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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Gulfport, MS vs Jackson, MS

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Gulfport, MS outspends Jackson, MS by a wide margin per resident — $116,149 versus $42,004, a 177% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Gulfport, MS edges Jackson, MS on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Jackson, MS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Gulfport, MS carries $10 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Gulfport, MS leads with parks and recreation at $1,250 per resident, while Jackson, MS leads with police at $629.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Gulfport, MS at 11% of total revenue, whereas Jackson, MS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.

Summary

Gulfport spends 176.5% more per capita than Jackson ($74,145/person difference). Gulfport, MS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Gulfport, MS
Pop. 72,524
C
56/100
Budget Balance23
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Jackson, MS
Pop. 153,271
C
52/100
Budget Balance8
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Gulfport
Jackson
Total Spending
$8.4B
$6.4B
Spending / Capita
$116,149
$42,004
Total Revenue
$2.6B
$966.9M
Revenue / Capita
$36,043
$6,308
Total Debt
$702K
$0
Debt / Capita
$10
$0
Population
72,524
153,271
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Gulfport$0
Jackson$629
Fire Protection
Gulfport$530
Jackson$457
Highways & Roads
Gulfport$54
Jackson$601
Parks & Recreation
Gulfport$1,250
Jackson$429

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

GulfportJackson
Sales Tax
$396
$58
Income Tax
$703
$0
Intergovernmental
$20
$1,205
Charges & Fees
$1,116
$0
Other
$3,854
$93

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

GulfportJackson
Police
$0
$629
Fire Protection
$530
$457
Highways & Roads
$54
$601
Public Welfare
$1,302
$1,474
Hospitals
$35
$0
Parks & Recreation
$1,250
$429
Housing
$2,549
$897
Utilities
$1,385
$517
General Admin
$105,813
$34,360
Other
$3,231
$2,641
C
Gulfport, MS
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health
C
Jackson, MS
Fiscal Health Score: 52/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.