← All States

California

Moderate tax burden · COL index 142

Wins 5 categories

VS

Mississippi

Moderate tax burden · COL index 82

Wins 9 categories

California's top income tax rate is 13.3% vs Mississippi's 4.7%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 73% higher than Mississippi (index 82). The median home in California costs $790K vs $180K in Mississippi. Politically, Mississippi voted Republican in 2024 (R+17.0) while California went Democratic (D+20.0).

California
Mississippi

Taxes

13.3%
Income Tax (top rate)
4.7%
0.71%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.64%/yr
8.82%
Sales Tax (avg)
7.07%
Yes
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

142
COL Index (100=avg)
82
$790K
Median Home Price
$180K
$2,300/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$950/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$3K/yr

Crime & Safety

499
Violent Crime / 100K
283
2,027
Property Crime / 100K
2,080

Healthcare

#13 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#47 of 50
79.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
71.9 yrs
6.8%
Uninsured Rate
16.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
No

Education

#20 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#50 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
Yes

Childcare

$2,200/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$700/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$175/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$105/mo
$620/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$380/mo
#49 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#19 of 50

Social Policy

A
Gun Laws Grade
F
D+20.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+17.0

Category wins

5

California

9

Mississippi

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

Score For My Profile →

People Also Ask

Is Mississippi cheaper than California?

Overall cost of living in San Francisco, CA is 81.0% higher than in Jackson, MS. The average listing price for a home in San Francisco, CA is $1,385,518, which is 213.2% higher than Jackson, MS. The average cost of groceries in San Francisco, CA is 19.5% higher than Jackson, MS.

Are Californians moving to Mississippi?

People who are leaving states like California for Mississippi report they made the move because of the prevalence of natural disasters, the higher cost of living, and higher crime rates in the Golden State, she added.

Is moving to Mississippi a good idea?

Why are people moving from Mississippi?

Full California Profile →Full Mississippi Profile →

Your Priorities

Adjust and every page updates live

Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable