What it's like to live in Pascagoula
Pascagoula is a small city in Mississippi with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pascagoula deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 70" of rain per year
How Pascagoula compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pascagoula
Based on Pascagoula's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,788
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,760 a year
- 53% of Pascagoula renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$28,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $14,470
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 37% below US
$894/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $894 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $144,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $144,700 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 31% above US
431 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 4322/100k · Pascagoula Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 40% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gulf Islands National Seashore (79 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pascagoula's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($894/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Pascagoula
All Mississippi guides →Moving to Moss Point →
5 mi away · pop. 11,957
Rent $1,075/mo · Income $44,296
Compare with Pascagoula →Moving to Ocean Springs →
14 mi away · pop. 18,646
Rent $1,358/mo · Income $79,712
Compare with Pascagoula →Not sure Pascagoula is the one?
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