Hattiesburg, MS — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Mississippi·Hattiesburg

Forrest County · Hattiesburg · population 48,522

First-time buyers
Hattiesburg, MS
Image: Wikipedia · Hattiesburg, Mississippi
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hattiesburg stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $221,516
1-year +3.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$222k$134k$166k$198k$230k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,415/mo$1,045$1,272$1,500202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent114127100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.0
Buy

At a 13.0 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Hattiesburg on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.0 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
62 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
43 · w16%
Rent YoY
73 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
56 · w10%
Long thesis

Hattiesburg has held up across the cycle: home values at $221,516 with +4.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Hattiesburg's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, with an estimated population of 48,522. The median home value in Hattiesburg is $221,516 as of 2026-04, up 3.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hattiesburg average $1,415 per month, up 4.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $221,516 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +3.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Hattiesburg (Wikipedia)

Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th most populous city in Mississippi. Hattiesburg is the principal city of the Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Covington, Forrest, Lamar, and Perry counties. The city is the anchor of the Pine Belt region.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Forrest County right now.

NWS active alerts (MS)Mississippi Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Forrest County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Hattiesburg

12 tracked · ranked by median home value
1University Heights$238,357-6.1%
2Jamestown_Lincoln$225,986-0.1%
3Arcadia-Sunset$216,356-0.1%
4Pinehills$209,319+2.6%
5The Oaks$183,116-3.2%
6Hattiesburg Historic$178,375+5.2%
7Parkhaven$168,109+3.3%
8The Highlands$157,078-2.4%
9Longleaf Heights-Avenues$149,932+5.1%
10Kamper-Avenues$141,490-1.7%
11Hattiesburg High School$134,656+2.0%
12North Main Historic$101,379-11.1%

Cities like Hattiesburg

Biloxi, MS63 · RisingRidgeland, MS69 · RisingPicayune, MS67 · RisingMadison, MS64 · Rising

Run the numbers for Hattiesburg

ToolCan I afford Hattiesburg?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Hattiesburg rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Hattiesburg to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHattiesburg cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
56° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 72°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
216
~59% of year
Annual precip
59″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very high
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Hattiesburg listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Hattiesburg area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$52,700
Mississippi state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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