Housing data for Petal, MS
Petal, MS has an estimated 11,294 residents and 4,357 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Forrest County.
30.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,047 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+6.7%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 11,294 (±37)
- Housing units
- 4,357 (±282)
- Households that rent
- 30.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,047
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +6.7%
What stands out in Petal
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 5.1% (±2.8 points) in Petal, lower than in Forrest County (18.3%).
Median household income: $74,750 (±$7,031) in Petal, higher than in Forrest County ($53,640).
Households without a vehicle: 2.7% (±2.1 points) in Petal, lower than in Forrest County (7.1%).
Households that rent: 30.0% (±5.3 points) in Petal, lower than in Forrest County (42.8%).
- Types of homes in Petal
- Income and affordability in Petal
- Commute and cars in Petal
- Renters and owners in Petal
Housing in Petal at a glance
- Median rent: $1,047 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $965 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 47.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 30.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $74,750 median household income
- Home values: $174,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,344 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,502 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 5.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 75.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 57.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.9% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 58.0% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 21.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 26 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +6.7% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 22.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Petal against Forrest County, its state and the nation
| Petal | Forrest County | Mississippi | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11,294 (±37) | 78,272 (exact) | 2,946,779 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,357 (±282) | 33,753 (±43) | 1,341,114 (±478) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 30.0% (±5.3 points) | 42.8% (±2.0 points) | 30.0% (±0.4 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,047 (±$65) | $972 (±$32) | $954 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $74,750 (±$7,031) | $53,640 (±$2,780) | $56,447 (±$539) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $174,900 (±$16,907) | $168,000 (±$6,755) | $169,800 (±$1,198) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,502 (±$165) | $1,361 (±$86) | $1,215 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 57.5% (±7.7 points) | 47.4% (±2.9 points) | 41.4% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.5 minutes (±2.2) | 21.2 minutes (±1.2) | 25.6 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 87.8% (±4.2 points) | 86.4% (±1.8 points) | 84.1% (±0.3 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.0 years (±1.9) | 32.0 years (±0.4) | 38.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Petal covers 16.9 square miles of land, about 668 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Petal has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,584 (±41) | 11,294 (±37) | +6.7% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 4,108 (±250) | 4,357 (±282) | +6.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $884 (±$67) | $1,047 (±$65) | +18.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $141,600 (±$8,741) | $174,900 (±$16,907) | +23.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $55,946 (±$6,332) | $74,750 (±$7,031) | +33.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,163 (±$63) | $1,344 (±$82) | +15.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,545 (±$160) | $1,502 (±$165) | −2.8% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 34.2% (±6.0 points) | 30.0% (±5.3 points) | −4.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.3% (±3.6 points) | 4.9% (±5.2 points) | +2.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Petal
In 2025, the Petal Police Department reported 26 violent and 497 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Forrest County, the departments that report recorded 177 violent and 2,366 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Petal
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39465 | 14% | 22,882 | $1,001 | $185,700 | $74,035 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Petal
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | 4.5 mi | $835 | $158,400 | 27.8% |
| Hattiesburg | 5.6 mi | $1,005 | $165,900 | 62.8% |
| Arnold Line | 8.4 mi | $1,360 | $157,900 | 20.2% |
| West Hattiesburg | 8.8 mi | $978 | $213,700 | 57.7% |
| Rawls Springs | 9.3 mi | $1,066 | $88,900 | 34.7% |
| Oak Grove | 11 mi | $1,218 | $221,700 | 34.2% |
| New Augusta | 16 mi | — | $84,700 | 25.4% |
| Purvis | 17 mi | $939 | $168,100 | 36.3% |
Places in Mississippi most like Petal
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gautier | $1,040 | $166,400 | $61,926 | 33.2% |
| Caledonia | $1,042 | $203,300 | $82,806 | 36.9% |
| Mantachie | $873 | $156,700 | $65,568 | 24.5% |
| Glendale | $835 | $158,400 | $56,818 | 27.8% |
| New Albany | $973 | $161,400 | $51,332 | 38.3% |
| Amory | $834 | $162,000 | $52,901 | 37.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Mississippi.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Petal, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $916 | $1,117 | $1,316 | $1,676 | $1,730 |
HUD income limits for Petal, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,800 | $27,950 | $44,700 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,950 | $51,100 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $35,950 | $57,500 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,900 | $63,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $43,100 | $69,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $46,300 | $74,100 |
| 7 people | $49,500 | $49,500 | $79,200 |
| 8 people | $52,700 | $52,700 | $84,300 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Hattiesburg, MS MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $79,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Petal
What is the average rent in Petal, MS?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Petal is $1,047 (±$65) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Petal?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Petal, MS is $608 (±$365) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Petal rent-burdened?
47.2% of renting households in Petal pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Petal?
Petal has an estimated 1,205 (±227) renting households, 30.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Petal?
The median household income in Petal is $74,750 (±$7,031) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Petal, MS?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $174,900 (±$16,907) for owner-occupied homes in Petal (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Petal growing?
In Petal, the number of residents went from 10,584 in 2015–2019 to 11,294 in 2020–2024 (+6.7%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Petal?
The ZIP code that covers Petal is 39465.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 39465?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 39465 is $1,001 (±$79) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Petal city, Mississippi
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Hattiesburg, MS MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Hattiesburg, MS MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Petal Police Department (ORI MS0180200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Petal city, Mississippi (place:56800, in state:28).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .