Jackson, MS vs Gulfport, MS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
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: Jackson, MS leads with police at $629 per resident, while Gulfport, MS leads with parks and recreation at $1,250.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Jackson, MS at 19% of total revenue, whereas Gulfport, MS relies most on other revenue at 11%.
Summary
Gulfport spends 63.8% more per capita than Jackson ($74,145/person difference). Gulfport, MS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $58 | $396 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $703 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,205 | $20 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,116 |
| Other | $93 | $3,854 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $629 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $457 | $530 |
| Highways & Roads | $601 | $54 |
| Public Welfare | $1,474 | $1,302 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $35 |
| Parks & Recreation | $429 | $1,250 |
| Housing | $897 | $2,549 |
| Utilities | $517 | $1,385 |
| General Admin | $34,360 | $105,813 |
| Other | $2,641 | $3,231 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.