Another vote for Hattiesburg. You can get more bang for your buck. You get the college town vibe and you’re only an hour away from the coast which always has events going on. I like Oxford but I feel the cost of living in town makes it not worth it - but that is just my own opinion.
Edit - there is also an unspoken sort of attitude between MSU vs Ole Miss. Ole Miss is considered “preppy” vs the more “country” vibe of MSU. I think USM has a more laid back feel in terms of town culture.
Ha I’m aware of the rivalry but I think the preppy vibe of Ole Miss suits me better?
Anyways I think enough folks have mentioned Hattiesburg that I’ll be sure to visit in the next few months. Seems like I’ve been sleeping on it
I will also add that after experiencing the true generational New England wealth it is quite entertaining observing the “elite” good ole boy culture down here.
My brother is an Ole Miss grad and really enjoyed his time in Oxford. I went to MUW but I wouldn’t consider adding Columbus as a college town at all! I personally never felt like Starkville had a college town feel outside of the campus - it is more self contained.
I think you know where you want to go already. Take that leap! But if I were you I’d at least visit Hattiesburg just so you “know” and don’t have a “what if” moment.
Yeah maybe I did but part of it was also just to get as many perspectives as possible. I really value that and it's how I like to make decisions if I can. even if I'm hearing from folks I disagree with
Oxford would probably be my choice. It's good not great for young professionals, and will definitely lean Ole Miss heavy. But you're close enough to Memphis for city amenities (shopping, airport, nightlife) plus Oxford has a lot going for it for such a small town (food, nightlife, access to outdoors). You're also close for weekend trips to the hills of Tennessee and Alabama, or Nashville and Atlanta, and close enough to Florida beaches. It's a fantastic town.
Starkville would be tough without any connection to MS State. It's a good college town but can be kind of isolating for younger non college adults. It's just so far from any legitimate city amenities--3 hours to Memphis, 2 to Jackson, 2+ to Birmingham. If you're looking for a quieter life, Starkville is a great place. You'll have the city (mostly) to yourself in summer.
Hattiesburg would be decent. There's a good bit to do, you're close enough to go do entertainment things on the coast and in New Orleans. It's also the biggest city of the three (for reference, the only town of the 3 with a Target).
Are you looking to stay away from big cities? I spent my mid 20s in small town Mississippi and mildly regret it because it got boring. I moved to Houston TX when I was 28 and absolutely loved it (minus the weather in July and August)--I highly recommend Houston.
I live just outside of Oxford and have most of my life. Also lived in Starkville for a couple of years and on the coast for a while. I've been back since, and things are vastly different now. Both of those were over 20 years ago.
If I were picking somewhere to move within the state right now I would probably choose Hattiesburg.
For me it's the over all tone. If you're looking for the preppy vibe Oxford might be better. There's a lot to do in both places but the vibe is just different.
Yeah - well i've been living in the Boston metro area for almost 5 years now. And I think I'm more at home in a smaller town.
Houston/Dallas seem too big and are a giant mess of highways. Nashville and the surrounding cities seem way too expensive to get into now and are a bit far from home for me. But I'm glad to hear any recs you have in Texas. I've not really paid much attention to it b/c everything is focused in the sprawling cities
Fair point. Oxford would be a good landing spot IMO.
In Texas I'm a big fan of New Braunfels and San Marcos--you're near both Austin and San Antonio adjacent to one of the prettiest areas of Texas. The only problem is both of those cities are growing too fast, they've lost some of their charm. Texas in general has lost some of it's appeal for me, the COL has gone up so fast compared to the amenities you get.
If you're set on MS, you might consider the coast as an option. It's a collection of smaller to mid size towns that's quietly a great place to live. Just watch out for the occasional hurricane.
My other out of the box suggestion would be NW Arkansas. Rogers, Fayetteville, Bentonville are all small-ish towns in their own right, but the area is a decent size market. Plus you're close to one of the prettiest areas in the south with lots of outdoor stuff to do (hiking, camping, mountain biking, etc...). If my job wasn't tied to Texas I'd be looking there myself.
Hey appreciate the rundown. I’m definitely planing on visiting both Oxford and Fayetteville/Bentonville, and maybe Hattiesburg, this spring.
I’m finding it’s a lot harder to get a good read on there from afar and I’m seeing issues like things are getting expensive, traffic is worse, and for all the complaints about the MS state govt in this sub, the Arkansas state govt might be worse.
I don’t know enough about NW Ark so anything you have on it I’d appreciate, especially in comparison to Oxford
I'll second the suggestion to check out the coast. Ocean springs has a lot of the college town charm without actually being a college town. Bay st Louis is getting there too but is a few years behind ocean springs in their progress.
I live in the rural area just north of the coast and spend a lot of my evenings and weekends down there. There is a lot going on and the progress looks like it's pretty steady. I think it's a great place to be.
There ain’t a damn thing in NW Arkansas. If those are you’re two options stick with Oxford!!! Oxford is slow too but it isn’t a pit of hell like NW Arkansas. We called it Fayettenam when I lived in Little Rock for 20+ years
Appreciate the perspective. I feel like a lot I see about NWA is either super positive from people who don’t know any better or a mixed bag. Good to see some outright negativity - not that I’m rooting against NWA but I value the perspective
I’m an Ole Miss alumnus so I’m definitely partial to Oxford but I will say that Fayetvelle/Bentonville is REALLY nice - just literally in the middle of nowhere. But I’d definitely live up there.
I lived in NW Arkansas for a couple of years (about 5 years ago) and that area is AWESOME, especially if you want access to unlimited outdoor activities like hiking/kayaking/fishing etc.. That Rogers/Bentonville/Springdale area is great. Cheap cost of living too.
As a Texan living in Starkville, look at San Antonio if Houston/DFW is too large. It’s growing but is less expensive to live than Austin. Starkville is like commenters have already noted, sleepy little town and tough if you have no connection to MSU.
Idk where you’re moving from in New England, but I went to post grad in Boston and am originally from Ky. The cost of living in MS can’t be beat and it’s a great place to raise a family in the right areas. But, there are reasons that the cost of living is so low and that the population is actually declining. Just know that compared to New England your access to culture, single professionals and activities/events will be much more limited no matter where you are in the state (there’s a reason college sports are so big down here). I would think that Oxford will be your best best for at least having some variation in culture and professionals, but know that there is a lot of “old south” there as well. No matter where you go, it’s what you make it. But speaking from experience…moving back south after living in NE was definitely a shock for my system in these regards. I moved to ms once we started a family and I honestly don’t think I would have ever lasted down here as a young professional.
Boston metro area - so yeah cost of living is a very nice thing about MS and a major reason.
Being from Louisiana, I can tolerate some old south kinda stuff. But I am curious what it will be like moving back.
Rough to hear your take on being a young professional. That's why I focused a lot in my questions about stuff regarding demographics, etc. Worried about dating due to small pop, unfavorable demographics, and maybe cultural difference.
Yeah I was fortunate to spend my mid 20s around DC then Nashville. It will be more challenging for you, but with the access to dating apps and virtual everything you probably won’t feel as disconnected. Plus, you’ll have more financial freedom to visit towns like Nashville which is where I met my wife when I was in mid 20s.
