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City · 6,715 residents · Lamar County, Mississippi

West Hattiesburg , Mississippi

In West Hattiesburg, a typical home is worth $213,700 and typical rent is $978 a month. Compared with all of Lamar County, typical household income is 44% lower, typical rent is 13% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 27 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $213,700

    5% below the county

    26% above Mississippi

    • West Hattiesburg
    • Lamar
    • Mississippi

  • Typical rent

    $978a month

    13% below the county

    3% above Mississippi

    • West Hattiesburg
    • Lamar
    • Mississippi

  • Typical household income

    $39,366a year

    44% below the county

    30% below Mississippi

    • West Hattiesburg
    • Lamar
    • Mississippi

  • Households that own their home

    42%

    27 points below the county

    28 points below Mississippi

    • West Hattiesburg
    • Lamar
    • Mississippi

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

West Hattiesburg is in Lamar County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Lamar County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets West Hattiesburg apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 42% of households in West Hattiesburg own their home, against 70% in Lamar County.

  2. West Hattiesburg has the 2nd largest share of rent-burdened renters of the 63 cities in Mississippi with more than 5,000 people (66%).

  3. Nearby, in Laurel, the typical home value is $125,800: 41% less than in West Hattiesburg ($213,700).

  4. The typical household income in West Hattiesburg is $39,366, 44% less than in Lamar County as a whole ($70,909).

  5. Nearby, in Columbia, the typical rent is $806: 18% less than in West Hattiesburg ($978).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in West Hattiesburg

What homes there are in West Hattiesburg, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Homes in West Hattiesburg are varied: detached houses are the largest group, at 39%, against 67% in Lamar County.

Year built

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,431 a month

Lamar County: $1,507 a month

Without a mortgage

$416 a month

Lamar County: $464 a month

Owners with a mortgage

72%

Lamar County: 57%

Owning costs less in West Hattiesburg: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,431 a month; in Lamar County, $1,507. Without one, $416.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in West Hattiesburg rose 48% since 2015–2019, more than in Lamar County (26%).

Rent in West Hattiesburg moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureWest HattiesburgLamar CountyMississippiUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.3%8.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.1%2.2%3.4%
People per household 2.902.582.492.53
Drive alone 77%81%82%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate9%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate5%6%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate3%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.90 on average, against 2.58 in Lamar County.

The car rules in West Hattiesburg: 77% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 10 to 19 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in West Hattiesburg?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in West Hattiesburg, worth $213,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 52% of the typical household income in West Hattiesburg, which is $39,366 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $73,289 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Lamar County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in West Hattiesburg. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,480 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,710

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$209,829
Total interest
$301,894
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,609 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $919 a month

  • Tight

    $919 to $1,181 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,181 a month

    Your payment · 52%

Compared with the typical household income in West Hattiesburg ($39,366 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,710
Principal & interest$1,421
Property tax$105
Home insurance$89
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$95

You need at least $7,480 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

West Hattiesburg and Lamar County

West Hattiesburg is in Lamar County, Mississippi. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

West Hattiesburg's own numbers

Typical home value
$213,700
Typical monthly rent
$978
Typical yearly household income
$39,366
Households that own their home
42%
Effective property tax rate
0.59%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Lamar County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,316
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+46%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.5%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Lamar County.

Everything about Lamar County

Buying

Buying a home in West Hattiesburg

A typical home in West Hattiesburg is worth $213,700: 5% below the county and 26% above Mississippi. With the typical household income in West Hattiesburg ($39,366 a year), a typical home costs 5.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • West Hattiesburg 5.4 years
  • Lamar 3.2 years
  • Mississippi 3.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Lamar County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Lamar County rose 64% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Lamar County.

Period County Mississippi U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.8% +3.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +46% +42% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +64% +62% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

West Hattiesburg next to Lamar County, Mississippi and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • West Hattiesburg $213,700
  • Lamar $224,700
  • Mississippi $169,800
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • West Hattiesburg $978
  • Lamar $1,126
  • Mississippi $954
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • West Hattiesburg $39,366
  • Lamar $70,909
  • Mississippi $56,447
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
West Hattiesburg next to Lamar County and Mississippi
Measure West Hattiesburg Lamar County Mississippi U.S.
Typical home value $213,700 $224,700 $169,800 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $978 $1,126 $954 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $39,366 $70,909 $56,447 $80,734
Households that own their home 42% 70% 70% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,268 $1,479 $1,215 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.59% 0.66% 0.72% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 66% 45% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Lamar County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in West Hattiesburg

For a typical $213,700 home in West Hattiesburg, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, West Hattiesburg's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,710a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,480
    Cash to close
    $13,891
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $95

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,671a month

    Down payment
    $10,685
    Cash to close
    $17,096
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $102

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,352a month

    Down payment
    $42,740
    Cash to close
    $49,151
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,550a month

    Down payment
    $32,055
    Cash to close
    $38,466
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for West Hattiesburg and for Lamar County.

