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Living in
Ocean Springs.
About
Life in Ocean Springs
Living in Ocean Springs means embracing a quieter, artsy community that punches above its weight culturally without the pretension or tourist overcrowding you'd get elsewhere on the Gulf Coast. The economy here is steady rather than booming—it's not a major job hub, so most residents either work locally in smaller businesses, education, or hospitality, or they commute about 30 minutes to jobs in Biloxi or the broader Pascagoula area. Housing is genuinely affordable by coastal standards, with median home values around $259,000 and rents under $1,400, which means your paycheck actually stretches further than in comparable beach towns.
Ocean Springs at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
43.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Foreign-Born
7.1%
Broadband Internet
92.5%
of households
Population Growth
+3.3%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics7.1% foreign-born, most often from Vietnam
Who lives in Ocean Springs: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Ocean Springs, the largest foreign-born group is from Vietnam (29.6%), and 2.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
20.7%
of residents
65 and Older
21.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
27.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
31.9%
of households
Married Couples
50.3%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.26
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 42% above MS average
Rent, home values, and income in Ocean Springs
In Ocean Springs, rent runs 42% above the MS average, and home values are 53% above the MS average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
52.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
22.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
90.0
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,046
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
68.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1979
median year built
Vacant Homes
8.0%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $273,211 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for MS
Unemployment in Ocean Springs
Unemployment in Jackson County, which includes Ocean Springs, is close to the MS average.
Unemployment rate
Ocean Springs: Jackson County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Jackson County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Ocean Springs Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute26.3 min avg
How Ocean Springs residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Ocean Springs, most residents drive alone to work (84%), and 65% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 14 mi
Gulfport Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
Regional airport · few flights435k passengers boarded in 2025
- 90 mi
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Medium hub6.2M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 75% below national average
Crime rates for 2022
Older dataThe latest complete year reported to the FBI is 2022. It's compared with the national rate for 2022.
Violent crime in Ocean Springs runs 75% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
98
per 100,000 residents
Below average (398 national, 2022)
Property Crime Rate
2,303.8
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,999 national, 2022)
Ocean Springs Police Department
Natural DisastersExcessive Heat most common — 13 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
92.3 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Jackson County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Jackson County, which includes Ocean Springs, the most common type is excessive heat, with 13 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | Flash Flood | $30,000 |
| 2024 | 13 | Drought | $665,000 |
| 2023 | 31 | Excessive Heat | $791,500 |
| 2022 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $296,000 |
| 2021 | 9 | Tornado | $408,000 |
| 2020 | 3 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 4 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2018 | 5 | Tornado | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Jackson County, county-wide
Air Quality44 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Jackson County, which includes Ocean Springs, is typically good — 255 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
44
Good Days
255
per year
Moderate Days
110
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Jackson County, county-wide
Climate89°F summers, 46°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Ocean Springs has warm summers (avg high 89°F) and warm winters (avg low 46°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
76°/61°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
89°/75°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
78°/62°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
62°/46°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
65.9"
Annual Snowfall
0.3"
Hot Days/Year
52
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
11
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
103
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 44°F | 5.37" |
| Feb | 63°F | 47°F | 4.37" |
| Mar | 69°F | 53°F | 5.72" |
| Apr | 76°F | 60°F | 5.65" |
| May | 83°F | 68°F | 5.23" |
| Jun | 88°F | 74°F | 7.13" |
| Jul | 90°F | 75°F | 8.09" |
| Aug | 90°F | 75°F | 6.93" |
| Sep | 87°F | 72°F | 5.24" |
| Oct | 79°F | 62°F | 3.68" |
| Nov | 69°F | 51°F | 4.36" |
| Dec | 62°F | 46°F | 5.03" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Ocean Springs
Uninsured
7.7%
of residents
No hospitals inside Ocean Springs's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Memorial Hospital Biloxi
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.7 mi away · Biloxi
81st Medical Group (keesler Afb)
Acute Care - Department of Defense · ER available · 7 mi away · Biloxi
VA Gulf Coast Healthcare System
Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER available · 9 mi away · Biloxi
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education13.5:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs's student/teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 46.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
5
within city limits
Private Schools
3
within city limits
College Degree Rate
46.3%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
13.5:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, 82 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (82 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
National Historical Park
82 mi awayJean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
National Historical Park and Preserve
90 mi awayGulf Islands National Seashore
National Seashore
93 mi awayPublic Libraries in Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs Municipal Library
525 Dewey Avenue, Ocean Springs
Cities Near Ocean Springs
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Ocean Springs?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Ocean Springs FAQ
Is Ocean Springs, Mississippi affordable?⌄
Ocean Springs's median rent is $1,358/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $79,712/year. Median home value is $259,400.
Is Ocean Springs, Mississippi safe?⌄
Ocean Springs's violent crime rate was 98 per 100,000 residents in 2022, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 398/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2304 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Ocean Springs, Mississippi?⌄
Jackson County, which includes Ocean Springs, has an unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Ocean Springs, Mississippi?⌄
The cost of living in Ocean Springs is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,358/month and median household income is $79,712/year. The median home value is $259,400. About 53% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Ocean Springs, Mississippi?⌄
The average commute in Ocean Springs is 26 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from