Hattiesburg, MS vs Petal, MS

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricHattiesburg, MSPetal, MS
Population48,61911,294
Median Household Income$46,342$74,750
Median Rent$1,005/mo$1,047/mo
Median Home Value$165,900$174,900
Cost of Living (US = 100)8888
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.1%40%
Poverty Rate28.3%11.1%
Unemployment Rate3.7%3.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k25626
Property Crime Rate /100k3,592498
Median AQI4545
Good AQI Days /yr226226
Summer Highs91°F91°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall1 in/yr1 in/yr
Avg Commute17.4 min21.5 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher12.413.3
College Degree Rate37.3%27.8%
Foreign-Born %3.4%3.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.2%+5.8%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.