City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Ocean Springs, MS

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ocean Springs - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

18,561
Residents
$78,929
Median income
$235,100
Median home
$1,067
Median rent (state)

Ocean Springs - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ocean Springs lands in the 60th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

60th
percentile, household income
52nd
percentile, home value
26th
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: Ocean Springs, MS

Ocean Springs is a small town in Mississippi, home to 18,561 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Ocean Springs brings in $78,929 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.8%. Ocean Springs's housing stock carries a median value of $235,100, and the median resident age is 42.7 years. 45.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 53 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 29% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: the state registers 87.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,067 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $223 across Mississippi, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Ocean Springs workers runs 26.1 minutes, with 83.8% driving alone and 9.4% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 92.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

18,561 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Mississippi

Median Household Income

$78,929 /yr

Poverty 1.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

How does Ocean Springs compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 60% higher than other cities
Home value 52% pricier than other cities
Median rent 26% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Ocean Springs's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Mississippi, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

60thIncome percentile

60th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ocean Springs's home value compares nationally

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

$235,100 48th percentile more affordable than 48% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Ocean Springs $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ocean Springs, MS Ocean Springs, MS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ocean Springs, MS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ocean Springs, MS median $78,929/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%
Ocean Springs, MS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ocean Springs, MS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 45.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.2%

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

Population
18,561
Median Income
$78,929
Median Home Value
$235,100
Median Age
42.7
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Labor force participation
60.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
45.8%

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
18,200 residents18,400 residents18,600 residents18,800 residents19,000 residents19,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 18,373 residents 18,993 residents ▲ +3.4%
Ocean Springs's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
53
housing units authorized
Single-Family
47
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 41
2020 37
2021 200
2022 182
2023 49
2024 53

Permit volume increased 29% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
26.1 minutes
Drive Alone
83.8%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
9.4%

Based on 9,042 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Mississippi - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$135
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$38
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Mississippi state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Mississippi state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ocean Springs sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.0
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,067/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Mississippi

Gautier
19,026 people
Hernando
17,580 people
Laurel
17,129 people
Long Beach
16,876 people
Vicksburg
20,944 people
Pascagoula
21,812 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ocean Springs's 18,561 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Coronado, CA
18,558 people
Bensenville, IL
18,576 people
Arcata, CA
18,578 people
Preakness, NJ
18,538 people
Round Lake, IL
18,588 people
Westerly, RI
18,528 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ocean Springs's $78,929 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tuckerton, NJ
$78,934 median income
Panama City Beach, FL
$78,921 median income
Tamiami, FL
$78,916 median income
Farmington, PA
$78,945 median income
Morgan's Point Resort, TX
$78,913 median income
Greendale, IN
$78,912 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ocean Springs, MS Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ocean Springs, MS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.7% 7.9% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.4% White 80.7% Black or African American 7.9% Asian 3.7% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.3% Two or more races 6.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ocean Springs compares to nearby Mississippi cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ocean Springs (this city) 18,561 $78,929
Gautier 19,026 $62,480
Hernando 17,580 $71,451
Laurel 17,129 $37,781
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MS NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ocean Springs, MS?

What is the population of Ocean Springs, MS? +

18,561 people live in Ocean Springs, MS according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ocean Springs, MS? +

In Ocean Springs, the typical household earns $78,929 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ocean Springs? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ocean Springs; the closest available measure is the Mississippi state average, a cost of living index of 87.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Mississippi vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Ocean Springs, MS? +

Homes in Ocean Springs carry a median value of $235,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.