Real Estate Directory -Mississippi

Population: 2,881,281 (all figures 2003)
Capital city/population: Jackson 179,599
Largest cities/population:

  • Jackson - 179,599
  • Gulfport - 71,810
  • Biloxi - 48,972
  • Hattiesburg - 46,664

Mississippi is the 32nd largest state, with a total area of 48,434 square miles. It has a semi-tropical climate, abundant rainfall, and a long growing season. Annual temperatures range from 48ºF in the winter, to 80ºF in the summer. Precipitation varies from 50” – 64” annually. Mississippi was admitted to the Union on December 10, 1817. The city of Columbus holds a unique distinction in the nation’s history. On April 25, 1886, the ladies of the town decided to decorate Confederate and Union soldiers’ graves with bouquets and garlands. As a result of this, Americans have come to celebrate what has come to be called Memorial Day, an annual observance in recognition of war dead.

HOUSING

Jackson – The city is in a buyer’s market, with low interest rates being a strong incentive. Average days on the market for single-family homes range from 90 – 120 days. The average home price is $97,145, with 53% of the town’s homes being owner occupied. Approximately 27% of housing units are rentals, standing at 10% vacancy and renting for $277.

Gulfport – This town is in the midst of rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. Homes free of damage are selling quickly; real estate prices have increased as displaced families seek undamaged homes.

Biloxi – The community is in the long process of recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Major highways have reopened, but still contain detours. Biloxi is known for its abundance of “snowbirds” and their second homes, and is a growing retirement community.

Hattiesburg – The town is undergoing a major population shift as repercussions of Hurricane Katrina continue to be felt. Agents estimate that at least 5,300 new residents have entered the area, bringing with them demands for rental units, housing, and other services. The real estate market remains strained, but strong, as the newcomers search for housing.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Principal industries include manufacturing, government, and wholesale/retail trade. Manufactured goods include apparel, food products, furniture, lumber/wood products, electrical machinery and transportation equipment. Agricultural outputs include cotton, rice, and soybeans. Total state product for 2003 was $72 billion, with a per capita income for that year of $23,466.

SCHOOLS

Mississippi has developed a statewide system of educational accountability, with a curriculum framework that supports subjects ranging from Business Technology to Mathematics to Language Arts. In the public sector, the 1994 student-teacher ratio was 17:5, with an annual teachers’ salary for 1995 of $27,689.

Institutions of higher learning include the University of Mississippi - University, with a medical center campus at Jackson; Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi - Hattiesburg. Other state-supported schools are Mississippi University for Women - Columbus; Jackson State University -Jackson; Alcorn State University - Lorman; and Delta State University - Cleveland.

In an interesting aside, Jefferson College was the first preparatory school established in the Mississippi Territory. It is the site where tradition holds that Aaron Burr was arraigned for treason in 1807, beneath what is known as Burr’s Oak.

HISTORY

The first permanent European settlement was made in 1699, when Pierre le Moyne, sieur d’Iberville established a French colony on Biloxi Bay. The region was part of Louisiana until 1763, when the Treaty of Paris entitled England to this area.

Later, in 1795, Spain accepted the area with the Pinckney Treaty; within a few years, Congress deemed the area a territory, with Natchez as the capital; Mississippi achieved statehood in 1817.

A cotton boom increased settlement and the need for cheap labor. After 1840, development was such that slaves outnumbered nonslaves in the state. With the onset of the Civil War, Mississippi became the second state to secede. After the war, slavery was abolished, but the state refused to ratify the 13th or 14th Amendments. Sharecropping became the new system of farming.

The state was plagued by racial problems in the years following World Wars I and II. It took until 1954 for the Supreme Court to rule against racial segregation in public schools. “Freedom riders” in the early 1960s furthered their cause with non-violent demonstrations; other demonstrations were more violent. The Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave blacks the right to vote, but it took until 1992 for the Supreme Court to act again, ordering the state college system to end its tradition of segregation.

RELIGION (2003)

  • Christian – 92%
    • Protestant – 86%
      • Baptist – 58%
      • Methodist – 10%
      • Pentecostal – 3%
      • Presbyterian – 2%
      • Other Protestant – 13%
    • Roman Catholic – 5%
    • Other Christian – 1%
  • Other Religions – <1%
  • Non-Religious – 7%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2003)

  • White - 60%
  • Black - 36.8%
  • Hispanic - 1.5%
  • Asian - 0.8%
  • Two or more races - 0.6%
  • Native American/Inuit - 0.4%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander - 0.02%