City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Gulfport, MS

Gulfport's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

72,533
Residents
$46,044
Median income
$167,100
Median home
$924
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

Compare with another city

Starting with Gulfport, MS - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Gulfport.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MS-GULFPORT-MS · Gulfport, MS 72,533 pop · income 14th pct · 82 tracts

POP-SMALL · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-WIDE

  • POP-SMALL 72,533
  • INC-MID $46,044
  • COL-BELOW 87.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 14th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Gretna
  • HOME-LOW $167,100
  • BOOK-WIDE 82 tracts

Nearest income peer: Gretna, LA (+ $1 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Gulfport

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Gulfport on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Gulfport on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 72,533.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $46,044. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Gulfport - the verdict

Gulfport ranks in the 14th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

14th
percentile, household income
33rd
percentile, home value
0th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Gulfport, MS

Mississippi's Gulfport is a small city, with 72,533 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $46,044 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 20.2%. Gulfport's housing stock carries a median value of $167,100, and the median resident age is 36.7 years. 22.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,152 residential building permits were authorized in Gulfport (Building Boom), up 510% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Mississippi scores 87.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $924 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Mississippi's average monthly utility costs around $223 (state average). Commute times here average 20.7 minutes, with 80.4% driving alone and 5.2% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 50.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Gulfport's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to population change to housing and income to schools and households to within-city variation to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Gulfport, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Which cities make useful reference points for Gulfport?

Within Mississippi, the closest population matches are Southaven (55,531 residents, $76,159 income); Biloxi (49,011 residents, $55,958 income); Hattiesburg (48,507 residents, $44,140 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Mount Vernon, NY (72,528 residents); Lakeville, MN (72,480 residents); Turlock, CA (72,400 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Population change

Is Gulfport growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,613 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +5.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,152 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 3

How far does income reach against housing in Gulfport?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 20.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

4. Within-city variation

What can 82 Census tracts reveal inside Gulfport?

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

PlainCities matches 82 Census tracts to this city.

Explore Gulfport's tract profiles →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Gulfport?

The NCES join finds 13 public schools within the city match. 22.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.

Matched public schools
13
Bachelor's degree+
22.3%
Poverty estimate
20.2%

NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.

See how the family ranking is built →

Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Gulfport?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 20.7 minutes.

Public transit
0.5%
Work from home
5.2%
Drive alone
80.4%

City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 30,056 workers age 16+.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

72,533 residents

Mid-size city (50k–199k)

Median Household Income

$46,044 /yr

Low income · poverty 20.2% (High poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

City profile score · Gulfport, MS

40/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A+
87.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share D
22.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$46,044

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
20.2%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Gulfport profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate. Cost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rate 40 D
Gulfport profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 97/100 (A+) · 87.0 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 41/100 (D) · 22.3%
  • Household income: 15/100 (F) · $46,044
  • Poverty rate: 13/100 (F) · 20.2%

How does Gulfport compare to other US cities?

Here's how Gulfport stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 14% higher than other cities
Home value 33% pricier than other cities
Median rent 0% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Gulfport against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Mississippi only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Mississippi-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Gulfport near the bottom of Mississippi's cities

Among the 395 Mississippi cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Gulfport ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Gulfport only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#171 of 345
50th percentile in Mississippi
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 395
0th percentile in Mississippi
Median Home Value
#76 of 348
78th percentile in Mississippi
Poverty Rate
#167 of 393
58th percentile in Mississippi
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#123 of 394
68th percentile in Mississippi
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Mississippi only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

14thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

14th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Gulfport's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$167,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 67% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Gulfport $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Gulfport's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.6×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,471 of 15,516
More affordable than 39% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#248 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)

At 3.6×, Gulfport sits in the moderate band: national rank #9,471 of 15,516 and #248 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$46,044 Gulfport, MS median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Gulfport, MS Gulfport, MS's median household income ($46,044) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Gulfport, MS-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Gulfport, MS median $46,044/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Gulfport, MS median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Gulfport, MS.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 22.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 20.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
72,533
Median Income
$46,044
Median Home Value
$167,100
Median Age
36.7
Poverty Rate
20.2%
Labor force participation
51.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.3%

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
70,000 residents72,000 residents74,000 residents76,000 residents78,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 72,893 residents 76,506 residents ▲ +5.0%
Gulfport's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 72,893 residents
2021 72,227 residents
2022 72,230 residents
2023 73,074 residents
2024 74,882 residents
2025 76,506 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,152
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,152
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
15.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 189
2020 192
2021 216
2022 1,086
2023 1,122
2024 1,152

Permit volume increased 510% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.7 minutes
Drive Alone
80.4%
Carpool
9.9%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
5.2%
Other
1.3%

Based on 30,056 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Mississippi statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Mississippi at $223 (electricity about $135 , water and sewer about $38 ).

These are Mississippi statewide averages, not a meter reading for Gulfport. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Mississippi's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.0 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Gulfport is $924/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Mississippi statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.9 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Mississippi statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Gulfport sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Gulfport compares to similar-size Mississippi cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Gulfport (this city) 72,533 $46,044
Southaven 55,531 $76,159
Biloxi 49,011 $55,958
Hattiesburg 48,507 $44,140
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Share or download this profile