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Gulfport vs Jackson

147 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+19 pts in Gulfport) and home values (+56% in Gulfport).

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Gulfport, MSHometown of 65 notable peopleMississippi · 73,003 people
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Jackson, MSA history townMississippi · 146,631 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

GulfportHometown of 65 notable people
Famous people65 notable peopleborn in Gulfport Housing$206K typical home4% above the MS typical home Outdoors#10 most walkable in MS12 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves All about Gulfport →
JacksonA history town
HistorySettled in 182287 places on the National Register Famous people67 notable peopleborn in Jackson College town4 collegesJackson State University All about Jackson →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+19 pts
Gulfport has grown faster since 2010
Gulfport +7.6%Jackson -11.4%
Home values+56%
Homes cost more in Gulfport
Gulfport $174,600Jackson $111,700
Trails2.2×
Jackson has more miles of trail
Jackson 26.1 miGulfport 12.0 mi
Household income+19%
Households in Gulfport earn more
Gulfport $49,919Jackson $42,071
Typical home built17 yrs
Jackson’s homes are older
Gulfport 1986Jackson 1969
Size2×
Jackson is the bigger place
Jackson 146,631Gulfport 73,003
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $660 more a month in Gulfport

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Gulfport$1,200/mo
Typical home $206K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,086/mo · Housing →
Jackson$540/mo
Typical home $86K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.21% · or rent about $1,055/mo · Housing →

The difference: $660 a month, about $8,000 a year, between Gulfport and Jackson.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Gulfport places higher on 11 of 21 MS lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Mississippi ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
A−GulfportBetter than 84% of districts in the state DJacksonBetter than 11% of districts in the state
Health
DGulfportHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns DJacksonHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
11Gulfport
9Jackson

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 88 towns #3#64 Fastest growingGrowth · 103 towns #29#94 Lowest depressionHealth · 104 towns #74#9 Best schoolsSchools · 92 towns #29#82 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 104 towns #57#101 Most affordableCost of living · 102 towns #64#25 Lowest obesityHealth · 104 towns #43#77 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 32 towns #22#30

Left end = #1 in Mississippi. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Gulfport’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
GulfportJackson
Snow a year0″1″
January low44°F37°F
July high90°F92°F
Growing season (days)301d245d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th84th
Outdoors & history
GulfportJackson
Trails12 mi26 mi
Conserved land4.7%4.4%
Settled18871822
National Register places1687
Archive photos1724
Famous people born here6567
Community
GulfportJackson
Library hours a week45 hrs47 hrs
Colleges in town—4
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

147 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

GulfportMSJacksonMS
Gulfport ↔ Jackson147 miles apart
Who commutes between them
477 Gulfport residents work in Jackson (1.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Gulfport →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

GulfportJackson
People
Population 73,003Lowest 146,631Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.6%Highest -11.4%Lowest
Median age 38±1.1Highest about the MS average 34.5±0.6Lowest 11% below MS
Kids under 18 22.3%±1.4Lowest MS: 23.3% 23.9%±0.9Highest MS: 23.3%
Jackson and Gulfport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.3%±1Highest MS: 17.2% 15%±0.7Lowest MS: 17.2%
Gulfport and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.6%Lowest MS: 25.1% 28.8%Highest MS: 25.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±0.7Lowest MS: 6.1% 8.9%±0.7Highest MS: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $49,919±$3kHighest 12% below MS $42,071±$2kLowest 25% below MS
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $174,600±$6kHighest about the MS average $111,700±$6kLowest 34% below MS
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,086±$36Highest 14% above MS $1,055±$23Lowest 11% above MS
Gulfport and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,253Lowest 3% above MS $1,352Highest 11% above MS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.1%±5.6Lowest MS: 51.3% 60.3%±3.7Highest MS: 51.3%
Jackson and Gulfport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 22.8%Lowest MS: 18.9% 27.9%Highest MS: 18.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55.1%Highest MS: 70% 48.6%Lowest MS: 70%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Highest same as MS 1969Lowest 17 yrs older than MS
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 14% below MS 20 minLowest 22% below MS
Work from home 7.3%±1.2Lowest MS: 5.9% 8.9%±1.2Highest MS: 5.9%
Jackson and Gulfport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 41.5%Lowest 45.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miHighest 6.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.53Lowest 1.73Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Biloxi (19%)Ridgeland (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in JacksonFew work in Gulfport
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.7%Highest 4.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 12.0 miLowest 26.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Lowest 22Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 59.1Highest 55.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #29 of 92 in MS#82 of 92 in MS
School district Gulfport School District · Harrison County School DistrictReimagine Prep · Joel E. Smilow Prep
High school in town Gulfport High SchoolMurrah High School
Students per teacherat that high school 12.6Lowest 15.8Highest
Mississippi average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Gulfport neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gulfport’s Town Square.

Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson’s Town Square.

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Bordering Gulfport

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Biloxi48,861 people · $225K homes
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Long Beach17,009 people · $215K homes
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Lyman2,298 people · $216K homes

Towns like Gulfport

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Meridian34,137 people · $108K homes
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Tupelo37,791 people · $213K homes
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Southaven56,226 people · $236K homes
+ Compare
Hattiesburg48,619 people · $166K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Mississippi towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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