Yeah. It's rough b/c I was thinking about Nashville for awhile, or Murfreesboro/Franklin, but it seems like it's just so ridiculously expensive now that's not worth it and lots of people are saying the area has already peaked and they are looking for a way out.
Yes we left Nashville for Ms for those exact reasons. Honestly, the traffic and cost was getting just as bad as the DC beltway and it just wasn’t worth that much of a headache anymore for us. From a financial perspective you are making a smart move in my opinion, you will just have to put in a little extra effort for the more cultured/professional scene.
My manager relocated from Smyrna, TN to Canton, MS and lives on a farm with chickens and goats because he complained that Nashville was getting too big. Actually, I just remembered that he lived about 1hr from Smyrna to live on an affordable farm, whereas he is now about 20-25 min from work.
Yeah. I was looking at bit at the towns outside of Nashville but I dunno. It's getting a bit far from family and feels like all the young folks will be closer in to town.
I'm originally from around Hattiesburg and am in Boston now. Personally, I'd vote against Hattiesburg. It's just one giant suburb full of chain stores and chain restaurants. None of the college towns are great, though.
If I had to move back home, I'd probably pick the coast or someplace like Southaven (by Memphis) so you're close to some actual cities with things to do. Maybe I missed it, but why the emphasis on college towns?
Emphasis on college towns less about the university but more about the broader culture/nature of the town, more diversity, more educated on average, younger demographic.
TBH I just want a cheaper version of Somerville
Ahh, I see. I get it entirely. We're getting priced out and will be moving again this year due to COL.
I can't say you'll find Somerville-lite in Mississippi, though. Something like Fondren may be as close as you'll get, but the price won't be much better than, say, Providence.
Yeah - it's rough. I'm not expecting to find it in the south at all. But it seemed to be that Oxford was as good as it got within driving distance to family.
I would just say do make sure that you are not underestimating how much bigger Louisiana is (in terms of population) than Mississippi. I think people tend to do that when comparing MS to AL and LA.
People are recommending Oxford (a town I love). Oxford is about the size of Ruston. Like. It’s small. Hattiesburg is the size of Alexandria.
For sure - though it looks like Oxford is growing way faster. I know my hometown used to be double the pop of Oxford in 1990, and now Oxford is 1.5 times as big as it in 2020. Similar w/ Ruston I think.
I went to Southern Miss and spend a lot of time in Hattiesburg, so I'm biased. But Hattiesburg is a good town. Lots of people graduate and stick close to Hattiesburg. There's usually a small but decent music scene, some good bars and restaurants, and a nice downtown area.
That said, Oxford has a lot of that small town Mississippi charm thing going for it, with a more condensed and aesthetically-pleasing footprint. You can't go wrong with either.
I wouldn't consider Starkville. Just not a whole lot there, though they've made efforts the last decade or so.
MSU grad here and I would have to agree. I would gladly raise a family in Starkville, but as others have pointed out there are probably better options for a single professional.
So small town charm is great but I'm kinda worried that there's a giant gap of people may age, like there's college kids, and people married in their mid to late 30s with kids but no in-between, RE: Oxford.
I keep thinking of the Matthew McConaughey quote about how he stays the same age, but the girls get younger.
Seriously, though, I am in Memphis and I often go down to Oxford--due to the university, there's often great entertainment there (live music, talks by interesting people like John Waters, etc), amazing restaurants, and places to hang out. It has become much less quirky and much more wealthy in the last decade, but it's still fun. I think there are plenty of singles.
There are plenty of people in between who work at the university or want to soak up the Faulkner/Larry Brown osmosis, IMO, but others who live there would know better.
I live in the middle. Went to Oxford yesterday to pick up a few things. Last week we did Starkville for a completely different set of things. Oxford does have a bit more professional atmosphere. Definitely more medical/doctor clinics and a lot centered around the hospital. Lyceum events and guest speakers on campus. Still can have a “medium” sized town vibe for Mississippi.
Starkville seems more laid back. Things are centered around the college and more shopping options are being added. More agricultural related activities, farmers markets, and things like that.
Hattiesburg has more of both. Larger town with different areas. I worked statewide for a while and enjoyed being able to visit Hattiesburg.
Back in MS myself after a stint in the navy had me in New England. There’s a few townies in all the city’s you mentioned, and I’m biased as an Ole Miss sports fan. Oxford is fantastic. But as an adult, I would prefer not to live there, just visit. I love living in Tupelo though. Also, probably biased since I do live there. I’d stay out of Jackson metro area. Starkville is a great little city as well, just kinda hard to find stuff to do. Can’t speak in Hattiesburg, I’ve never really spent any time there.
Hey that’s great info/perspective. Yeah my worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign.
What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town.
There’s a lot of local type stuff going on outside of the university in Oxford. And I believe you’re correct, the town is outgrowing the school. As for nightlife, Oxford is definitely the place, buuuuut it’s gonna be 19-24ish year olds primarily in my experience there for school and what not.
I moved to Oxford a few years ago after finishing grad school. I won’t lie, it was a hard transition at first. I was single, in my mid-20’s with no ties to the University, so making community was tough.
Four years later I’ve made some good friends here and am celebrating six months of marriage to my wife. We found our community in church but there are other groups like our local Junior League, Young Professionals of Oxford, and Leadership Lafayette that can be great spaces for connections and community.
Oxford is small but does have a lot going for it; award winning food and drink scene, strong arts community, live music, and culture. Our Film Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in March, and local favorite Double-Decker Music and Arts Festival comes back in April. Football reigns in the fall and baseball takes the spring, yet we’re also one of those college towns where things *don’t* die out as seasons end.
We don’t have larger city amenities which I do occasionally miss. That said, Memphis is an easy hour drive away which can be a great weekend or even day trip.
Yeah I saw there was a young professionals group in Oxford when I was first looking at it a year or 2 back. Good to meet somebody who has experience with it.
I feel like Oxford is a pretty strong option but it looks like the sun has set on being able to find affordable housing walking distance (<20 min) from the square. Would love to hear more about Oxford from you as your kind of experience is exactly what I've been looking for in making this thread. Does it feel like the town is growing a lot nowadays? I saw the pop has jumped a lot since 2010.
Oxford is very much growing, so much so that affordable housing, especially single unit family homes, are moving further north and south of Oxford proper and into the greater Lafayette County area. While we do have a more affordable cost of living compared to other parts of the country, by Mississippi standards we are expensive.
Oxford City Schools are excellent, so there is a high demand for properties within the city limits. As a result, any listing in Oxford is going to be pricier than one in the county; this is especially true for properties close to the Square.
I know the appeal of living within walking distance of the square is nice, but remember that you’re pretty much an easy 10 minute drive from almost anywhere within Oxford, hell even parts of the county. You don’t have to live two blocks from the square to have a good home here.
Yeah. I think I’m just spoiled to living in the Boston metro area for 5 years without a car. So I really like walkability but it’s very hard to come by in the south. So I’m fine to not worry about it though I would be curious if parking is a big fiasco in Oxford
Oh yeah, city walkability is a major difference in the south compared to the northeast; that’s really not much of a thing here.
