Petal, MS

Petal, Mississippi

Introduction to Petal, Mississippi

Petal, Mississippi is located 68 miles N of Gulfport, Mississippi (center to center) and is 107 miles NE of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is in Forrest county. The city is part of the Hattiesburg metro area. The population of Petal is 7,579.

Petal History

Petal is the only US city that has this name. The first post office was established in 1903 and its first postmaster was Irving A. Polk. Petal was named after the daughter of the postmaster. The city is in Forrest County which was founded in 1906.

Petal and nearby Attractions

• Petal Plaza Shopping Center
• Optimist Park
• The Puttin' Place
• Paul B. Johnson State Park

Things To Do In Petal

Tourists are fond of shopping at the Petal Plaza Shopping Center. The Optimist Park as well as the Paul B. Johnson State Park offer several recreational facilities for the enjoyment of the visitors. The amusement park called Puttin' Place is the ideal destination for a visit with kids and family.

Petal Transportation

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is close to Petal.

Petal Higher Education

There are several higher education institutes near the city. Among them include the University of Southern Mississippi, Jones County Junior College, Pearl River Community College, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

High Points

Petal strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Mississippi):

Category	Trophy
Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers)	Top 14%
Low Rate of Poverty (vs. State)	Top 15%
Walking and Biking to Work (vs. State)	Top 18%
People in Middle Class or Better (vs. State)	Top 19%

Comparative Profile of Petal, MS

Comparing Petal to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Mississippi (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Female Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old
Senior Citizens
Racial Diversity
Age of the Population
Male Share of the Population
Well-Paid Single Women
Well-Paid Single Men

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better
Median Family Income

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Short Commute Times
Walking and Biking to Work
Public Transportation Use
Working at Home

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Affordability of Property Taxes
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built
People Living Alone
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Seasonal and Vacation Housing

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Violent Crime
Low Property Crime

Petal Almanac

Petal Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Petal Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, Petal, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

Wal-Mart in Petal

Petal High Schools (2004)

PETAL HIGH
1145 HIGHWAY 42 E
601-583-3538
Serves 998 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 13

Petal Colleges

(List of All Mississippi Colleges)

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