

Jackson vs Memphis
$780/mo more in Memphis
JacksonMemphisAbout 179 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Memphis leaves you more
- No state income tax
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,793/mo in Memphis. $2,013/mo in Jackson. +$9,360 a year.
Jackson
$2,013
left each month
Memphis
$2,793
+$780 vs Jackson
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 273 households moved Jackson → Memphis (avg AGI $61,000). 151 went the other way. The whole move →
+$780 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Jackson | Memphis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,750 | $7,118 | +$368 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,591 | $1,412 | −$180 |
| Take-home pay | $5,159 | $5,706 | +$547 |
| Rent | $1,203 | $1,045 | −$158 |
| Getting around | $588 | $548 | −$40 |
| Groceries | $374 | $364 | −$10 |
| Healthcare | $421 | $410 | −$11 |
| Utilities | $234 | $228 | −$6 |
| Everything else | $327 | $319 | −$8 |
| Left over | $2,013 | $2,793 | +$780 |
Salary to match Jackson
$72,000
Gross pay in Memphis that leaves the same amount as $81,000 in Jackson.
Tax difference
+$3,463
A year, in state and local income tax. Tennessee has no wage income tax.
More about Memphis
Jackson, MS in full
A flat 4.4% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,432 and 223 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.
Memphis, TN in full
No income tax and a logistics economy; wages trail the national median.
The other way
Start in Memphis.
Memphis → Jackson →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Memphis than Jackson?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Memphis leaves about $780 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,203 in Jackson and $1,045 in Memphis.
Does Memphis have state income tax?
Memphis is in Tennessee, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Jackson to Memphis?
The paycheck is taxed in Tennessee. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Jackson and Memphis changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.