Moving to Hattiesburg, Mississippi

About Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg is the 5th most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the population now being 48,730 in 2020. Hattiesburg is the principal city of the Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Covington, Forrest, Lamar, and Perry counties. The city is located in the Pine Belt region.

Development of the interior of Mississippi took place primarily after the American Civil War. Before that time, only properties along the major rivers were developed as plantations. Founded in 1882 by civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a population of 400. Hattiesburg's population first expanded as a center of the lumber and railroad industries, from which was derived the nickname "The Hub City". It now attracts newcomers because of the diversity of its economy, strong neighborhoods, and the central location in South Mississippi.

Hattiesburg is a prominent college town, home to the University of Southern Mississippi (founded as Mississippi Normal College, for the training of teachers) and William Carey University (formerly William Carey College). South of Hattiesburg is Camp Shelby, the largest US National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River, which hosts up to 100,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists annually.

Gender
Gender Hattiesburg Mississippi Country
Female 54% 51.6% 50.8%
Male 46% 48.4% 49.2%
Gender

Household Income


Income Hattiesburg Mississippi Country
Less than $10,000 13.2% 9.4% 5.8%
$10,000 to $14,999 9.6% 6.7% 4.1%
$15,000 to $24,999 15.6% 12.3% 8.5%
$25,000 to $34,999 10.5% 11% 8.6%
$35,000 to $49,999 16.7% 13.5% 12.0%
$50,000 to $74,999 15.8% 17% 17.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 7.1% 11.4% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 6.5% 11.2% 15.6%
$150,000 to $199,999 2.7% 4.1% 7.1%
$200,000 or more 2.3% 3.4% 8.3%
Education


Education Hattiesburg Mississippi Country
< 9th Grade 5% 5% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 8% 10% 7.0%
High School or GED 21% 30% 27.0%
Other College 25% 22% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 10% 10% 9%
Bachelor's Degree 17% 14% 20.0%
Master's Degree 10% 6% 9.0%
Professional Degree 2% 2% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 2% 1% 1.0%
Household Income
Education
Race / Ethnicity


Ethnicity Hattiesburg Mississippi Country
White 38% 56.4% 60.1%
African American 54.6% 37.5% 12.2%
American Indian 0.3% 0.4% 0.6%
Asian 1.1% 1% 5.6%
Hawaiian 0% 0% 0.2%
Other 0% 0.2% 0.3%
Multiracial 2.6% 1.3% 2.8%
Hispanic 3.3% 3.2% 18.2%
Race / Ethnicity