Biloxi possible move (schools, crime, questions) (Gulfport, Pascagoula: 2015, homes, neighborhoods)

[BillyBobJoeBobWilly]

We are entertaining a possible move to Biloxi and are interested in feedback regarding family life in that region. How are schools, crime, gang activity, drugs, etc.


Would appreciate any feedback, good or bad.

Thank you,

[brickpatio]

The MS Gulf Coast would be considered fairly mild when it comes to crime. There are a few pockets but overall it has a middle class and working class feel, with the highest and lowest ends slightly less prominent.

The highest rated schools can be found at schooldigger.com. The towns of Ocean Springs, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Biloxi, and Diamondhead (Hancock County) usually rate fairly well. North of I-10, North Woolmarket/D'Ibervile, Vancleave, and West Harrison rate okay also. Gulfport has highly rated middle school but less so with the high school.

As far as neighborhoods and towns, Ocean Springs is usually the first area that people note. It has a thriving and affluent downtown area and its own little community beach with a view of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge and the casinos across the bay in Biloxi.
To the west, Long Beach is quiet and is a low-cost straight-up middle class area with a long beachfront, hence the name. Pass Christian's beach is lined with historic mansions. Their schools are brand-new (post hurricane) and beautiful, looking more like a private school. Diamondhead was a large golf course community that recently incorporated into its own city. Almost all these homes are new (built in the last 25 years or so). There are also many subdivisions north of Gulfport-Biloxi, several miles north of I-10, which are suburban in feel.

Probably the wealthiest neighborhood on entire Coast is in Gulfport, along Bernard Bayou (called Bayou Oaks). The nicest private school is St Patrick's Catholic high school, brand-new and several miles north of I-10, built new after Katrina. It has a collegiate prep feel to it. Biloxi has some nice and new neighborhoods especially along Biloxi's back bay and north of the bay.

The hottest shopping area is just north of Biloxi in the city of D'Iberville, around the intersection of I-10 and I-110. A new mall is being built there now to open in a couple of years. The hottest area for night life would be in Biloxi, especially around the Beau Rivage and Hard Rock casinos. A new AA baseball stadium is being built there with a AA team moving to Biloxi for 2015. Downtown Gulfport has also recently been renovated and has several nice restaurants and bars.

Overall this area has a high quality of life because of its location on the coast and fabulous weather. It's just over an hour to New Orleans and just a couple of hours to Florida in the other direction. The economy is okay but not booming like some other areas. The area is heavily influenced by the military, with several very large military bases in the area. Casinos are a large source of tourism and employed, as is the seafood and boating industries. Shipbuilding is very big over in Pascagoula, which relies on contracts with the U.S. military. Corporations are not as big and nothing like what you find in places like Dallas, Houston or Atlanta. This area probably needs a good 30 years before it builds up that kind of economic base and wealth.

However, Mississippi is making positive moves in terms of state policy, to encourage businesses to move in and expand. It's been rated around 10th in the nation by two different entities for best climate for business (based on state tax policies and regulations primarily, that encourage business). Large companies such as Toyota and Yokohama have been moving in. In south MS, Rolls Royce just expanded its presence at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.

[BillyBobJoeBobWilly]

Nice post.. . Thank you Brickpatio