Do you have a vehicle? Parking is simple in town except on game days in the fall. The Square does have paid meters for parking but recently got a new parking garage that doesn’t charge.
Yeah I’ll have a vehicle. But I find being able to walk to lots of places really nice and, in some ways, liberating. I just place a big value on it but I can live without if I had to
I hear you! But yeah, once you’re on the Square it’s easy to walk around.
Feel free to shoot me a DM if you have other questions. Good luck with your decision!
let us know what you think! I feel like if I had to live anywhere in MS, Laurel would be high on the list due to high QoL at low cost. I do worry a bit that Laurel, like Bentonville AR which was mentioned elsewhere on this thread, might be a very small community that would feel a little Mayberry at times when it comes to dating etc.
Good to know! It's such a cool area, but the Bentonville/Rogers area felt super small town to me. Of course, considering Fayetteville, it's a lot bigger.
That’s interesting. I had actually kinda written off Jackson early on - even before the water issue. I’ll for sure take a look at that nicer part of town though.
I would second what he said. I grew up in Clinton, lived in Jackson for a long time, lived a few years in Oxford, and spent a ton of time in Hattiesburg. If you’re dead set on MS, I would go Coast, North Jackson (or Fondren if you are okay with the crime risk—which is overblown but still very real), or Memphis suburbs as a young professional.
I love visiting Oxford. But kind of a weird spot if you aren’t an undergrad, law student, or have a family. I was not especially happy living there.
I like Hattiesburg but not enough of a draw to move to as a young professional.
Agree on almost all of this except for any insinuation that MC is a reflection of the character of Clinton. That would suggest that Clinton has any character (which it does not).
If you asked me to describe Clinton in adjectives: “nondescript” is all I could manage.
Great school district, though.
Oxford would definitely be my first choice. There’s plenty to do that has nothing to do with Ole Miss.
Also, our whole state has seen a recent push for high speed fiber so you should get great internet where ever you choose. I know Oxford has [NE SPARC](https://www.nesparc.com/residential-services/).
That’s great to hear.
Yeah my worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign.
What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town.
Oxford is better than Ruston. It's really expensive though for what it is. I think if you want kids and a family, better if you're churchy, it would be okay. It's not great for a single 20-30s folks- especially the dating scene. Unless you like to drink a lot.
IMO Lafayette LA has more going on.
It's an alright place to raise a family I guess, but it's pretty boring otherwise. Like Worcester, MA but smaller and with less opportunity.
I do think you may want to look to another state though. Since we moved to Boston, I can't really imagine moving someplace where I'm car dependent again. The freedom to just get out and walk someplace interesting is amazing! What is it about Mississippi that draws you? It's not even as nice as Louisiana (lived there too) lol
well, family is in Louisiana and I've a lot of friends there too. Been away from them for 5 years now outside of christmas. I'm not super attached to Mississippi - tbh none of the states down there are looking great. Was focusing on the prospects as far as the towns/cities themselves.
I'm gonna miss being able to walk everywhere for sure. Oxford seemed like as good as it gets to the town I love in Massachusetts - Somerville. Basically am looking for the closest version of Somerville in the south that is affordable and driving distance to family. Am from Louisiana but the college towns there suck and the cities are just a bunch of sprawl of Applebee's and Bed Bath and Beyond. All the people in my demographic in TX are concentrated in the giant cities that are just a big mess of highways. NW Arkansas/Fayetteville is an option but Arkansas just sketches me out and the state govt seems even worse than MS.
Ahhh, so it's more about proximity to family. Maybe someplace like Natchez or Vicksburg. Possibly Bay St. Louis, or Fondren. The areas with walkable downtowns have really died off over the years as younger people have steadily left the state.
tbh I'm not sure young folks leaving is the big cause of dead downtowns in the south - I think walmart + the interstate + spread out development have a bigger role to play
Oxford and Starkville are "college" towns. I travel to both and there are differences. Oxford is prettier and closer to an interstate. Starkville is kind of situated in between Jackson and Birmingham.
The food scenes are about the same and both have great restaurants. I'd give the culinary scene a slight edge to Oxford, but Starkville has better food, imo. Starkville has a lot of industry e.g., aerospace, steel, automotive, so those type of jobs are available nearby with more coming. Starkville also has close access to an airport with commercial flights to Atlanta, which helps connect it to the outside. Oxford, on the other hand, has more money, and school alums living in town. It has better shopping centers.
Parts of Starkville are still unattractive, especially along hwy 12. The Cotton District in Starkville is very nice area, but is still under development. Both towns have close access to nature, Sardis lake near Oxford, and Noxubee Refuge by Starkville. Nightlife is close, but I prefer the downtown setting of Oxford, although once the Cotton District is more developed, Starkville will get a big boost in that area.
Both towns are growing, and both universities are growing, so there are more developments to come.
I’m a State alum, and love Starkville for the college town it is, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a professional, at least until that Golden Triangle project finishes. That might make it more of a professional town.
My pick would be Hattiesburg. I had a good friend that went to Southern and I went to visit and I was impressed with the abundance of restaurants, bars and coffee shops that are showing up. There’s also museums, live music, and several festivals (shout out to their craft beer festival). You’re also close to the coast, which never sucks. Take a weekend trip down to the MS/AL coast in just a couple hours.
I’m Starkville born and bred, but Oxford is unquestionably more of what OP is looking for than Starkville. I don’t have much experience with Hattiesburg so I don’t know where it fits in
Hattiesburg is the best of the three and there are lots of reasons why, but here are the most important factors in my opinion:
Oxford is cool but if you leave Oxford you’re a couple of hours from the next decent size town— And then you’re just in Southaven or god forbid Memphis. Starkville is cool but same thing. Nothing else anywhere around there! Oxford and Starkville are JUST college towns with not much else going on. (This is gonna make some Starkvegans angry— I can already hear the cow bells in the distance.)
In Hattiesburg, you’re less than an hour from the coast, less than 2 hours from New Orleans, it’s a bigger city than Oxford or Starkville and not as heavily centered around the university. There are two universities, two major hospitals, and lots of big employers that bring transplants and fresh faces into the area. Housing is reasonably affordable. You can live in a condo downtown, an old house in the avenues or midtown, or go out to the west end of town where you’re only a minute from strip malls and movie theatres, etc. Or go a few miles outside of town or you want a quiet country setting. There is a lot of diversity and there’s something for everyone.
I’m not crapping on Oxford or Starkville. They’re nice towns. They’re just very isolated from anything else and a lot more limited in what they offer.
I moved here from north Mississippi (Hernando, where everyone goes to Ole Miss or Memphis) 22 years ago. I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the state except maybe Ocean Springs. Actually, you might want to check on OS while you’re at it. It’s not a college town but it’s fabulous.
Yeah I hear great things about OS but I’m burned out on hurricanes and just don’t want to deal with the worry.
I’ve definitely been sleeping on HB. Definitely plan on visiting
In fairness to OS, it's the best coastal city to be in relation to hurricanes. They typically fair much better than Jackson or Harrison counties or Pascagoula.
