Petal, Mississippi

Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, along the Leaf River. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,454 in the 2010 census,[3] increasing to 11,010 in the 2020 census.[4]

Petal, Mississippi
City
Willie Hinton Park pavillion
Willie Hinton Park pavillion
Nickname: 
The Friendly City
Location of Petal, Mississippi
Location of Petal, Mississippi
Petal, Mississippi is located in the United States
Petal, Mississippi
Petal, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 31°20′48″N 89°15′20″W
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyForrest
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorTony Ducker
 • State RepresentativeLarry Byrd[1]
 • State SenatorChris Johnson
Area
[2]
 • Total17.15 sq mi (44.41 km2)
 • Land16.77 sq mi (43.44 km2)
 • Water0.38 sq mi (0.97 km2)
Elevation
157 ft (48 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total11,010
 • Density656.49/sq mi (253.48/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39465
Area code601
FIPS code28-56800
GNIS feature ID0675641
Websitewww.cityofpetal.com

History

The first postmaster of Petal was Irving A. Polk.[5] The post office was established in 1903[6] and was named after the daughter of a first settler.[7] It is the only city in the U.S. with this name. Petal separated from the city of Hattiesburg on April 4, 1974. Petal was a community filled with farmers. This is slowly changing with new businesses coming into the city.

The International Checker Hall of Fame was located in Petal until September 29, 2007, when 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of the 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) building caught fire.[8][9]

Petal was extensively damaged by an EF3 tornado on January 21, 2017.[10]

January 21, 2017, Petal, Mississippi, tornado damage

Geography

As of the 2010 census, the city had a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.4 km2), of which 16.9 square miles (43.7 km2) was land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km2), or 1.62%, was water.[11] The city's area had increased by nearly 75% since 2000, following an annexation effort approved in 2002. Major sub-communities as of the annex are Macedonia, Barrontown, Sunrise, and Leeville. The Harvey community (currently downtown Petal) hosts city departments.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19808,476—
19907,883−7.0%
20007,579−3.9%
201010,45437.9%
202011,0105.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,454 people, 3,918 households, and 2,867 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.8 people per square mile. There were 4,261 housing units at an average density of 331.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 86.1% White, 9.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 3,918 households, out of which 23.5% had own children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals under 18 and 26.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,637, and the median income for a family was $35,343. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $20,741 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,996. About 11.9% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sex16+18+21+62+65+Median age
Male3,7023,5373,32573059635.8
Female4,2694,1073,9141,03484433.8
Overall7,9717,6447,2391,7641,44037.5

2020 Census
Petal racial composition[4]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 8,198 74.5%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,602 14.6%
Native American 20 0.2%
Asian 85 0.8%
Pacific Islander 1 0.0%
Other/Mixed 490 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 614 5.6%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,010 people, 3,655 households, and 2,746 families residing in the city.[4]

Education

The city is served by the Petal School District.

Notable people

References
  1. "Home". Mississippi Legislature. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017.
  2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  3. "Petal (city), Mississippi". Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2012.. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  4. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  5. Gallagher, John S. and Patera, Alan H. (1996). Mississippi Post Offices, p. 247. Lake Grove, Oregon: The Depot, ISBN 0-943645-35-2.
  6. "Notification Service | Post Offices". www.postalhistory.com.
  7. Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The origins of unusual place-names. Keystone Pub. Associates. p. 102.
  8. "Checker Hall of Fame: Game Over". Roadside America.
  9. "Cause Sought in Sept. 29 Fire". Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group.
  10. "January 21, 2017 Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms". NWS Jackson, MS. NWS Jackson, MS. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  11. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Petal city, Mississippi". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  12. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  13. "Larry Byrd's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  14. "CHAPLAIN (BRIGADIER GENERAL) WILLIAM LEON CLARK". af.mil. United States Air Force. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  15. Jensen, Richard J. (October 1, 2017). Social Controversy and Public Address in the 1960s and Early 1970s: A Rhetorical History of the United States, Vol. IX. Michigan State University Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-62895-300-8.
  16. "Demarcus Evans #67". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  17. "Thomas King Jr.'s Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  18. "Retired Mississippi Chief Justice Dan Lee dies at 84". The Meridian Star. May 12, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  19. "Javon Patterson". olemisssports.com. University of Mississippi. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  20. Weigl Publishing, Inc. (May 1, 2008). Mississippi: The Magnolia State. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-59339-770-8.
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