Jobs, pay and daily life in Waveland, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Waveland is a city in Mississippi with 7,062 residents. The median household earns $68,693 a year and the median rent is $927 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metropolitan area, where BLS counts 158,310 jobs.
How Waveland compares. Among the 60 largest places in Mississippi, Waveland is #53 by population, #55 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #15 for household income (#1 = highest), #20 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Hancock County, is #2 of 82 counties for average pay ($62,168).
Waveland has 7,062 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Mississippi. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 832 people per square mile. The median age is 40.7, 5% older than the state median (40.7 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $927 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($927 against $954). Over a year that is 16.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $218,900, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($68,693); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.9% of households own their home, 13% below the state average (60.9% against 70.0%).
The Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metropolitan area has 158,310 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $43,470 a year, 15% below the national median ($43,470 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (20,210 jobs, median $27,210); office and administrative support (17,420 jobs, median $38,480); sales and related (15,170 jobs, median $30,080). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.8 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($101,600) and business and financial operations ($76,300). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Hancock County was 2.9%. 60.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Hancock County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 83.7% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.5% walk, 7.2% work from home. 20.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 44% above the state average (20.8% against 14.4%).
23.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 6% below the state share (23.7% against 25.1%). 5.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 113% above the state share (5.2% against 2.4%). The poverty rate is 10.8%, 43% below the state rate (10.8% against 18.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 50°F (10.2°C). About 1,600 mm (63 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (187 mm) and Nov the driest (82 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Bay St. Louis (3 miles, rent 27% higher); Diamondhead (7 miles, rent 69% higher); Long Beach (14 miles, rent 31% higher); Gulfport (21 miles, rent 17% higher). Rent differences are against Waveland; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Mississippi (241) →State guide: MississippiCountry guideHancock CountyMississippi rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 241 federal postings open in Mississippi (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Mississippi →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 5,380 | 1.36 | $28,880 | $22,790 | $40,010 | -18% |
| Cashiers | 4,610 | 1.47 | $27,300 | $20,740 | $34,220 | -17% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,910 | 1.69 | $22,600 | $15,430 | $38,920 | -36% |
| Registered Nurses | 3,740 | 1.09 | $78,960 | $62,500 | $109,390 | -19% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,520 | 0.90 | $22,820 | $19,050 | $32,250 | -27% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,690 | 0.93 | $31,780 | $28,250 | $45,170 | -15% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,600 | 0.87 | $35,160 | $26,950 | $50,270 | -13% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,520 | 1.76 | $30,590 | $23,150 | $37,150 | -18% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,270 | 0.86 | $37,540 | $27,860 | $49,450 | -16% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,250 | 1.00 | $29,700 | $22,830 | $37,490 | -19% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 2,220 | 5.23 | $63,440 | $38,960 | $63,440 | +18% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,010 | 0.80 | $36,710 | $22,780 | $52,440 | -18% |
| Electricians | 2,010 | 2.61 | $62,440 | $47,380 | $69,620 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,890 | 1.21 | $46,240 | $30,160 | $81,740 | -7% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,890 | 1.29 | $58,390 | $38,100 | $85,970 | -16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,890 | 1.65 | $45,830 | $29,000 | $72,670 | -6% |
| Security Guards | 1,810 | 1.39 | $30,980 | $22,610 | $39,680 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,790 | 1.43 | $38,760 | $27,330 | $60,820 | -12% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,750 | 0.84 | $45,990 | $35,500 | $63,850 | -22% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,720 | 2.63 | $23,410 | $20,230 | $29,200 | -24% |
These figures are for the whole Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $43,470 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.1% |
| Other services | 9.3% |
| Manufacturing | 9.2% |
| Construction | 8.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.7% |
| Retail trade | 7.0% |
| Public administration | 5.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 4.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.4% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Waveland lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 46,167 | $2,271 million | $49,194 | 14,399 | 1,042 | $62,168 | +1.3% | 2.9% | 21,876 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 2,517 | 27.2% | $26,575 | 1.92 |
| Retail trade | 1,605 | 17.3% | $28,736 | 1.12 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,230 | 13.3% | $79,255 | 1.23 |
| Manufacturing | 1,003 | 10.8% | $90,063 | 0.85 |
| Administrative and waste services | 806 | 8.7% | $63,915 | 0.95 |
| Construction | 735 | 7.9% | $64,456 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 265 | 2.9% | $72,019 | 0.43 |
| Finance and insurance | 262 | 2.8% | $69,144 | 0.45 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 232 | 2.5% | $25,966 | 0.96 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 210 | 2.3% | $38,895 | 0.48 |
| Utilities | 184 | 2.0% | $97,130 | 3.36 |
| Real estate and rental | 71 | 0.8% | $44,824 | 0.32 |
| Information | 63 | 0.7% | $65,944 | 0.23 |
| Wholesale trade | 53 | 0.6% | $63,070 | 0.09 |
| Management of companies | 32 | 0.3% | $82,683 | 0.13 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 83.7% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.5% |
| Work from home | 7.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 20.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,693 |
| Income per person | $35,343 |
| Median gross rent per month | $927 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $218,900 |
| Homeowners | 60.9% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $43,470 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.7% |
| Born abroad | 5.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.2 | 50 | 103 |
| Feb | 12.5 | 54 | 115 |
| Mar | 16.0 | 61 | 120 |
| Apr | 19.6 | 67 | 131 |
| May | 23.6 | 74 | 121 |
| Jun | 27.1 | 81 | 178 |
| Jul | 27.8 | 82 | 181 |
| Aug | 27.6 | 82 | 187 |
| Sep | 25.5 | 78 | 137 |
| Oct | 20.5 | 69 | 105 |
| Nov | 15.1 | 59 | 82 |
| Dec | 11.8 | 53 | 140 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay St. Louis | MS | 3 mi | 10,188 | $67,442 | $1,179 |
| Diamondhead | MS | 7 mi | 9,338 | $87,407 | $1,571 |
| Long Beach | MS | 14 mi | 17,009 | $70,332 | $1,215 |
| Gulfport | MS | 21 mi | 73,003 | $49,919 | $1,086 |
| Picayune | MS | 23 mi | 11,900 | $41,213 | $931 |
| Slidell | LA | 23 mi | 28,561 | $70,497 | $1,375 |
| Eden Isle | LA | 25 mi | 7,683 | $78,426 | $1,328 |
| Biloxi | MS | 29 mi | 48,861 | $57,204 | $1,089 |
| D'Iberville | MS | 31 mi | 13,203 | $66,016 | $1,249 |
| St. Martin | MS | 33 mi | 8,139 | $55,000 | $1,231 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
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7,062 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$927 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$68,693 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Hancock County (latest month 2026M09)).
Mississippi. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.