Hattiesburg grew up around the railroad, the Southern Railway System, and was incorporated in 1884.  It was known as the "Hub City" then and still is today; this town of nearly 50,000 people is easily accessible and is situated 100 miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama.  The founding of two large hospitals and the presence of  the state-owned military base Camp Shelby, a training and mobilization center, and the University of Southern Mississippi have added to Hattiesburg's stability and growth.  Retirees who make their home here point to the town having a hometown feeling but with many of the attractions and benefits of a city.

Overall, Hattiesburg has a cost-of-living that is roughly 20% below the national average.  Contributing to this is the reasonable price of real estate, and inventory seems to be plentiful.  The town has a charming 23-block historic district with many Victorian, Queen Anne and Greek-Revival homes listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Currently, the single family median home price is approximately $185,000.  This amount will purchase a beautiful new three bedroom, two bath brick home with 1,800 square feet, custom cabinets and paint colors, stainless steel appliances, upgraded wood and tile floors and a large, landscaped back yard in a nicer area of town.   

Slightly more money, $250,000 or so, will fetch a wonderful brick home with 2,200 square feet, three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a fully landscaped yard with a sprinkler system, Brazilian cherry floors, granite tile counters, extensive crown molding, stainless steel appliances, an open living space and oversized bedrooms and closets.   $395,000 will purchase a mini-mansion.  But there are also many comfortable homes on leafy streets in the $145,000 to $175,000 range, as well as many well-kept, smaller (roughly 900 to 1,000 square feet) single-family homes for less than $110,000.   There are also some 50+ developments, such as Canebrake, Lake Serene or Timberton, outside of town. Town homes are not plentiful.  

There are a number of apartment complexes; the average rent for a one bedroom unit is roughly $550 to $600 per month; an average two bedroom unit leases for $650 to $850 per month.  Hattiesburg has a couple of  mobile home parks, including Ridgecrest Mobile Home Park and Southern Garden Estates, but neither is age-restricted.

This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs to zoom in and out.

Mississippi is often thought of as a low-tax state, but it actually ranks toward the middle of the pack (#26) because it has a high sales tax (7%) that applies to nearly everything, including groceries.  Retirees, though, benefit from tax breaks.   Qualified retirement income is exempt from state income tax, and Social Security is not taxed, regardless of total income.  Retirement income from IRAs, 401s/403s, Keoghs and qualified public and private pension plans is not taxable.   Single family residential property is taxed at 10% of its assessed value; the tax rate is $165 per $1,000.  Persons 65 years of age and better receive a  $75,000  deduction from the market value on their primary residence; hence, with the deduction, the taxes on a $150,000 home would be $1,237 annually.  Car tags are expensive, and homeowners' insurance rates are higher than the national average.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Continued...