City comparison
Beaumont, TX vs Jackson, MS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Beaumont, TX are 1.1% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $101,100 in Beaumont, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS versus $898 in Beaumont, TX. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Jackson, MS and 14% in Beaumont, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Beaumont, TX.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Beaumont, TX to Jackson, MS changes real buying power by +1.1%, purely from prices.
- Beaumont, TX: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Beaumont, TX | Jackson, MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 89.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,892 in Jackson | $101,121 in Beaumont |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/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 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,630 | $42,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA and Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX and Jackson, MS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Beaumont | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.9 | 64.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.1 | 78.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 89.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Beaumont, TX → Jackson, MS
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
72 Strong offer
Jackson, MS → Beaumont, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
65 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Beaumont, TX to Jackson, MS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Beaumont, TX | Jackson, MS | Real change, Beaumont → Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Beaumont, TX | Jackson, MS | Jackson pay in Beaumont dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,140 | $90,460 | $91,474 (−13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,470 | $96,990 | $98,077 (−21.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $70,720 | $71,513 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,180 | $82,630 | $83,556 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.