City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.8% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $108,800 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS and $1,081 in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $977 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Jackson, MS to Tucson, AZ ($106,437 → $108,455), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (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
| Jackson, MS | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,813 in Tucson | $91,901 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/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 | 17% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$977/yr.
43 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$977/yr.
96 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Jackson, 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 Jackson, MS to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Jackson → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,893 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,095 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,205 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,455 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,162 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $90,460 | $102,260 | $93,978 (+3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $123,710 | $113,690 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $76,320 | $70,139 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $94,110 | $86,488 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.