City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Louisville, KY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 3.4% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $103,400 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,268 a year in MS and $3,382 in KY.
- 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 Gulfport, MS to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by −3.3%, purely from prices.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Gulfport, MS | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,409 in Louisville | $96,704 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$114/yr.
58 Fair offer
Louisville, KY → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$114/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Gulfport, MS to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Louisville, KY | Real change, Gulfport → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $61,610 | $59,579 (+17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $110,270 | $106,635 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $76,320 | $73,804 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $84,850 | $82,053 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.