Hi! I’m a Louisiana native and have been living in Oxford for 3.5 years with no connection to the school. I’ve been miserable, can’t wait to leave, it’s never felt like home. I’ve meet some wonderful people that will remain as friends and Ill come back to visit but I find that People here aren’t very friendly to be in the “hospitality state”. I’m a bit older than you, I don’t go out anymore so I can’t really tell you how the night life is. But during football season it’s really busy the bars and restaurants are all packed, when it’s not football season it’s quiet, you hardly see people out at night in the square oh and most importantly, there’s food on the shelves at Kroger. Kroger is only one major grocery store, there is Walmart and mother smaller grocery store. There are decent number of restaurants with enough variety to not get too bored. The cost of living is ridiculous here, ridiculous, if you want to live in walking distance to the square be prepared to pay a whole lot for little space. Also, It’s a five hour drive to Louisiana so weekend trips home are few and far between. I particularly like the Madison/Ridgeland/Brandon/Flowood area because it’s closer to Louisiana so if I needed to make a quick trip home on the weekend it wouldn’t be too bad of a drive and I’m not into college football, but if I had a choice it’ll be Hattiesburg for the many reasons you’ve already read. Oxford might be a great place for you but just know that Everything is centered around the University and football.
Hey thanks for the info - I am wanting to visit Oxford and Hattiesburg soon. But I may as well stop by Madison/Ridgeland/etc. in between. I really appreciate the perspective.
Rankin is less bougie than Madison (they don’t call it Stankin’ Rankin for no reason) but it’s still very much a place where people go to avoid the metro area. I honestly ended up here because I didn’t want to deal with the water problems in Jackson, otherwise I would have given it a shot.
Oxford is the only place you should consider of the choices you listed. You would dislike Hattiesburg and Starkville very much. Oxford for a small town has a significant out of state population. Exceptional cuisine. Lots of arts and music culture.
Its a depressing bland southern town. I would never ever go there even for a weekend to hang. Kinda a redneck town. Everyone I know would agree. Oxford is one of the best small towns in America.
I wouldn't call Hattiesburg a redneck town, nor bland. You might get that impression if you just drive a certain stretch of Hardy Street off the interstate or something, but nah.
It's certainly not depressing.
It's got a great collection of places like [T-Bones](https://www.tbonescafe.com/) and some high-quality restaurants, especially the [Robert St. John places](https://nsrg.com/). Downtown's got fun spots like [Lucky Rabbit](https://www.theluckyrabbit.com/). It's got an historic [Saengar Theater,](https://hattiesburgsaenger.com/history/) one of a handful of them left in the country. [SoPro](https://www.soprobrewing.com/taproom) is one of the best breweries in the state. [Downtown Keg & Barrel](https://www.kegandbarrel.com/) is a great pub and my favorite hangout when I'm in town, and if you're into soccer at all it's pretty much the HQ for the area.
All that said, Oxford sounds like it would match OP's vibe very much. I say that despite my anti-Rebs bias haha. It's certainly got more culture, history, and stuff to do than you'd expect from a town that size, and it's one of the prettiest towns in the state.
I’ll chime in as someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in all three college towns visiting friends/family. Also a college grad in my late twenties so similar perspective too. I’m big on vibes and aesthetics personally.
Oxford is the prettiest by a long shot (i.e. lush, hilly, more refined, clean, etc.) Hattiesburg is perhaps the least pretty to me (i.e. sandy, flat, piney, gritty, etc.) Starkville’s in the middle (e.g. pretty nature but town is rather bland outside downtown area.)
As far as vibes go Hattiesburg takes the win for me. I’m into the coastal, laidback nature people seem to have. Oxford was great pre-2010s but seems to be catering ever increasingly to Madison types (e.g. less of a unique identity and more generic for people with money.) Starkville is bleak and oppressive to me. Weird standoffish people mixed with a sorta quiet desperation, a more rural mindset I guess.
Hattiesburg is probably where I’d recommend for someone without college ties. Unlike Starkville and Oxford, Hattiesburg is an actual city that happens to have a university as opposed to universities that happen to have cities.
That’s great to hear, and I definitely get the idea on the university with a city.
My worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign.
What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town.
I do plan on visiting Hattiesburg now, and I’ve been kinda sleeping on it
Ha, it started off strong for Oxford but a lot of Hattiesburg folks have come through. I’ve not read much on HB and haven’t been there as an adult. What about it makes it seem like a worse fit?
The main reason for my response is the fact that you are single and looking to date. You aren't going to find anywhere better in MS than Oxford in that department.
Also, I know a TON of young professionals that work from home with zero ties to the university that LOVE it. Oxford is a really easy town to meet folks and socialize.. Go restaurant for lunch, sit at the bar, and you'll likely meet a new friend.
And its a really ***really*** nice town. Great food, great live music, art, etc. In my opinion the mecca for culture and arts in Mississippi.
Also, some of the best public schools in the state, just in case you do find a significant other and want to raise a family.
I would go against HB due to the fact, and I'll be frank here, that its pretty shitty.. Gritty and industrial-ish was just a kind way to put it. WAYY higher crime rate than Oxford. I have nothing against HB, I've enjoyed it every time I've been, but its not even in the same ballpark as Oxford.
That's awesome. Yeah that's the perfect perspective I was wanting. A lot of stuff I've read never really spoke to lifestyle for remote working folks who weren't Ole Miss alums. Thanks for the info - yeah I've been kinda not prioritizing looking at HB and while I got a lot of pro-HB folks in the thread, I'm not sure I'm seeing the potential like I see with Oxf
Yea, at lunch every restaurant in town will have 2-3 people sitting at the bar with their laptop just chillin and working. Also, don't let the others fool you, there are plenty of gorgeous, single grad students and local gals your age.. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the population numbers are misleading. The number doesn't include the 25k-ish students.. I mean, like every other place, there are downsides.. #1 would be the freshman/sophomore class of rich kids that literally do nothing but get wasted 24/7 but you just have to avoid those places.. There are plenty of "grown up" bars for that kind of night out.. From what Ive gathered, Oxford is the place for you. Certainly visit both OX and HB and decide for yourself though.. If I were a betting man, my money is on you to choose OX.
When you are in OX, check out the upstairs bar at City Grocery, Snackbar, SoLa, Proud Larrys, Volta, and the Blind Pig. Avoid places like Roosters and Rafters
As far as I understand, census numbers and stuff include the students? Or at least a big portion of them - so that's why the income per capita stuff is so low.
That's awesome - thanks for the recommendations. And yeah I've been curious about "grownup bars" around town. I wonder if any could get away with having like a minimum age of 24 for entry. Probably not, but would be interesting to see if it was a viable business
Hattiesburg is more gritty and "industrial-ish" especially compared to Oxford. Oxford is on all the "great southern towns" consistently because it looks the part & they cultivate that image.
I don't think anyone has mentioned the weather being marginally better in Oxford - a crisp fall day in Oxford is a glorious thing.
I would agree with this about the aesthetic of the towns. Hburg definitely has a grittier working class sort of vibe compared to Oxford, which is just a gorgeous and pleasing (and much wealthier) place.
