What it costs to live and work in Mississippi: the minimum wage, state income tax, sales tax and median rent, from official sources, and what they mean for your monthly budget.
| Mississippi | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $7.25 an hour | US Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026) |
| State income tax | 4 % flat | Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 |
| State sales tax | 7 % | Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (as of July 1, 2026) |
| Median gross rent | $990 a month (2024) | US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates, table B25064 Median Gross Rent |
Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 applies.
Mississippi taxes income above $10,000 at a flat 4 % in 2026.
The state sales tax is 7 %; local taxes add an average of 0.06 %.
What income does rent in Mississippi take?
A common rule of thumb is to keep rent at or below 30 % of gross income. At the median rent of $990 a month, that means a household income of about $39,600 a year before tax.
Sources
- US Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026) (2026-07-01)
- Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026 (2026-02-19)
- Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 (as of July 1, 2026) (2026-07-06)
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates, table B25064 Median Gross Rent (2025-09)
- Mississippi Department of Revenue, press release: grocery tax decrease (April 30, 2025) (2025-04-30)