True Cost of Renting in Hattiesburg, MS

Hattiesburg is the Hub City — a regional commercial center equidistant between Jackson and the Gulf Coast. The University of Southern Mississippi (17,000 students), Camp Shelby (Mississippi National Guard training center), and Forrest General Hospital anchor employment. Rents are among Mississippi's most affordable while offering genuine college-town amenities.

Neighborhoods & Average Rents

University Area / Hardy Street

Studio:
$750/mo
1 Bed:
$900/mo
2 Bed:
$1,200/mo

USM-adjacent corridor; student-dominated rental market with August synchronized leases. Older apartments and house rentals at very low rents. Entergy Mississippi electric. Walkable to campus and Hardy Street commercial district.

Hattiesburg Midtown

Studio:
$800/mo
1 Bed:
$950/mo
2 Bed:
$1,300/mo

Central area between the university and Downtown; more diverse renter mix than the campus zone. Growing restaurant and arts scene. Slightly newer housing stock in some areas.

Oak Grove / Petal

1 Bed:
$1,000/mo
2 Bed:
$1,400/mo

Suburban areas west and east of Hattiesburg; newer apartment communities for families and professionals. Better schools than city limits. Car-dependent. Camp Shelby commute via I-59.

Utility Providers

Electric
Entergy Mississippi
Water
City of Hattiesburg Water and Sewer
Internet
Spectrum, AT&T Internet, Brightspeed

Commute & Transportation

I-59 runs north-south (Jackson, 1.5 hrs north; Meridian, 1.5 hrs northeast; New Orleans, 2.5 hrs south). US-98 runs east-west. Camp Shelby is 8 miles south on US-49. USM employs 2,500 non-student staff. Forrest General Hospital is the largest private employer at 3,500 staff. Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport handles small aircraft.

Rental Market Overview

Hattiesburg is Mississippi's most affordable college-town rental market — median 1BR runs $850–1,000/month. Entergy Mississippi electric bills average $110–170/month in summer. USM creates synchronized August demand but non-student renters can find availability year-round. Camp Shelby training rotations bring periodic military family demand that is different from permanent BAH-anchored markets. Forrest General Hospital drives healthcare professional demand for quality apartments. Mississippi has no state-level rent control. Sitting equidistant between Jackson and the Gulf Coast means Hattiesburg draws a real mix of renters relocating from both directions rather than functioning as a satellite of either metro, which keeps the market more diversified than a typical single-university Mississippi town. USM enrollment growth in recent years has also pushed some student demand into Midtown, previously a mostly non-student area, worth checking before assuming that neighborhood is quieter than the university corridor.

Data last updated: 2026-04

Compare Apartments in Hattiesburg

Enter your rental options below to see the true all-in monthly cost.

Renting in Hattiesburg: Common Questions

What is the average rent in Hattiesburg?
One-bedroom apartments in Hattiesburg range from $900/month in University Area / Hardy Street to $1,000/month in Oak Grove / Petal. Two-bedroom units range from $1,200 to $1,400/month. These are base rents — add fees, utilities, and amenity costs to get the true all-in monthly cost.
What utilities do I need to set up in Hattiesburg?
In Hattiesburg, electricity is provided by Entergy Mississippi, water by City of Hattiesburg Water and Sewer, and common internet providers include Spectrum, AT&T Internet, Brightspeed. Ask the leasing office for the specific unit's average monthly bill rather than a city-wide figure — utility costs vary more by building age and insulation than by location within Hattiesburg.
What neighborhoods are affordable in Hattiesburg?
University Area / Hardy Street is the most affordable of the 3 Hattiesburg neighborhoods covered here, at $900/month for a one-bedroom — $100 less than Oak Grove / Petal, roughly a 10% gap. That swing is often bigger than any fee or amenity difference between two buildings in the same neighborhood, which is why comparing across neighborhoods matters as much as comparing within one.
Is Hattiesburg expensive to rent in?
Across the 3 neighborhoods covered here, the average one-bedroom in Hattiesburg runs about $950/month before fees, utilities, and amenities are added — and those add-ons are exactly what a bare average hides. Hattiesburg is Mississippi's most affordable college-town rental market — median 1BR runs $850–1,000/month. Run the specific units you are considering through RentCompare to see the true all-in monthly cost rather than relying on an area average.

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