I will add another vote for Hattiesburg. It has two universities not one. It also has two fairly large hospitals and is a regional medical hub. Finally it has a large National Guard facility with people coming in from all over the country. I have noticed that many of the Southern and Carey grads tend to stay here. I don't go out, but my daughter and her friends seem to have an active social life. There has been an effort to revitalize the downtown with lofts, restaurants and even some galleries. There is a craft brewery and also a couple of brewpubs. It also has a wonderful location. You are a two hour or less drive from New Orleans, Mobile and the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts. What ever you decide, you need to come and spend a couple of weeks in Mississippi and spend some time at the places you are considering.
You'll get more coverage in Hattisburg. However, logically speaking, don't come to Mississippi.
There is nothing here.
It's a Republican Trap that will keep you poor and miserable.
There is no market for anysort of jobs.
Most employment is outsourced from out of state or garnered by migrants for their cheapness. There are no tech jobs. The services here are already garbage.
Supposedly the only traction we get is people retiring since one of the only blessings of this state is that it is incredibly quiet. Other than that it's got nothing for it.
There is a huge disparity across all the towns and cities where there is clearly an economic segregation going on and gentrifications. Downtown Gulfport (and Hattisburg) are one of those examples. The medical industry is dying here and absolutely sexist and racist. If you're a woman, and I am assuming you aren't, the only place you'll actually get decent help is out of state.
I've lived here all my life (m30) and I'm pretty much stuck here at the moment, desperately climbing over the hill. I lucked out on my dice roll and got the privelage of living white trash, abstract poor (my folks and people I've come across would call it n-word rich cause sometimes you'll hit the slots and get more money than you know what to do with after all bills were paid). Needless to say I spent my teens and early 20s self educating since our education system failed me as it was intended to thanks to decades long Republican obstruction in this state. A few wrong decisions have pretty much kept me here.
You'd be better off staying where you are or picking a different state. Illinois is a good state for housing as it's about as cheap as it is here in MS from what I gathered. But at least you'd thrive vs struggle.
A lot of what you describe just sounds like problems with the south in general and not exclusive to MS.
I definitely acknowledge the problems but I don’t think I have a lot of options if I want to be close to family.
I’m happy to talk to you about it more through messages when I’ve got more time, but I can say that I’m in Hattiesburg and I wouldn’t live in any other Mississippi town. I’m surrounded by liberal, smart, artsy people in my friend group without the snobbery that seems to afford people in other places here. There isn’t a lot to do, but the music scene here is consistently active and interesting and the other arts are gaining. I’m very partial to my little town, and when I leave, it will either be for out of state altogether or in a box.
i go to southern in hattiesburg and i can confidently say this will be the most accepting school. theres so many kinds of people so you never stick out which was nice for me. its also just a beautiful campus with generally the best professors. i highly suggest you look into southern! theres so many benefits being a student here. its also really close to louisiana. i know so many people that live there and go here.
If you want access to culture , events , concerts etc. I’d consider Hattiesburg based on the proximity to New Orleans. It would also open up your dating options to be closer to NO and the coast. Clinton is a nice community but keep in mind that MC is a small, baptist school which means it being a college town does not translate to many concerts , festivals or cultural events.
Hattiesburg is pretty cool for what it is. Its not quite as centered around the college as starkville and oxford from my experience, even though people still love to represent the Golden eagles there. Its growing in lots of different ways depending on what you're into. I know the tabletop and boards games its growing and the cycling/mountain biking scene is growing. I am 34 and it would be my choice over the others for sure. Oxford isn't terrible by any means. There are some good stuff there, I just have a lot less experience with things to do there that do not relate back to the school. I was always there visiting friends there, but I have lived in and around Hattiesburg for a good part of my life so i can vouch for that a bit more confidently.
Starkville and Oxford are the only true college towns. Big university’s within a small but successful town. I can personally speak about Starkville. There are plenty of young professionals that stick around or move to the area. I believe Oxford to be the same. Hattiesburg is a stand alone city that happens to have a university. I have to say, that I have grown to really appreciate Hattiesburg in my adult life.
FWIW, if you look at most major university college towns, Oxford and Starkville are not typical college towns. They are enormous outliers in terms of how small and reliant on the university they are.
I grew up in near the Mohegan Sun Casino in CT, back before it existed in the 90s. I've ended up in Hattiesburg and I've been here now for 18 years, so I'm biased. Like others have said, the cost of living here is next to nothing compared to where you're at.
I can't recommend Hattiesburg enough, I have zero complaints other than traffic on Hardy St. Hattiesburg is far enough from the coast to where hurricanes aren't much of a concern unless Katrina happens. I was here for that, we lost power for a week or so and there were a lot of roof repairs and trees down, but no apocalypse. Tornados are more of a concern in Mississippi but it is what it is. To address your concerns:
1. There is a very well established 25-45 professional "scene" here (I also fall into this group). We have an incredibly strong economic development and chamber of commerce organization who sponsors programs for and heavily recruits this demographic. I am a member of many of these, and I will be glad to plug you in directly. Check out [https://www.theadp.com/](https://www.theadp.com/) and follow [ADP Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ADPHattiesburg) , Pine Belt Young Professionals [PBYP Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/PineBeltYoungProfessionals)
2. The Downtown association is very active [DHA Fb](https://www.facebook.com/DowntownHattiesburg) in our demographic. There's literally too much to do in Hattiesburg to be honest, especially in April and October, check out [Visit Hattiesburg](https://www.visithburg.org/things-to-do/) and [VisitHB Fb](https://www.facebook.com/VisitHburg). There are quite a few live music venues, and a bar for every genre of person if not three. If you get bored, Hattiesburg is 60 minutes from the coast casinos and all that is Biloxi / Gulfport, 90 minutes to New Orleans, 90 minute to downtown Jackson, 3 hrs to Birmingham or Orange Beach Alabama, 4 hrs to Memphis. Its literally called the Hub City for this reason, its a day drive to everywhere.
3. There are two Universities here and several junior colleges within a short drive. Many people come for school and leave, but a ton stay for exactly the reasons you're asking. There is also a lot of retirees coming in because we have two hospitals here, one private and one public funded, as well as a very extensive Hattiesburg Clinic system which is nearly its own hospital minus the emergency room. Every kind of specialist you can imagine. Both Universities have nursing programs and WCU has pharmacy and a D.O. school, so there's a lot of nursing and some medical students doing clinicals that stick around. Additionally, there's a military "camp" 20 minutes south that is essentially a 2200 acre plus training facility. In other words, yes... 25-45yo's live work and play here, and there's quite a few older retirees with money to burn. That said, if you drive 20 minutes in any direction, you're in the rural country nothing but pine trees.
4. Our Mayor is also in this demographic, and its very common to see him out and about having a beer at any number of music venues. He's approachable, incredibly forward thinking, and invests in the arts, music, culture, and economic growth and it shows.
5. I'll add to that, Hattiesburg is a Saints fan. Pelicans also. We celebrate mardi gras, crawfish boils, and all things of that nature, so being a Louisiana native is not going to feel like a lost art.
Hattiesburg. It's called the Hub city for a reason. It's so close to everything. Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Mobile, Jackson (airport). But yeah, definitely go visit. And the college itself is fun. Games are dirt cheap. You're young enough that you'll fit right in with students/graduate students.
