Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, home to about 11,294 people across 17 square miles. Its ZIP code is 39465.
Homes sold for a median of $149 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Petal; also Runnelstown and Eastabuchie
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Petal. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Petal’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)112 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Hattiesburg Laurel Regional Airport (PIB)11 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | New Orleans, LA99 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX382 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Petal; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Petal had 11,010 residents in the 2020 census, up 45% since 2000.
It’s the 37th largest of 420 towns in Mississippi by population.
Forrest County grew from 20,722 residents in 1910 to 78,158 in 2020.
Forrest County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 38°F. About 59.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hattiesburg Chain Muni Ap, MS weather station (5 miles away).
32,739 jobs at 1,741 businesses in Forrest County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
75 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Petal.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 15 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 19 |
| Mental health providers | 14 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 12 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 7 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Petal School District, Perry County School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petal Primary SchoolPetal | Pre-K–2 | 1,016 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Runnelstown SchoolPetal | K–5 | 173 | Public | 6.8 mi |
| Petal Elementary 3-4Petal | 3–4 | 636 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Petal Upper ElementaryPetal | 5–6 | 632 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Petal Middle SchoolPetal | 7–8 | 645 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Petal High SchoolPetal | 9–13 | 1,324 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Dyslexia DesignPetal | K–6 | 161 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Runnelstown and Eastabuchie.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.