City comparison
Austin, TX vs Jackson, MS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 10.1% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $110,100 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Jackson, MS ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Jackson, MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 89.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,804 in Jackson | $110,127 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,097/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,912 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,268 (MS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $42,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Jackson, MS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 64.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 78.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 89.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
100 Strong offer
Jackson, MS → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Jackson, MS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Jackson, MS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Jackson, MS | Real change, Austin → Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Jackson, MS | Jackson pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $50,240 | $55,328 (−9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $96,990 | $106,812 (−20.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $70,720 | $77,882 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $82,630 | $90,998 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.