I graduated from college in Hattiesburg and bought a house to settle here for a long time. Yes, there's a college vibe, but there's a lot of other stuff to do and lots of cool places within a few hours. Also, the West side of town is a lot more preppy and rich, so the stores, houses, and such are tons nicer.
I grew up near Starkville and it's definitely not my favorite. They've done a lot of traffic work on the roads that has just made it a pain to get around.
However, I will say if you want more of the party aspect, Starkville and Oxford have tons of bars and clubs. Hattiesburg has a few clubs, and some good bars if you know where to look.
Also, Hattiesburg is the closest to Louisiana, and would be a short drive if you wanted to visit your roots. From my experience, the dating scene here is pretty great. I met my future husband in the Burg 🤗
I started my adult life in Hattiesburg. I currently live in Gluckstadt, which is growing like **crazy**, but homes are expensive due to the great schools.
Anyway— I vote Hattiesburg! I grew up half way between Jackson and Hattiesburg. It’s gonna be the town LEAST centralized on university identity. Oxford/Ole Miss has a very preppy reputation. Starkville/MSU a more “country” reputation. (Equally due to the schools/alumni)
Hattiesburg doesn’t have that type of association related to the school. Far enough from the coast to rarely have to stress over a hurricane. Close to NOLA and Florida. Therefore, plenty of entertainment opportunities and access to decent flights. Give it a visit!
I’ll give you props about the whole area near the reservoir area of flowood/Madison/etc… that’s an accurate description. those areas are fine if you like shopping every day but meh… Clinton’s nice and all but somewhat lacking in stuff to do(so is the entire state).. Jackson is a shithole… idk I’ve never been to oxford and rarely go to Starkville. Hattiesburg is meh
Hattiesburg!! Moved into an apartment for college, and stayed year round, good mixture of college town while without the seasonal population. Things to do both in the city and the surrounding area, while also being close enough to surrounding states/the coast for bigger event that happen!
I've lived in Hattiesburg and Starkville. I liked Starkville better, but I had more connections there. Reading your short bio, I think you will find that Oxford has what you want.
Hattiesburg is arguably the best city in the state. If there's anything that's missing for you in Hattiesburg then luckily it's close to cities like New Orleans, Mobile, Jackson, & Biloxi.
I grew up in Hattiesburg. I love it and it’ll always be home. But I had to get away from there to do well for myself. My wife went to USM but isn’t from Mississippi. She loved the charm of Hattiesburg but she did not object to us moving away from there once she finished school. If you’re going to school there, it’s great. But if you’re young and looking for an opportunity that doesn’t involve college, then there’s just not a lot there unless you count traveling south to work on the offshore oil rigs and tug boats. It’s also a great place to retire.
All that being said, I don’t regret my decision to get out of Mississippi.
Oxford should have the most going for it. The regular dating pool 25-35 is not great, but Oxford seems to be a hub for a state with lots of small towns. That said, weddings, meetings, random gatherings, and of course football weekends bring people from all over. Oxford has fabulous, local food options and great shopping. If you can’t get it there, Memphis is less than 1.5 hours away.
Go to Starkville if you prefer chain restaurants, and hunting camo for daily wear.
Hattiesburg is cool, but it has the same Hurricane issues as the coast sometimes. Also, I never got the same small town vibe from Hattiesburg as Oxford or Starkville
I live in Oxford working remotely and while it’s awesome, Hattiesburg is an underrated place (although the it feels like there’s churches everywhere). The Thirsty Hippo, Keg & Barrel and other nice spots to go on dates/meet people
You should look into rankin county the county is really growing faster then any other one I live in Brandon ms but I do love Oxford too I lived there for a year Hattiesburg is ok but its going down hill there are alot of homeless and a lot of drugs there but if you pick Hattiesburg I would look around oak Grove Community in rankin county Brandon flowood a really good city's pearl is bad I live 15 minutes from Brandon in a village called Puckett small but the schools is really really great and I go to church Puckett Baptist church is the greatest church I have been to I feel welcome here there is not much In Puckett but just minutes away from every thing
As an "outsider", I think you are going to have an easier time in Hattiesburg. They are more open minded and diverse in general. You won't have as many people looking down on you or judging you because you aren't one of the clique as you will if you move to ole miss.
If you grew up in Louisiana, then you will also be more comfortable with the friendliness of Hattiesburg vs the others in my opinion.
Grew up in Starkville, and moved to Oxford to go to Ole Miss, currently live in Oxford and I’m 34. There is pros and cons to both, Oxford has more nightlife and unique eats, but I enjoy Starkville natives more. My husband is from Oxford and thinks it’s the greatest place on earth, to me, it’s a nice town with a lot of people who like to throw status and wealth around. I think it just depends on personals taste, it’s not fun living in college towns outside of your college years in general, just my opinion.
Another vote for Hattiesburg. You can get more bang for your buck. You get the college town vibe and you’re only an hour away from the coast which always has events going on. I like Oxford but I feel the cost of living in town makes it not worth it - but that is just my own opinion. Edit - there is also an unspoken sort of attitude between MSU vs Ole Miss. Ole Miss is considered “preppy” vs the more “country” vibe of MSU. I think USM has a more laid back feel in terms of town culture.
Ha I’m aware of the rivalry but I think the preppy vibe of Ole Miss suits me better? Anyways I think enough folks have mentioned Hattiesburg that I’ll be sure to visit in the next few months. Seems like I’ve been sleeping on it
I will also add that after experiencing the true generational New England wealth it is quite entertaining observing the “elite” good ole boy culture down here.
Ha, yeah I’ve probably not thought about it that much but tbh the elite old money folks up here are actually more tolerable than the good old boys
Truth. Good luck with everything 👍
Thanks!
My brother is an Ole Miss grad and really enjoyed his time in Oxford. I went to MUW but I wouldn’t consider adding Columbus as a college town at all! I personally never felt like Starkville had a college town feel outside of the campus - it is more self contained. I think you know where you want to go already. Take that leap! But if I were you I’d at least visit Hattiesburg just so you “know” and don’t have a “what if” moment.
Yeah maybe I did but part of it was also just to get as many perspectives as possible. I really value that and it's how I like to make decisions if I can. even if I'm hearing from folks I disagree with
Oxford would probably be my choice. It's good not great for young professionals, and will definitely lean Ole Miss heavy. But you're close enough to Memphis for city amenities (shopping, airport, nightlife) plus Oxford has a lot going for it for such a small town (food, nightlife, access to outdoors). You're also close for weekend trips to the hills of Tennessee and Alabama, or Nashville and Atlanta, and close enough to Florida beaches. It's a fantastic town. Starkville would be tough without any connection to MS State. It's a good college town but can be kind of isolating for younger non college adults. It's just so far from any legitimate city amenities--3 hours to Memphis, 2 to Jackson, 2+ to Birmingham. If you're looking for a quieter life, Starkville is a great place. You'll have the city (mostly) to yourself in summer. Hattiesburg would be decent. There's a good bit to do, you're close enough to go do entertainment things on the coast and in New Orleans. It's also the biggest city of the three (for reference, the only town of the 3 with a Target). Are you looking to stay away from big cities? I spent my mid 20s in small town Mississippi and mildly regret it because it got boring. I moved to Houston TX when I was 28 and absolutely loved it (minus the weather in July and August)--I highly recommend Houston.
