Overall
Mississippi feels cheaper overall
Mississippi has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Arkansas by 2.1 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Arkansas vs Mississippi: Cost of Living
Mississippi is cheaper overall by 2.1 cost-of-living points, but Mississippi has lower median home values.
Arkansas
AR • South
87.6
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Mississippi
MS • South
85.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Arkansas
87.6
Mississippi
85.5
Difference: 2.1 points — Mississippi leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.1x more for a home
Mississippi has the lower median home value, while buying in Arkansas costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Arkansas puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Arkansas than in Mississippi, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Arkansas keeps more income after state tax
Arkansas has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Arkansas
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
87.6
Regional price parity
86.1
Regular gas price
$3.610/gal
Electricity price
12.35 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$881/mo
Median home value
$154,200
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.40%
State sales tax
6.50%
Property tax
0.55%
Income
Median household income
$52,123
Income after median rent
$3,463
Minimum wage
$11.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Medical
Mississippi
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
85.5
Regional price parity
85.5
Regular gas price
$3.755/gal
Electricity price
14.24 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$842/mo
Median home value
$140,800
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.70%
State sales tax
7.00%
Property tax
0.72%
Income
Median household income
$49,111
Income after median rent
$3,251
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Mississippi has lower median home values.
- Mississippi has the lower overall cost index.
- Arkansas has the higher median household income.
- Mississippi looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Arkansas vs Mississippi: Cost of Living in context
Mississippi has a cost of living of 85.5, compared with 87.6 in Arkansas. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Arkansas
87.6
Mississippi
85.5
Difference
2.1 points
People Also Ask
Arkansas vs Mississippi Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Arkansas's cost of living?
Arkansas's cost of living is 87.6.
Q What is Mississippi's cost of living?
Mississippi's cost of living is 85.5.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Arkansas or Mississippi?
Mississippi is cheaper overall by 2.1 cost-of-living points, but Mississippi has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Arkansas vs Mississippi
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.