Petal, MS

Census Place

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2024 Population
11,294
US Senator
Roger Wicker
Republican Party
US Senator
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
37
0.538% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
11.1%
16.4% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$74,750
2.62% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$174,900
8.36% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
5,140
1.22% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Petal, MS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.7% of the residents in Petal, MS are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Petal, MS was $174,900, and the homeownership rate was 70%.

Most people in Petal, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Petal, MS was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMississippiForrest County, MSHattiesburg, MSSouth Region--Forrest, Lamar, Marion & Perry Counties PUMA, MS

Population & Diversity

Petal, MS is home to a population of 11.3k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.37% of Petal, MS residents were born outside of the country (381 people).

In 2024, there were 4.51 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.22k people) in Petal, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.82k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 369 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%
2024 Citizenship
99%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of Petal, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Petal, MS was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Petal, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Petal, MS
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    8.22k ± 519
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.82k ± 517
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    369 ± 178
5.45%
Hispanic Population
616 people

In 2024, there were 4.51 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.22k people) in Petal, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.82k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 369 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.45% of the people in Petal, MS are hispanic (616 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Petal, MS as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Mississippi.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    17,149 ± 3,206 people
  2. Honduras
    5,066 ± 1,746 people
  3. India
    4,341 ± 1,616 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 17,149 Mississippi residents, followed by Honduras with 5,066 and India with 4,341.

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Foreign-Born Population

3.37%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
381 people
1.55%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
173 people

As of 2024, 3.37% of Petal, MS residents (381 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Petal, MS was 1.55%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Petal, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    202 ± 84
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    198 ± 129
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    123 ± 87

Petal, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.02 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Petal, MS.

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Economy

The economy of Petal, MS employs 5.14k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Petal, MS were Health Care & Social Assistance (841 people), Educational Services (578 people), and Retail Trade (548 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($116,458), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($100,156), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($100,156).

Employment

Occupations

5.14k
2024 Value
± 575
1.22%
1 Year growth
± 15.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Petal, MS grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 5.08k employees to 5.14k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Petal, MS, are Management Occupations (571 people), Sales & Related Occupations (558 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (485 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Petal, MS.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Mississippi (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.14k
2024 Value
± 575
1.22%
1 Year growth
± 15.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Petal, MS grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 5.08k employees to 5.14k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Petal, MS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (841 people), Educational Services (578 people), and Retail Trade (548 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Petal, MS, though some of these residents may live in Petal, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$47,734
Median earning men ± $6,759
$35,989
Median earning women ± $5,548

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($100,156), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($63,705), and Public Administration ($60,455).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($45,875), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,580), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($37,188).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.
Y-Axis
1.38%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.17M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 1.38% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Mississippi.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Mississippi. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Petal, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (60.9%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (38%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.439%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mississippi for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.
Roger Wicker
Senator from Mississippi1
Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Senator from Mississippi2
Assumed office on April 9, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Thad Cochran.

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing Mississippi.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Mississippi over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Petal, MS was $174,900 in 2024, which is 0.526 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $161,400 to $174,900, a 8.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Petal, MS is 70%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Petal, MS have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Petal, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$174,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$16,907
$2,817
Median Property Taxes
±$384

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Petal, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Petal, MS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

70%
Homeownership
2024
67%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 70% of the housing units in Petal, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Petal, MS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$74,750
Median Household Income
± $7,031
4.02k
Number of Households
± 487

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.02k households in Petal, MS grew to $74,750 from the previous year's value of $72,845.

The following chart displays the households in Petal, MS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Petal, MS is from Mississippi.
0.45
2023 Wage GINI in Mississippi
0.452
2022 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2023, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.442% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Mississippi in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Mississippi across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (81.2%)
  2. Carpooled (12.1%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.97%)

In 2024, 81.2% of workers in Petal, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.1%) and those who worked at home (4.97%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

21.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Petal, MS have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.48% of the workforce in Petal, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Petal, MS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Petal, MS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Petal, MS have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Petal, MS (1.23k out of 11.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females < 5 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Petal, MS is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

89.5% of the population of Petal, MS has health coverage, with 44.4% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 10.2% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 1.81% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mississippi see 1,875 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,875 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1939 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 436 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.7% under 18 years, 21.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

10.5%
Uninsured
44.4%
Employer Coverage
21.6%
Medicaid
10.2%
Medicare
11.5%
Non-Group
1.81%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Petal, MS grew by 6.12% from 9.9% to 10.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Petal, MS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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