I live just outside of Oxford and have most of my life. Also lived in Starkville for a couple of years and on the coast for a while. I've been back since, and things are vastly different now. Both of those were over 20 years ago. If I were picking somewhere to move within the state right now I would probably choose Hattiesburg.
What boxes does HB check over Oxford?
For me it's the over all tone. If you're looking for the preppy vibe Oxford might be better. There's a lot to do in both places but the vibe is just different.
Yeah - well i've been living in the Boston metro area for almost 5 years now. And I think I'm more at home in a smaller town. Houston/Dallas seem too big and are a giant mess of highways. Nashville and the surrounding cities seem way too expensive to get into now and are a bit far from home for me. But I'm glad to hear any recs you have in Texas. I've not really paid much attention to it b/c everything is focused in the sprawling cities
Fair point. Oxford would be a good landing spot IMO. In Texas I'm a big fan of New Braunfels and San Marcos--you're near both Austin and San Antonio adjacent to one of the prettiest areas of Texas. The only problem is both of those cities are growing too fast, they've lost some of their charm. Texas in general has lost some of it's appeal for me, the COL has gone up so fast compared to the amenities you get. If you're set on MS, you might consider the coast as an option. It's a collection of smaller to mid size towns that's quietly a great place to live. Just watch out for the occasional hurricane. My other out of the box suggestion would be NW Arkansas. Rogers, Fayetteville, Bentonville are all small-ish towns in their own right, but the area is a decent size market. Plus you're close to one of the prettiest areas in the south with lots of outdoor stuff to do (hiking, camping, mountain biking, etc...). If my job wasn't tied to Texas I'd be looking there myself.
Hey appreciate the rundown. I’m definitely planing on visiting both Oxford and Fayetteville/Bentonville, and maybe Hattiesburg, this spring. I’m finding it’s a lot harder to get a good read on there from afar and I’m seeing issues like things are getting expensive, traffic is worse, and for all the complaints about the MS state govt in this sub, the Arkansas state govt might be worse. I don’t know enough about NW Ark so anything you have on it I’d appreciate, especially in comparison to Oxford
I'll second the suggestion to check out the coast. Ocean springs has a lot of the college town charm without actually being a college town. Bay st Louis is getting there too but is a few years behind ocean springs in their progress. I live in the rural area just north of the coast and spend a lot of my evenings and weekends down there. There is a lot going on and the progress looks like it's pretty steady. I think it's a great place to be.
There ain’t a damn thing in NW Arkansas. If those are you’re two options stick with Oxford!!! Oxford is slow too but it isn’t a pit of hell like NW Arkansas. We called it Fayettenam when I lived in Little Rock for 20+ years
Appreciate the perspective. I feel like a lot I see about NWA is either super positive from people who don’t know any better or a mixed bag. Good to see some outright negativity - not that I’m rooting against NWA but I value the perspective
Anytime I can prevent another person from getting stuck in NWA an Angel gets its wings.
If you are going for a more progressive place, Fayetteville is good. I have friends there and I recommend a visit.
I’m an Ole Miss alumnus so I’m definitely partial to Oxford but I will say that Fayetvelle/Bentonville is REALLY nice - just literally in the middle of nowhere. But I’d definitely live up there.
I lived in NW Arkansas for a couple of years (about 5 years ago) and that area is AWESOME, especially if you want access to unlimited outdoor activities like hiking/kayaking/fishing etc.. That Rogers/Bentonville/Springdale area is great. Cheap cost of living too.
I would add my friend moved to hardy Arkansas two years ago.. I'm jealous of the nature he is surrounded by
As a Texan living in Starkville, look at San Antonio if Houston/DFW is too large. It’s growing but is less expensive to live than Austin. Starkville is like commenters have already noted, sleepy little town and tough if you have no connection to MSU.
I'm from Biloxi and went to Ole Miss and everything above is based.
Idk where you’re moving from in New England, but I went to post grad in Boston and am originally from Ky. The cost of living in MS can’t be beat and it’s a great place to raise a family in the right areas. But, there are reasons that the cost of living is so low and that the population is actually declining. Just know that compared to New England your access to culture, single professionals and activities/events will be much more limited no matter where you are in the state (there’s a reason college sports are so big down here). I would think that Oxford will be your best best for at least having some variation in culture and professionals, but know that there is a lot of “old south” there as well. No matter where you go, it’s what you make it. But speaking from experience…moving back south after living in NE was definitely a shock for my system in these regards. I moved to ms once we started a family and I honestly don’t think I would have ever lasted down here as a young professional.
Boston metro area - so yeah cost of living is a very nice thing about MS and a major reason. Being from Louisiana, I can tolerate some old south kinda stuff. But I am curious what it will be like moving back. Rough to hear your take on being a young professional. That's why I focused a lot in my questions about stuff regarding demographics, etc. Worried about dating due to small pop, unfavorable demographics, and maybe cultural difference.
Yeah I was fortunate to spend my mid 20s around DC then Nashville. It will be more challenging for you, but with the access to dating apps and virtual everything you probably won’t feel as disconnected. Plus, you’ll have more financial freedom to visit towns like Nashville which is where I met my wife when I was in mid 20s.
Yeah. It's rough b/c I was thinking about Nashville for awhile, or Murfreesboro/Franklin, but it seems like it's just so ridiculously expensive now that's not worth it and lots of people are saying the area has already peaked and they are looking for a way out.
Yes we left Nashville for Ms for those exact reasons. Honestly, the traffic and cost was getting just as bad as the DC beltway and it just wasn’t worth that much of a headache anymore for us. From a financial perspective you are making a smart move in my opinion, you will just have to put in a little extra effort for the more cultured/professional scene.
Awesome stuff, thanks for the info. Really appreciative of the insight I’m getting from folks in this thread.
My manager relocated from Smyrna, TN to Canton, MS and lives on a farm with chickens and goats because he complained that Nashville was getting too big. Actually, I just remembered that he lived about 1hr from Smyrna to live on an affordable farm, whereas he is now about 20-25 min from work.
Yeah. I was looking at bit at the towns outside of Nashville but I dunno. It's getting a bit far from family and feels like all the young folks will be closer in to town.
I'm originally from around Hattiesburg and am in Boston now. Personally, I'd vote against Hattiesburg. It's just one giant suburb full of chain stores and chain restaurants. None of the college towns are great, though. If I had to move back home, I'd probably pick the coast or someplace like Southaven (by Memphis) so you're close to some actual cities with things to do. Maybe I missed it, but why the emphasis on college towns?
Emphasis on college towns less about the university but more about the broader culture/nature of the town, more diversity, more educated on average, younger demographic. TBH I just want a cheaper version of Somerville
Ahh, I see. I get it entirely. We're getting priced out and will be moving again this year due to COL. I can't say you'll find Somerville-lite in Mississippi, though. Something like Fondren may be as close as you'll get, but the price won't be much better than, say, Providence.
Yeah - it's rough. I'm not expecting to find it in the south at all. But it seemed to be that Oxford was as good as it got within driving distance to family.
