Cost of living in Petal research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Petal is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Mississippi, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Petal is 89, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Petal is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Petal ranks as the #39 cheapest in Mississippi out of 68.
Petal ranks as the #1,060 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Petal is $219,889.
The median income in Petal is $72,845.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Petal has an overall cost of living index of 89, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Mississippi, Petal has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Mississippi's index of 84.
The standard of living in Petal ranks as #39 most affordable out of the 68 places we measured in Mississippi. By definition, that implies Petal ranks as the #29 most expensive place in the Magnolia State.
For more reading on life in Petal, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Petal. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Petal is 97.
The Groceries index in Petal is 97.
The Health index in Petal is 107.
The Housing index in Petal is 78.
The Transportation index in Petal is 93.
The Utilities index in Petal is 91.
| Living Expense | Petal | Mississippi | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 89 | 84 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 90 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 95 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 78 | 63 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 91 | 85 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Mississippi, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Petal is $219,889.
The Median Rent in Petal is $958.
The Median Income in Petal is $72,845.
The Home Value To Income in Petal is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Petal is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Petal | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $219,889 | $188,640 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $958 | $923 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $72,845 | $54,915 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 3.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Petal | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.17 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $10.62 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $17.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.75 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $45.72 | $45.56 |
| Item | Petal | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.76 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.74 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.55 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.16 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.24 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.16 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.59 | $3.7 |
| Item | Petal | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $122.28 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $128.94 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $138.76 | $113.29 |
| Item | Petal | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.08 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Petal | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $162.85 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.62 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Petal. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hattiesburg, MS has a cost of living index of 86, 1.0x Petal.
Laurel, MS has a cost of living index of 82, 0.9x Petal.
West Hattiesburg, MS has a cost of living index of 92, 1.0x Petal.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Petal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg, MS | 48,507 | 86 | 1.0x |
| Laurel, MS | 17,129 | 82 | 0.9x |
| West Hattiesburg, MS | 6,509 | 92 | 1.0x |
| Columbia, MS | 5,804 | 79 | 0.9x |