Safest/best neighborhoods in Hattiesburg (Starkville, Petal: middle-class, crime, school)

[whiteknight]

What are the safest/best neighborhoods in Hattiesburg for a middle-class family?

[Tama]

It depends on what you mean by "best". There are safe modest neighborhoods and safe high-end areas. Hattisburg was VERY safe before Katrina-since then crime has risen and is occurring in areas previously deemed "safe". Relatively speaking the town is still very very safe. I don't want to steer you wrong and a realtor might help, but roughly speaking, the areas west of hwy 49 I would consider safer with some exceptions. As you leave the city limits heading west you are going into Lamar County which has a lot of developments that would be family friendly and is the area most realtors steer newcomers to. It has reasonable and high-end housing. However, some older neighborhoods in the city limits are lovely. The city has zoning, leash laws, sewer systems, good fire protection, and is generally less rural than the county. However, many people like the county for tax and school considerations. There are golf communities and gated communities both in and out of the city limits. There is a lot of choice. The town of Petal has a good school system according to the grapevine and housing there is more affordable and the town is small and considered safe. It is a short drive from Hattiesburg. Basically, you would be looking at west Hattiesburg, Lamar County, Petal, or if it interests you the historical district which is more diverse and interesting but more spotty in terms of the safety factor. Good Luck!

[whiteknight]

Thanks for the info. Basically, I am looking for general background before I talk to a realtor. I lived in Starkville for six years, but may be moving to Hattiesburg in the near future.

Your post helped me immensely.

[thunderinokra]

Oak Grove is west of 59 where the school is really good. The town of Oak Grove is nice and suburban, but you have to drive a couple of minutes to get into Hattiesburg. If you get east of 59, you have to deal with the traffic of USM and downtown, annoying. There are pretty good areas down Oak Grove Road (behind Best Buy, travels into Oak Grove).