Cost of living in West Hattiesburg 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 West Hattiesburg 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 West Hattiesburg is 92, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in West Hattiesburg is 0.9x lower than the national average.
West Hattiesburg ranks as the #48 cheapest in Mississippi out of 68.
West Hattiesburg ranks as the #1,501 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in West Hattiesburg is $244,391.
The median income in West Hattiesburg is $38,269.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, West Hattiesburg has an overall cost of living index of 92, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Mississippi, West Hattiesburg has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Mississippi's index of 84.
The standard of living in West Hattiesburg ranks as #48 most affordable out of the 68 places we measured in Mississippi. By definition, that implies West Hattiesburg ranks as the #20 most expensive place in the Magnolia State.
For more reading on life in West Hattiesburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in West Hattiesburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in West Hattiesburg is 99.
The Groceries index in West Hattiesburg is 96.
The Health index in West Hattiesburg is 107.
The Housing index in West Hattiesburg is 84.
The Transportation index in West Hattiesburg is 95.
The Utilities index in West Hattiesburg is 88.
| Living Expense | West Hattiesburg | Mississippi | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92 | 84 | 100 | |
| Services | 99 | 90 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 96 | 95 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 96 | 100 | |
| Housing | 84 | 63 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 88 | 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 West Hattiesburg is $244,391.
The Median Rent in West Hattiesburg is $1,014.
The Median Income in West Hattiesburg is $38,269.
The Home Value To Income in West Hattiesburg is 6.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in West Hattiesburg is 0.32x.
| Statistic | West Hattiesburg | Mississippi | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $244,391 | $188,640 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,014 | $923 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $38,269 | $54,915 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 6.4x | 3.4x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.32x | 0.2x | 0.21x | 
| Item | West Hattiesburg | 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 | West Hattiesburg | 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 | West Hattiesburg | Mississippi | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $122.28 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $128.94 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $138.76 | $113.29 | 
| Item | West Hattiesburg | Mississippi | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.08 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $60.67 | $59.92 | 
| Item | West Hattiesburg | Mississippi | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $162.85 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $187.62 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around West Hattiesburg. 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, 0.9x West Hattiesburg.
Laurel, MS has a cost of living index of 82, 0.9x West Hattiesburg.
Petal, MS has a cost of living index of 89, 1.0x West Hattiesburg.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. West Hattiesburg | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg, MS | 48,507 | 86 | 0.9x | 
| Laurel, MS | 17,129 | 82 | 0.9x | 
| Petal, MS | 11,195 | 89 | 1.0x | 
| Bogalusa, LA | 10,539 | 86 | 0.9x | 
| Columbia, MS | 5,804 | 79 | 0.9x |