Petal, MS

Census Place

Add Comparison

2021 Population

11,342

6.76% 1-year growth

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

35.2

5.12% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

17%

24.7% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$55,407

3.75% 1-year decline

2021 Median Property Value

$141,400

3.29% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Petal, MS had a population of 11.3k people with a median age of 35.2 and a median household income of $55,407. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Petal, MS grew from 10,624 to 11,342, a 6.76% increase and its median household income declined from $57,565 to $55,407, a −3.75% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Petal, MS are White (Non-Hispanic) (75.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (16.1%), White (Hispanic) (4.24%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.6%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.758%).

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.

98.2% of the residents in Petal, MS are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Petal, MS was $141,400, and the homeownership rate was 67%.

Most people in Petal, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Petal, MS was 2 cars per household.

United States Mississippi Forrest County, MS Hattiesburg, MS Forrest, Lamar, Marion & Perry CountiesHattiesburg City PUMA, MS

Population & Diversity

Petal, MS is home to a population of 11.3k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2021, 2.21% of Petal, MS residents were born outside of the country (251 people).

In 2021, there were 4.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.59k people) in Petal, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.83k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 481 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.2%

2021 Citizenship

98.3%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 98.2% of Petal, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Petal, MS was 98.3%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Petal, MS

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.59k ± 611
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.83k ± 501
White (Hispanic)
481 ± 363

5.57%

Hispanic Population

632 people

5.57% of the people in Petal, MS are hispanic (632 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Petal, MS as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

2.21%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

251 people

3.48%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

370 people

As of 2021, 2.21% of Petal, MS residents (251 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Petal, MS was 3.48%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
277 ± 136
Gulf War (1990s)
203 ± 107
Gulf War (2001-)
163 ± 98

Petal, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.36 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Petal, MS employs 5.07k people. The largest industries in Petal, MS are Health Care & Social Assistance (933 people), Educational Services (746 people), and Retail Trade (720 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($108,237), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($88,500), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($88,500).

Employment

Occupations

5.07k

2021 Value

± 580

3.89%

1 Year growth

± 15.5%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Petal, MS grew at a rate of 3.89%, from 4.88k employees to 5.07k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Petal, MS, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (819 people), Sales & Related Occupations (557 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (486 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Petal, MS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

5.07k

2021 Value

± 580

3.89%

1 Year growth

± 15.5%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Petal, MS grew at a rate of 3.89%, from 4.88k employees to 5.07k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Petal, MS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (933 people), Educational Services (746 people), and Retail Trade (720 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,059

Median earning men ± $7,431

$32,995

Median earning women ± $4,923

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($135,032), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($107,724), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,950).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,383), Manufacturing ($32,679), and Construction ($32,222).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

View Full Dashboard

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Mississippi to other states, or from other states to Mississippi.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Mississippi product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $30.9B, followed by Coal-n.e.c. ($28.9B) and Electronics ($11.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Mississippi products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Mississippi.

$180B

2020 Value in Mississippi

$374B

Projected 2050 Value in Mississippi

108% growth

In 2020, total outbound Mississippi trade was $180B. This is expected to increase 108% to $374B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Mississippi trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Mississippi to other states, or from other states to Mississippi.

Most Common Trade Partners

Alabama
$24.4B
Louisiana
$10.7B
Tennessee
$10.7B

In 2020, the top outbound Mississippi domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Alabama with $24.4B, followed by Louisiana with $10.7B and Tennessee and $10.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Mississippi shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 57.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (41.1%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.611%).

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Petal, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (57.6%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (41.1%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.611%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 57.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (41.1%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.611%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mississippi for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Roger Wicker

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Senator from Mississippi

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Mississippi

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Mississippi have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2021, 0.976% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (683k), Some college (549k), and Secondary Education (407k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Petal, MS was $141,400 in 2021, which is 0.577 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $136,900 to $141,400, a 3.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Petal, MS is 67%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Petal, MS have an average commute time of 22.6 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.

Median household income in Petal, MS is $55,407. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Petal, MS was Census Tract 101.01 with a value of $86,611, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 104, with respective values of $44,769 and $42,120.

Property

$141,400

Median Property Value 2021

±$10,303

$2,755

Median Property Taxes

±$379

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.

Rent vs Own

67%

Homeownership

2021

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 67% of the housing units in Petal, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 101.01
Census Tract 103
Census Tract 104

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Petal, MS was Census Tract 101.01 with a value of $86,611, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 104, with respective values of $44,769 and $42,120.

The following map shows all of the places in Petal, MS colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,407

Median Household Income

± $5,792

4.11k

Number of Households

± 501

In 2021, the median household income of the 4.11k households in Petal, MS declined from $55,407 from the previous year's value of $57,565.

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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Petal, MS is from Mississippi.

0.45

2021 Wage GINI in Mississippi

0.45

2020 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2021, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.159% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (80.3%)
Carpooled (9.28%)
Other (3.86%)

In 2021, 80.3% of workers in Petal, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.28%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (3.86%).

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.

Commute Time

22.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Petal, MS have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.73% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Petal, MS (1.92k out of 11.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 12 - 14 and then Females 55 - 64.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.7% of the population of Petal, MS has health coverage, with 43.9% on employee plans, 19.8% on Medicaid, 9.4% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 2.75% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Forrest County, MS see 1152 patients per year on average, which represents a 11% decrease from the previous year (1294 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2344 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 243 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Forrest County, MS.

1,152 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Forrest County, MS

Primary care physicians in Forrest County, MS see an average of 1,152 patients per year. This represents a 11% decrease from the previous year (1,294 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Forrest County, MS in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28.2% under 18 years, 21.8% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.3%

Uninsured

43.9%

Employer Coverage

19.8%

Medicaid

9.4%

Medicare

13.8%

Non-Group

2.75%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Petal, MS grew by 12.1% from 9.23% to 10.3%.

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.