Property tax

Effective rate in West Hattiesburg

0.59%of the home’s value each year

$1,268 a year for the typical owner in West Hattiesburg.

  • West Hattiesburg 0.59%
  • Lamar 0.66%
  • Mississippi 0.72%

What Mississippi publishes Regular homestead exemption (Tier 1) (Mississippi Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Mississippi

Flood risk in Lamar County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Lamar County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.5%
311
Of those, with NFIP insurance
48%
County Mississippi U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.5% 7.6% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 48% 33% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in West Hattiesburg

Typical rent in West Hattiesburg is $978 a month: 13% below the county. In West Hattiesburg, 66% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Lamar County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,316 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.31 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Lamar County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $916 $17.62 $36,640
1 bedroom $1,117 $21.48 $44,680
2 bedrooms $1,316 $25.31 $52,640
3 bedrooms $1,676 $32.23 $67,040
4 bedrooms $1,730 $33.27 $69,200

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in West Hattiesburg

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). West Hattiesburg is in ZIP code 39402.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,550: $234 more than the fair market rent for Lamar County ($1,316).

  • 39402 $1,550$1,970

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for West Hattiesburg when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in West Hattiesburg

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Lamar County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in West Hattiesburg

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for West Hattiesburg or Lamar County. The ones below are statewide in Mississippi: they work in West Hattiesburg the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Mississippi

  • Smart7 Mortgage Program

    Statewide in Mississippi

    Mississippi state corporation 30-year mortgage with $7,000 for the down payment or closing costs as a 0% second mortgage, repaid when you sell, refinance, stop living in the home or pay off the mortgage; no first-time buyer requirement. Offered by Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Easy8

    Statewide in Mississippi

    Mississippi state corporation 30-year mortgage with $8,000 at 0% as a second mortgage for the down payment, closing costs or prepaid expenses, repaid when you sell, refinance, stop living in the home or pay off the mortgage; for first-time buyers, except in designated areas and for veterans. Offered by Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Home4All

    Statewide in Mississippi

    Mississippi state corporation forgivable grant, with federal HOME funds, of up to $25,000 for the down payment, closing costs or to reduce the principal; for first-time buyers with incomes under 80% of the area median and a fixed-rate mortgage; if you sell before 5 or 10 years (depending on the amount), you may repay part of it. Offered by Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC).

    Grant

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near West Hattiesburg

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of West Hattiesburg, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Breakthrough Community Services, Inc

    1313 Country Club Rd, Hattiesburg · 4 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (601) 582-3475

  • Housing Economic Resources and Education

    602 Adeline St, Hattiesburg · 5 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (601) 658-8654

  • D&e, A Housing and Economic Empowerment Center, Inc.

    521 Marion Ave, McComb · 65 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 10 more
    (601) 600-7001

All counseling agencies in Mississippi

Help in Spanish near West Hattiesburg

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of West Hattiesburg

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Lamar County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Mississippi Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to West Hattiesburg, with the typical home value.

Everything about Lamar County Housing in Mississippi

Neighboring counties

If Lamar County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in West Hattiesburg.

All guides
Two parents walk hand in hand with their little daughter.

Questions

Housing questions about West Hattiesburg

Short answers with the numbers for West Hattiesburg and all of Lamar County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in West Hattiesburg?

The typical home value in West Hattiesburg is $213,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Lamar County it is $224,700.

How much does it cost to rent in West Hattiesburg?

Typical rent in West Hattiesburg is $978 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Lamar County is $1,316.

What is the FHA loan limit in West Hattiesburg?

West Hattiesburg uses the FHA limit for all of Lamar County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in West Hattiesburg?

The typical homeowner in West Hattiesburg pays $1,268 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.59% of the home’s value; in Lamar County, the rate is 0.66%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in West Hattiesburg?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Lamar County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).