Hattiesburg: School Level (Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi: crime, chapel, new home)

[uxk8396]

Hi,
I am very new to the southern part, and planning to relocate to Hattiesburg soon. I am inquisitive about the educational level (elementary and middle school) in that region. Can anyone advise me of an excellent middle and elementary school for the kids. Depending on the zoning of the school, I will then be able to purchase a house in that area. Kindly advise.

[brickpatio]

You can check schooldigger.com for school test scores and information. The highest rated schools feed into Oak Grove High School and Petal High School.

[uxk8396]

Hi, Thanks for the quick response. Which neighborhoods around Oak Grove would you recommend safe, decent, and excellent for families, that has new development, new housing etc.

[tblackwell99]

Originally Posted by uxk8396

Hi, Thanks for the quick response. Which neighborhoods around Oak Grove would you recommend safe, decent, and excellent for families, that has new development, new housing etc.

Lots of good subdivisions in the Oak Grove area that could meet your needs. Definitely varying price levels, though.

Lake Serene is a large neighborhood centered around a small lake. Varying price levels here and a mixture of some new construction and 20-30 year old homes.

Forrest Hills is a nice little subdivision a bit closer to the Southern Miss campus. Homes are generally 10 years old here and are 3-4 BRs.

Chapel Hill has some smaller homes (2 BR) but is new construction (~ 5 yrs old or less and some still being built).

Bent Creek and sister neighborhoods, Worthington, Denstone, are very nice neighborhoods with brand new homes some 10 year old homes. Prices and sizes vary quite a bit ($1800,000-$400,000) between the three, so check them all out to see which would fit your needs. A couple community pools available for residents and a good amount of kids.

If you have money to spend, there is also Canebreak, also around a lake and featuring a golf course. Homes are much more expensive here ($300,000+), but it is a beautiful area with new homes still being built.

There are plenty more little subdivisions around that you could check out, as well as some homes a bit closer to Hattiesburg proper that have more of a city neigbhorhood/city block feel. Homes closer to the city are going to be a little older, but most were built within the last ~10-30 years.

[uxk8396]

That helps a lot. I will start looking into that part.
Thank you so much.

Can we say that the population is diversified enough in Hattiesburg, especially with the USMiss? Obviously not as NYC, I mean, is there ethnic grocery stores (Indian, Korean, Chinese, Mexican presence)

[tblackwell99]

Originally Posted by uxk8396

That helps a lot. I will start looking into that part.
Thank you so much.

Can we say that the population is diversified enough in Hattiesburg, especially with the USMiss? Obviously not as NYC, I mean, is there ethnic grocery stores (Indian, Korean, Chinese, Mexican presence)

There are a couple Asian groceries and is a Mexican mercado as well (at least there was one, not sure if it's still there). Not sure about the others.... Might have to go to the coast for those.

Hattiesburg has a somewhat diverse population.... Being a college town brings some diversity, but it's still a relatively small town in Mississippi, so there is no Chinatown or diversity that you'd see it large metros around the country (NY, DC, LA, Chicago, etc.). Hope that helps.

[tblackwell99]

I think the Wikipedia section on demographics is pretty accurate. While out and about in Hattiesburg, it is fairly obvious that whites and blacks make up a large majority of the population.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The racial makeup of the city was 49.95% White, 47.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.

[uxk8396]

Hi, Just curious to know if New Orleans and Hattiesburg share some similarities in cultures (food, ways of thinking) and which of the two places is a safer place to live, and has a good educational system in place. Also, is life relatively more expensive in New Orleans than in Hattiesburg and taxes, though they are 110 miles apart, and in different states. Does New Orleans has much to offer in terms of diversity (restaurants, shopping, recreational parks, other activities, safe environment). In sum, are the people different in those two different places. Is it wise to live in New Orleans and commute to work in Hattiesburg daily? How friendly are the people in those two places. I have so many questions..

[tblackwell99]

Originally Posted by uxk8396

Hi, Just curious to know if New Orleans and Hattiesburg share some similarities in cultures (food, ways of thinking) and which of the two places is a safer place to live, and has a good educational system in place. Also, is life relatively more expensive in New Orleans than in Hattiesburg and taxes, though they are 110 miles apart, and in different states. Does New Orleans has much to offer in terms of diversity (restaurants, shopping, recreational parks, other activities, safe environment). In sum, are the people different in those two different places. Is it wise to live in New Orleans and commute to work in Hattiesburg daily? How friendly are the people in those two places. I have so many questions..

New Orleans is definitely more diverse and has more to offer. More parks, restaurants, shopping, services. It's a much larger city/metro than Hattiesburg, thus has a more diverse population and broader range of activities and retail, etc. Within the city of New Orleans, you will find more walkable, urban neighborhoods. New Orleans is more typical of a larger city, while Hattiesburg is a traditional small town that has experience rapid growth over the last 20 years.

That said, Hattiesburg has less crime and a lower crime rate. I'm sure you would feel safe in Hattiesburg, yet you could also find safe neighborhoods in the New Orleans area as well.

Depending on where you work in Hattiesburg and where you live in New Orleans, you could easily be spending 5 hours a day for your commute. Minimum, probably 4 hours. It's primarily interstate the entire way, but may be too long for daily driving.

Overall, New Orleans would easily be a more exciting place to live. However, Hattiesburg is 2 hours (or less) away from New Orleans, Mobile, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Jackson. If you get bored in Hattiesburg, you can always make day trips on weekends. Additionally, Gulf Shores, AL and Pensacola, FL are both 3 hours away.

I'd recommend spending a couple days in each city to familiarize yourself - they are very different cities.

[uxk8396]

Thanks a lot for the kind info