CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

30.43° N · 88.81° W · GEOID 2829620

Gulf Hills

Jackson County, Mississippi · part of the Gulfport, MS metro

MississippiGulf Hills, MSGulf HillsGulf Hills

The short answer

Gulf Hills is home to 8,451 people. Median household income is $72,839 a year and median rent is $1,401 a month, 23.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $203,700, about 2.8x annual median household income.

Gulf Hills stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of places its size. It is the lowest of 66 Mississippi places we track. Also notable: 16% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 66 Mississippi places we track.

26OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Gulf Hills scores better than 26% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 38th of 66 in Mississippi.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%56
Economy 20%34
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%15
Education 10%60
Commute 10%42
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,401
3% above the median place
Median household income
$72,839
9% below the median place
Median home value
$203,700
36% below the median place
Unemployment
6.2%
26% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Gulf Hills

  • HousingHalf the homes were built after 1996, newer housing than in 86% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Gulf Hills

Jackson County gains about 6.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,605
Moved out6,884
Net+721

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Mississippi, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MississippiOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$58K
Leavers$52K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Jackson County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
10.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Jackson County report $57,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$56,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,401 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,512 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $203,700.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 15.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Fountain Inn, SC matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
10.7%
86% above the median place
Moved from another state1
4.4%
121% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$52,488
25% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.7%86% above
Moved from another state14.4%121% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure6.4above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$57,93818% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$52,48825% below
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs only about $111 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 89% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.

Gulf Hills23.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$56,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.1%
13% above the median place
Home price to income
2.8x
26% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$59,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gulf Hills, $1,401 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gulf Hills, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gulf Hills on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Fountain Inn, SC9619.3% vs 23.1%$2,200Compare
Alachua, FL9518.5% vs 23.1%$10,500Compare
Daphne, AL9319.1% vs 23.1%$14,400Compare
Mount Holly, NC9319.0% vs 23.1%$6,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Gulf Hills.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gulf Hills? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
15.7%
69% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,433
56% below the median place
Median year built1
1996
1% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4013% above
Rent to income123.1%13% above
Property tax rate10.7%23% below
Home price to income12.8x26% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure90.011% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,09932% below
HUD area median income4County figure$86,80019% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,43356% below
Median home value1$203,70036% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.9%23% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure45.1%12% below
Homeownership171.1%7% above
Renters paying 30%+115.7%69% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,51219% below
Vacant homes16.0%15% below
Median year built119961% above
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 17 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Grayson Valley, AL, Fultondale, AL and La Grange, KY), unemployment here is higher: 6.2% against a typical 3.4%.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
6.2%
26% above the median place
Works from home1
15.9%
28% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$35,455 −12%
Median household income$72,839 −9%
Mean commute26 min +6%
Poverty rate10.9% +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$72,8399% below
Income per person1$35,45512% below
Unemployment16.2%26% above
Average annual pay6County figure$61,8596% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure50,09567% below
Poverty rate110.9%1% above
Mean commute126 min6% above
Works from home115.9%28% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 97.2%, 5% above the median place.

High school or higher1
97.2%
5% above the median place
No health insurance1
13.0%
103% above the median place
Median age1
35.1
10% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad4.1% −54%
Homes with broadband95.1% +3%
Household size2.4 −4%
Bachelor's or higher37.0% +16%
All 8 people measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,4514729th largest
Median age135.110% below
Bachelor's or higher137.0%16% above
High school or higher197.2%5% above
Household size12.44% below
Born abroad14.1%54% below
No health insurance113.0%103% above
Homes with broadband195.1%3% above
05

Life in Gulf Hills

OpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 80% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 66 Mississippi places we track.

71 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k2.4 +12%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k7.1 −36%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve 78 miles
  • New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park 82 miles
  • Gulf Islands National Seashore 110 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.4 −16%
Shops29.6 −2%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.9 −54%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.2 −20%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
78.3
154% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.9
54% below the median place
Public schools12
46
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure46above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure22,712364% above
Students per teacher12County figure14.18% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.416% below
Shops per 10k8County figure29.62% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.954% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure16.220% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k92.412% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k97.136% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1078.3154% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure71above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 65.7 in, 50% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Gulf Hills. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation13
65.7 in
50% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
97.8
38% above the median place
Average temperature13
67°F
23% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGulf HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure91°F5% above
January average low13County figure40°F60% above
Average temperature13County figure67°F23% above
Annual precipitation13County figure65.7 in50% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure92.30% below
Hurricane risk14County figure97.838% above
Tornado risk14County figure90.011% above
Wildfire risk14County figure94.254% above
Heat wave risk14County figure91.82% above
Median air quality index15County figure442% above
Good air days15County figure69.9%2% above
08

Gulf Hills in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Gulf Hills does better than 56% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 48%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,401/mo (2024)$1,810/mo$1,490 to $2,210/mo+4.4%
Median household income$72,839 (2024)$93,000$78,500 to $110,000+4.2%
Median home value$203,700 (2024)$292,000$212,000 to $402,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Gulf Hills

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Bethlehem, PA$1,382$68,879Compare
Philadelphia, PA$1,397$61,953Compare
Kentwood, MI$1,260$74,373Compare
Kansas City, MO$1,238$69,166Compare
Kansas City, MOKentwood, MIPhiladelphia, PABethlehem, PAGulf Hills, MSGulf HillsBethlehemPhiladelphiaKentwoodKansas CityGulf HillsBethlehemPhiladelphiaKentwoodKansas City

Places built like Gulf Hills

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Gulf Hills performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Gulf Hills, MS23.1%6.4%/yrn/a
Grayson Valley, AL24.4%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Fultondale, AL20.7%3.2%/yr-2.3%Compare
La Grange, KY15.5%8.1%/yr5.9%Compare
Richland, MS21.4%7.0%/yr6.9%Compare
White House, TN19.0%2.9%/yr37.3%Compare
Burlington, KY16.3%8.3%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Gulf Hills a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 26 out of 100, better than 26% of the places we rate and 38th of 66 in Mississippi. Half the homes were built after 1996, newer housing than in 86% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 57 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gulf Hills expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $203,700.

What salary do you need to live in Gulf Hills?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $56,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gulf Hills?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bethlehem, PA, Philadelphia, PA, Kentwood, MI and Kansas City, MO.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Gulf Hills with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gulf Hills itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gulf-hills-mississippi

Citytistics. “Gulf Hills, Mississippi.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gulf-hills-mississippi/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.