Mississippi · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Union County, MS

Prices around Union County, MS run 13% below the U.S. average (BEA, Mississippi). The typical household there earns $55,505 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $872 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $34,880 a year.

Union County, MS at a glance

Median household income

$55,505$4,625 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$872HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)87.0-13% · BEA, Mississippi
Electricity14.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential MS
Population28,122Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Union County, MS?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$872Monthly market rent
Share of gross income18.9%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$34,880To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,388At 30% of $55,505
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Union County, MS? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Union County, MS, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Union County, MS, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$760$9,120$30,40016.4%
1-Bedroom Apartment$795$9,540$31,80017.2%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$872$10,464$34,88018.9%
3-Bedroom Home$1,082$12,984$43,28023.4%
4-Bedroom Home$1,155$13,860$46,20025%

Rent in Union County, MS, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Union County, MS

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $55,505 a year ($4,625 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,313/moRent ($872 2-BR), utilities (~$134/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,388/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$925/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $55,505 leaves after Mississippi taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Mississippi tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$55,505
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$55,505
Net 82%
Fed 8%
MS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$45,290After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,774Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,742Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,481 / yr
Mississippi state income tax$1,488 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,246 / yr

Living in Union County, MS: common questions

What is the median household income in Union County, MS?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Union County, MS is $55,505 per year (approximately $4,625 per month).

What is the average rent in Union County, MS?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $760 for a studio, $795 for one bedroom, $872 for two, $1,082 for three and $1,155 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Union County, MS expensive to live in?

Prices there run 13% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for Mississippi is 87.0, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Union County, MS?

To keep a $872 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $34,880 a year, or $2,907 a month. That is 63% of what the typical household in Union County, MS earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Union County, MS?

On the local median income of $55,505 ($4,625 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,313 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,388 for everything else and $925 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $872 takes 38% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Union County, MS?

Homes in Mississippi paid 14.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $134. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.