What your paycheck buys · Updated every Friday

What a paycheck buys in Mississippi this week

Out of reach · #30 of 50 on affordability · rate for the week of October 22, 2026

A median Mississippi household earning $57,840 a year can afford a home of about $183,000 at this week’s 7.32% average 30-year rate. The median Mississippi listing is $292,250, which would take 44.8% of that household’s gross income, against the usual 28% ceiling.

$183,000

Affordable home price

+$1,204 vs. last week · −$10,669 vs. a year ago

$292,000

Median list price (September 2026)

−$6,750 vs. a year earlier

Affordability index (100 = within reach)

U.S. 66 · Mississippi 65 a year ago

44.8%

Share of income the median listing takes

$2,160/mo incl. taxes & insurance · U.S. 42.5%

$58,000

Median household income (2025)

U.S. $87,000

#30

Rank of 50 (1 = most affordable)

See the full ranking

Compared with a year ago

A year ago, with the 30-year rate at 6.19%, a median list price of $299,000 and median income of $55,620 (2024 figure), the same household could afford about $193,000 and the median listing took 43.3% of income. Affordability in Mississippi has worsened since then.

Nearby in the ranking

#28 North Carolina: can afford $253,000, median listing $400,000
#29 New Jersey: can afford $352,000, median listing $560,000
#31 Connecticut: can afford $320,000, median listing $523,000
#32 Vermont: can afford $301,000, median listing $499,000

Run your own numbers →

How this is calculated: 28% of gross monthly income for housing, 10% down, a 30-year fixed loan at Freddie Mac’s weekly average, and 1.45% of the price a year for taxes and insurance. Full method, caveats, and sources on the main index page. An educational gauge, not a mortgage quote.