Home to Ingalls Shipbuilding — Mississippi's largest manufacturing employer at 11,000 workers — Jackson County pays manufacturing wages nearly 50% above the state average, yet rents here remain among the lowest on the Gulf Coast.
Pascagoula, the county seat of Jackson County, and neighboring Moss Point sit at the mouth of the Pascagoula River on Mississippi's eastern Gulf Coast. Both cities' populations have been roughly flat to slightly declining in recent years, but that trend understates the underlying economic story: this is one of the highest-wage blue-collar labor markets on the Gulf Coast, anchored by Ingalls Shipbuilding and a deep-water port.
Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of HII, employs more than 11,000 people building destroyers and amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy — Mississippi's largest manufacturing employer, with skilled trades paying $25 to $35 an hour. Jackson County's average manufacturing wage of roughly $80,100 runs nearly 50% above the Mississippi state average. Ingalls has also faced persistent labor shortages that have delayed ship deliveries, a signal of workforce demand that outstrips the area's current housing supply.
For multifamily owners, the takeaway is that population trend alone understates this market: wages are high, jobs are plentiful and hard to fill, and rents remain some of the most affordable on the Gulf Coast — a gap that tends to close over time.
Pascagoula and Moss Point sit inside one of the most industrialized counties in Mississippi, with demand spread across shipbuilding, energy, and maritime logistics.
An HII division building destroyers and amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy, with skilled-trade wages of $25–$35/hour and a workforce drawn from across the Gulf Coast.
A large-scale energy employer anchoring Pascagoula's industrial base alongside shipbuilding and maritime logistics.
One of the nation's most industrialized ports, generating nearly $2 billion in personal income and more than $200 million in annual state tax revenue.
A deep bench of maritime and industrial employers beyond Ingalls, including a Northrop Grumman aerospace unmanned systems center.
Jackson County's average manufacturing wage runs nearly 50% above the state average, reflecting the concentration of high-wage industrial employers here.
Ingalls has cited labor shortages as a factor in delivery delays on multiple Navy programs, underscoring demand for workforce housing to support hiring.
This is one of the more affordable rental markets on the Gulf Coast relative to local wages. Median rent in Pascagoula runs roughly $760–$822, and in Moss Point roughly $865–$1,075, against a Jackson County manufacturing wage nearly 50% above the state average. Pascagoula's ownership rate sits at 53.6%, leaving a substantial renter base tied to shipyard, refinery, and port employment.
Unlike the smaller Alabama markets in this series, Jackson County has an active, verifiable multifamily comp set: recent listings include a 32-unit property in Moss Point at a 7.13% cap rate and a 20-unit property in nearby Gautier at 9.37%, with additional 113- and 136-unit apartment buildings actively listed in Pascagoula itself. That range — roughly 7.1% to 9.4% — reflects genuine local pricing, not a borrowed regional proxy.
| Pascagoula & Moss Point Snapshot | Current Figure | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent, Pascagoula | $760 – $822 / unit | ↑ +5.9% YoY |
| Median Rent, Moss Point | $865 – $1,075 / unit | ↑ Rising |
| Cap Rate Range (Jackson County) | 7.13% – 9.37% | Verified local comps |
| Owner-Occupied Rate, Pascagoula | 53.6% | Substantial renter base |
| Median Household Income, Pascagoula | $52,222 | Below regional average |
| Avg. Manufacturing Wage, Jackson County | $80,129 | +46% vs. MS average |
| Cost of Living vs. National Avg. | -17% | Durable affordability |
| Employment Growth, Pascagoula (2023–24) | +9.07% | Outpacing population |
Demand here is spread across a handful of distinct pockets, each tied to a different piece of the county's industrial base.
Closest proximity to the 800-acre Ingalls campus, drawing shift-work demand from the region's largest employer.
Areas near the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery see steady demand from refinery and contractor workers on rotating schedules.
A more affordable alternative to Pascagoula proper, drawing shipyard, refinery, and port workers seeking lower rents within a short commute.
Neighboring Gautier offers a higher-income alternative just west of Pascagoula, with its own active multifamily comp set reinforcing broader Jackson County demand.
This market offers a rare combination for the Gulf Coast: verified cap rates above 7%, real local comps to underwrite against, and a wage base running well ahead of what current rents assume. Population trend alone would cause most investors to skip this market — the wage and employment data tell a different story.
An average manufacturing wage of $80,129 against median rents in the $760–$1,075 range implies substantial room for rent growth before affordability becomes a constraint — a gap that's unusually wide even by Gulf Coast standards.
Ingalls Shipbuilding's persistent labor shortages, which have delayed Navy ship deliveries on multiple programs, are as direct a signal of workforce demand as this series has found: the region's largest employer needs more workers than it can currently house and hire, and that pressure typically resolves through rising wages, rising rents, or both.
Get our quarterly Gulf Coast Multifamily Market Update — covering rent trends, occupancy data, sale activity, and economic intelligence across Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Each quarter we go deep on a different market.
Get the Quarterly UpdateYou'll be taken to GulfCoastMF.com to send us a quick message.