Economic Overview: What it means
- Jackson County has a monthly unemployment rate of 3.6% in January 2024 (not seasonally adjusted). Mississippi’s rate is 3.4%.
- The three largest industry sector types are manufacturing, healthcare, and retail trade.
- In 2022, Jackson produced $9,600,621 in current-dollar GDP, ranking 3rd in the state and accounting for 6.9% of the state total.
- The cost of living in Jackson County is 13.5% lower than the USA, resulting in purchasing power of the annual average salary of $55,807 translating into approximately $64,528.
- Jackson County tends to produce more individuals with some college but no degree compared to the rest of the state, 25.8% compared to 22.5%. Right at 13.9% of Jackson County residents have an associate’s degree, which is higher than the MS rate of 11.8%. The county’s bachelor’s degree rate is 15.3% compared to Mississippi’s rate of 14.8%.
- Jackson County’s veteran population rate (age 18-64) is 8.0% compared to the MS rate of 4.9%. The county’s veteran labor force participation rate is 81.7%, which is higher than MS’s rate of 73.7%. This means Jackson County has a unique opportunity to target veterans and transferrable skills.
- Based on 2020 population data from the Census Bureau, Jackson County is the 5th largest county in the state.
Total Workers for Jackson County, Mississippi by Industry
Employment data are derived from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and imputed where necessary. Data are updated through 2022Q3 with preliminary estimates updated to 2022Q4
Cost of Living Index
Location | Annual Average Salary | Cost of Living Index (Base US) | US Purchasing Power |
---|---|---|---|
Jackson County, Mississippi | $55,807 | 86.5% | $64,528 |
Mississippi | $47,946 | 85.5% | $56,065 |
USA | $70,183 | 100% | $70,183 |
Baldwin County, Alabama | $48,225 | 96.0% | $50,224 |
Mobile County, Alabama | $57,076 | 86.2% | $66,213 |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA | $63,254 | 110.6% | $57,192 |
Pensacola-Ferry Pass, Brent, FL MSA | $54,100 | 92.4% | $58,557 |
Hancock County, Mississippi | $57,942 | 106.9% | $54,181 |
Harrison County, Mississippi | $45,812 | 91.8% | $49,926 |
Baton Rouge, LA MSA | $60,586 | 96.2% | $62,979 |
George County, Mississippi | $37,603 | 85.2% | $44,154 |
Top 5 MS Counties by GDP
Productivity (output per worker) – 2023 Q3
Gross Domestic Product data are provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, imputed by Chmura where necessary,
updated through 2022.
GDP & Productivity
In 2022, Total – All industries produced $9.5 billion in GDP for Jackson County, Mississippi.
GDP: Indexed 2011 = 100
100.0%
Industry Share of Total GDP
100% in the Nation
2.6%
Avg Ann % Change Last 10 Yrs
4.0% in the Nation
$1,583,208
Output Per Worker
$651k in the Nation
Top 10 Counties Based on Manufacturing GDP
Data from JobsEQ as of March 2023
Average Annual Wages & Manufacturing as a Percent of all Jobs
Total - All Industries | Manufacturing (31) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region | Empl | Avg Ann Wages per Worker | Empl | Avg Ann Wages per Worker | Mfg as % of Emp |
Jackson County, Mississippi | 54,707 | $55,807 | 13,870 | $79,609 | 25.3 |
Hancock County, Mississippi | 15,694 | $57,942 | 1,078 | $87,807 | 6.9 |
Harrison County, Mississippi | 95,274 | $45,812 | 3,421 | $67,541 | 3.7 |
George County, Mississippi | 5,844 | $37,603 | 332 | $59,726 | 5.7 |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA | 478,049 | $63,440 | 27,162 | $103,173 | 5.7 |
Mobile County, Alabama | 188,402 | $57,076 | 17,001 | $85,894 | 9.1 |
Baldwin County, Alabama | 92,966 | $48,225 | 4,328 | $62,079 | 4.7 |
Pensacola-Ferry Pass- Brent, FL MSA | 204,350 | $54,100 | 7,067 | $76,098 | 3.5 |
Exported on: Sunday, September 24, 2023 1:09 PM Source: JobsEQ® Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding. Growth demand is based on 4-qtr moving avg employment from the latest available date. Data as of 2023Q1
State Revenue Impact
Jackson County has the 4th highest average income tax return payment in the state. It remits the 6th highest number of gross income taxes in the state. Based on 2020 population data from the Census/JobsEQ, Jackson County is the 5th largest county in the state.
COUNTY | RETURNS FILED | GROSS INCOME | AVG TAXES PER RETURN FILED |
---|---|---|---|
Madison | 44,284 | $174,480,627 | $3,940 |
Rankin | 59,909 | $136,666,774 | $2,281 |
Desoto | 75,959 | $161,565,914 | $2,127 |
Jackson | 53,157 | $95,929,795 | $1,805 |
Hinds | 85,538 | $134,694,837 | $1,765 |
Harrison | 76,334 | $134,694,837 | $1,603 |
MS DOR Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2022
Jackson County & City Building Permit Totals