City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 7.7% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $107,700 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $977 a year higher in Gulfport, MS than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Gulfport, MS to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.3% in real buying power.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Gulfport, MS | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,655 in Tucson | $92,889 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$977/yr.
47 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$977/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gulfport, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Gulfport, MS to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Gulfport → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $47,220 | $43,862 (−13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $123,710 | $114,913 (+10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $76,320 | $70,893 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $94,110 | $87,418 (+10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.