What it's like to live in Pearl
Pearl is a small city in Mississippi with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pearl deals with household incomes below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, hot summers, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pearl compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pearl
Based on Pearl's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,350
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,000 a year
- 56% of Pearl renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$36,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,250
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,175/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,175 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $182,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $182,500 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 40% below US
2.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.6%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 75% below US
83 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 646/100k · Pearl Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 22% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument (8 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pearl'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 a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,175/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Pearl
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