $122,992 | $900 |
| 20 | Jackson | 146,631 | 86 | $42,071 | $87,256 | $1,055 |
| 21 | Vicksburg | 20,589 | 86 | $45,781 | $145,564 | $820 |
| 22 | Amory | 6,500 | 86 | $52,901 | $157,257 | $834 |
| 23 | Louisville | 5,983 | 86 | $36,985 | $139,870 | $617 |
| 24 | Ripley | 5,377 | 86 | $55,444 | $138,468 | $735 |
| 25 | Hattiesburg | 48,619 | 87 | $46,342 | $220,234 | $1,005 |
| 26 | Pascagoula | 21,710 | 87 | $52,222 | $143,032 | $894 |
| 27 | Grenada | 12,375 | 87 | $46,303 | $133,953 | $802 |
| 28 | McComb | 12,049 | 87 | $40,707 | $89,932 | $873 |
| 29 | Pontotoc | 5,806 | 88 | $46,167 | $201,462 | $803 |
| 30 | Pearl | 27,737 | 89 | $61,695 | $205,782 | $1,175 |
| 31 | Horn Lake | 26,647 | 89 | $53,311 | $202,372 | $1,435 |
| 32 | Corinth | 14,323 | 89 | $44,226 | $181,417 | $601 |
| 33 | Booneville | 9,246 | 89 | $50,879 | $140,559 | $645 |
| 34 | Waveland | 7,062 | 89 | $68,693 | $210,333 | $927 |
| 35 | Columbus | 23,348 | 90 | $42,235 | $172,831 | $897 |
| 36 | Petal | 11,294 | 90 | $74,750 | $223,365 | $1,047 |
| 37 | Cleveland | 10,623 | 90 | $44,074 | $143,487 | $943 |
| 38 | Richland | 7,346 | 90 | $66,558 | $217,271 | $1,185 |
| 39 | Gulfport | 73,003 | 92 | $49,919 | $200,520 | $1,086 |
| 40 | Tupelo | 37,791 | 92 | $66,257 | $203,314 | $976 |
| 41 | Gautier | 19,046 | 92 | $61,926 | $190,096 | $1,040 |
| 42 | Senatobia | 8,380 | 92 | $54,167 | $236,533 | $895 |
| 43 | Batesville | 7,387 | 92 | $51,727 | $200,429 | $895 |
| 44 | Byram | 12,799 | 93 | $70,445 | $222,108 | $1,343 |
| 45 | Diamondhead | 9,338 | 93 | $87,407 | $244,373 | $1,571 |
| 46 | Biloxi | 48,861 | 94 | $57,204 | $232,658 | $1,089 |
| 47 | Clinton | 27,195 | 94 | $74,745 | $237,467 | $1,118 |
| 48 | Starkville | 25,721 | 94 | $42,125 | $279,619 | $916 |
| 49 | Southaven | 56,226 | 95 | $78,483 | $274,141 | $1,445 |
| 50 | Long Beach | 17,009 | 96 | $70,332 | $232,929 | $1,215 |
| 51 | D’Iberville | 13,203 | 96 | $66,016 | $238,690 | $1,249 |
| 52 | Ocean Springs | 18,646 | 98 | $79,712 | $270,587 | $1,358 |
| 53 | Pass Christian | 6,097 | 98 | $78,212 | $302,881 | $1,198 |
| 54 | Brandon | 25,542 | 99 | $92,783 | $284,754 | $1,382 |
| 55 | Bay St. Louis | 10,188 | 99 | $67,442 | $236,957 | $1,179 |
| 56 | Ridgeland | 24,587 | 100 | $66,038 | $282,705 | $1,336 |
| 57 | Flowood | 10,587 | 101 | $83,880 | $328,701 | $1,430 |
| 58 | Hernando | 17,949 | 102 | $76,950 | $344,671 | $1,302 |
| 59 | Olive Branch | 47,019 | 103 | $100,606 | $331,684 | $1,829 |
| 60 | Oxford | 26,411 | 107 | $64,451 | $412,781 | $1,071 |
| 61 | Madison | 27,946 | 112 | $119,338 | $410,431 | $1,853 |