Petal, MS vs Hattiesburg, MS

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

MetricPetal, MSHattiesburg, MS
Population11,29448,619
Median Household Income$74,750$46,342
Median Rent$1,047/mo$1,005/mo
Median Home Value$174,900$165,900
Cost of Living (US = 100)8888
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income40%46.1%
Poverty Rate11.1%28.3%
Unemployment Rate3.6% (county)3.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k26256
Property Crime Rate /100k4983,592
Median AQI4545
Good AQI Days /yr226226
Summer Highs91°F91°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall1 in/yr1 in/yr
Avg Commute21.5 min17.4 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—2.0 / 5
Students per Teacher13.312.4
College Degree Rate27.8%37.3%
Foreign-Born %3.4%3.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+5.8%+0.2%

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