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Petal, MS

City in Forrest County, Mississippi. ZIP codes: 39465.

Population

11,294

Land area

16.9sq mi

People per sq mi

668

ZIP codes

1

Petal and its ZIP codes

Full map

Petal at a glance

  • Petal is about 11 times as dense as Mississippi as a whole.
  • It is the 37th most populous of 420 cities and towns in Mississippi.
  • Households here earn a median of $74,750 a year, 32% more than the Mississippi figure of $56,447.
  • A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $174,900 (3% above Mississippi) and median rent is $1,047 a month.

Local data for Petal, MS

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Petal, MS, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$74,750

Poverty rate

11.1%

Median home value

$174,900

Median rent

$1,047/mo

Homeownership

70.0%

Bachelor's or higher

27.8%

Median age

37.0

Average commute

21.5 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: Irish Americans (1,446), German Americans (1,092), French Americans (544).

Home values and rentsIncome, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, pay, income and spending are for Forrest County. PPP loans are for Petal.

Details

Unemployment rate

3.0%

Aug 2026, -0.9 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$54,252

38,996 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$47,943

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$571M

FY 2026, $7,303 per person

Forrest County economyFederal spending

How people get to work

Petal, MS, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

  • Drove alone81.2%
  • Carpooled12.1%
  • Public transit0.0%
  • Walked0.0%
  • Bicycle0.0%
  • Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.7%
  • Worked from home5.0%

Average one-way commute: 21.5 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Petal, MS, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Low

Top: tornado

Storm events since 1996

725

Countywide, mostly thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

469

1.8% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

92° / 38°F

58.9 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone

Health statistics

Share of adults in Petal, MS, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

34.4%

U.S. 33.3% +1.1 pts

Diabetes

12.6%

U.S. 12.1% +0.5 pts

Smoking

16.2%

U.S. 12.8% +3.4 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

11.1%

U.S. 11.1% about the same

ZIP codes in Petal

1 in or overlapping Petal. Population shown

·

Cities near Petal

NameDistanceLand area (sq mi)
GlendaleCensus-designated place3.6 mi1.6
HattiesburgCity4.3 mi53.4
EastabuchieCensus-designated place6.6 mi1.9
Arnold LineCensus-designated place7.2 mi1.7
West HattiesburgCensus-designated place7.3 mi2.4
Rawls SpringsCensus-designated place8.3 mi1.8
RunnelstownCensus-designated place8.5 mi1.9
Oak GroveCensus-designated place10 mi1.2
MoselleCensus-designated place12 mi1.7
PurvisCity16 mi4.2
New AugustaTown17 mi5.1
OvettCensus-designated place17 mi1.7
EllisvilleCity18 mi10.4
SumrallTown18 mi3.7
RichtonTown18 mi2.3
SeminaryTown21 mi1.5

Frequently asked questions

What county is Petal, MS in?
Petal is in Forrest County, Mississippi.
What ZIP codes are in Petal, MS?
ZIP codes in or overlapping Petal include 39465.
What is the population of Petal, MS?
About 11,294 people live in Petal, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What cities are near Petal?
Nearby places include Glendale (3.6 mi), Hattiesburg (4.3 mi), Eastabuchie (6.6 mi), Arnold Line (7.2 mi), West Hattiesburg (7.3 mi).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey) · Data as of 12/31/2023