Southaven, MS vs Jackson, MS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jackson, MS outspends Southaven, MS by a wide margin per resident — $42,004 versus $10,958, a 283% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Southaven, MS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 62/100 (grade C) against 52/100 (grade C) for Jackson, MS — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Jackson, MS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Southaven, MS carries $770 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Southaven, MS leads with parks and recreation at $1,286 per resident, while Jackson, MS leads with police at $629.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Southaven, MS and 19% in Jackson, MS.
Summary
Jackson spends 73.9% more per capita than Southaven ($31,046/person difference). Southaven, MS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 62/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $552 | $58 |
| Income Tax | $559 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,821 | $1,205 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,246 | $0 |
| Other | $1,581 | $93 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $629 |
| Fire Protection | $123 | $457 |
| Highways & Roads | $384 | $601 |
| Public Welfare | $481 | $1,474 |
| Health | $55 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,286 | $429 |
| Housing | $2,918 | $897 |
| Utilities | $1,878 | $517 |
| General Admin | $0 | $34,360 |
| Other | $3,834 | $2,641 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.