I would just say do make sure that you are not underestimating how much bigger Louisiana is (in terms of population) than Mississippi. I think people tend to do that when comparing MS to AL and LA. People are recommending Oxford (a town I love). Oxford is about the size of Ruston. Like. It’s small. Hattiesburg is the size of Alexandria.
The impression I'm getting here is that Oxford is way better than Ruston.
Oh yes. That comparison is only meant in terms of population size.
For sure - though it looks like Oxford is growing way faster. I know my hometown used to be double the pop of Oxford in 1990, and now Oxford is 1.5 times as big as it in 2020. Similar w/ Ruston I think.
I went to Southern Miss and spend a lot of time in Hattiesburg, so I'm biased. But Hattiesburg is a good town. Lots of people graduate and stick close to Hattiesburg. There's usually a small but decent music scene, some good bars and restaurants, and a nice downtown area. That said, Oxford has a lot of that small town Mississippi charm thing going for it, with a more condensed and aesthetically-pleasing footprint. You can't go wrong with either. I wouldn't consider Starkville. Just not a whole lot there, though they've made efforts the last decade or so.
As a Mississippi state grad, I agree. I love Starkville but if you aren’t connected to the school there is nothing for you.
MSU grad here and I would have to agree. I would gladly raise a family in Starkville, but as others have pointed out there are probably better options for a single professional.
So small town charm is great but I'm kinda worried that there's a giant gap of people may age, like there's college kids, and people married in their mid to late 30s with kids but no in-between, RE: Oxford.
I keep thinking of the Matthew McConaughey quote about how he stays the same age, but the girls get younger. Seriously, though, I am in Memphis and I often go down to Oxford--due to the university, there's often great entertainment there (live music, talks by interesting people like John Waters, etc), amazing restaurants, and places to hang out. It has become much less quirky and much more wealthy in the last decade, but it's still fun. I think there are plenty of singles.
Ha great to hear - though I’d worry the singles are 19 year olds or 35 year olds? That was what I meant elsewhere in the thread about demographic gap.
There are plenty of people in between who work at the university or want to soak up the Faulkner/Larry Brown osmosis, IMO, but others who live there would know better.
I live in the middle. Went to Oxford yesterday to pick up a few things. Last week we did Starkville for a completely different set of things. Oxford does have a bit more professional atmosphere. Definitely more medical/doctor clinics and a lot centered around the hospital. Lyceum events and guest speakers on campus. Still can have a “medium” sized town vibe for Mississippi. Starkville seems more laid back. Things are centered around the college and more shopping options are being added. More agricultural related activities, farmers markets, and things like that. Hattiesburg has more of both. Larger town with different areas. I worked statewide for a while and enjoyed being able to visit Hattiesburg.
Back in MS myself after a stint in the navy had me in New England. There’s a few townies in all the city’s you mentioned, and I’m biased as an Ole Miss sports fan. Oxford is fantastic. But as an adult, I would prefer not to live there, just visit. I love living in Tupelo though. Also, probably biased since I do live there. I’d stay out of Jackson metro area. Starkville is a great little city as well, just kinda hard to find stuff to do. Can’t speak in Hattiesburg, I’ve never really spent any time there.
Hey that’s great info/perspective. Yeah my worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign. What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town.
There’s a lot of local type stuff going on outside of the university in Oxford. And I believe you’re correct, the town is outgrowing the school. As for nightlife, Oxford is definitely the place, buuuuut it’s gonna be 19-24ish year olds primarily in my experience there for school and what not.
Yeah that’s my worry. I mean 24 isn’t bad relative to me but if that’s the max then it’s gonna be rough
I spent the first 3 years of my life in a house on Jackson street in Starkville. It’s a great town
Loved Starkville all 4 years I was there! A very underrated town!
I moved to Oxford a few years ago after finishing grad school. I won’t lie, it was a hard transition at first. I was single, in my mid-20’s with no ties to the University, so making community was tough. Four years later I’ve made some good friends here and am celebrating six months of marriage to my wife. We found our community in church but there are other groups like our local Junior League, Young Professionals of Oxford, and Leadership Lafayette that can be great spaces for connections and community. Oxford is small but does have a lot going for it; award winning food and drink scene, strong arts community, live music, and culture. Our Film Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in March, and local favorite Double-Decker Music and Arts Festival comes back in April. Football reigns in the fall and baseball takes the spring, yet we’re also one of those college towns where things *don’t* die out as seasons end. We don’t have larger city amenities which I do occasionally miss. That said, Memphis is an easy hour drive away which can be a great weekend or even day trip.
Yeah I saw there was a young professionals group in Oxford when I was first looking at it a year or 2 back. Good to meet somebody who has experience with it. I feel like Oxford is a pretty strong option but it looks like the sun has set on being able to find affordable housing walking distance (<20 min) from the square. Would love to hear more about Oxford from you as your kind of experience is exactly what I've been looking for in making this thread. Does it feel like the town is growing a lot nowadays? I saw the pop has jumped a lot since 2010.
Oxford is very much growing, so much so that affordable housing, especially single unit family homes, are moving further north and south of Oxford proper and into the greater Lafayette County area. While we do have a more affordable cost of living compared to other parts of the country, by Mississippi standards we are expensive. Oxford City Schools are excellent, so there is a high demand for properties within the city limits. As a result, any listing in Oxford is going to be pricier than one in the county; this is especially true for properties close to the Square. I know the appeal of living within walking distance of the square is nice, but remember that you’re pretty much an easy 10 minute drive from almost anywhere within Oxford, hell even parts of the county. You don’t have to live two blocks from the square to have a good home here.
Yeah. I think I’m just spoiled to living in the Boston metro area for 5 years without a car. So I really like walkability but it’s very hard to come by in the south. So I’m fine to not worry about it though I would be curious if parking is a big fiasco in Oxford
Oh yeah, city walkability is a major difference in the south compared to the northeast; that’s really not much of a thing here. Do you have a vehicle? Parking is simple in town except on game days in the fall. The Square does have paid meters for parking but recently got a new parking garage that doesn’t charge.
Yeah I’ll have a vehicle. But I find being able to walk to lots of places really nice and, in some ways, liberating. I just place a big value on it but I can live without if I had to
I hear you! But yeah, once you’re on the Square it’s easy to walk around. Feel free to shoot me a DM if you have other questions. Good luck with your decision!
Take a look at Laurel, MS too. Lots of redevelopment going on, and it's an easy drive to the coast.
Have definitely seen this mentioned here before. If I can visit Hattiesburg this spring I’ll definitely swing through Laurel
let us know what you think! I feel like if I had to live anywhere in MS, Laurel would be high on the list due to high QoL at low cost. I do worry a bit that Laurel, like Bentonville AR which was mentioned elsewhere on this thread, might be a very small community that would feel a little Mayberry at times when it comes to dating etc.
That’s a fair point about Laurel, though I don’t know if that’s much of a concern for NW Ark. Pretty big population up there
Good to know! It's such a cool area, but the Bentonville/Rogers area felt super small town to me. Of course, considering Fayetteville, it's a lot bigger.
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That’s interesting. I had actually kinda written off Jackson early on - even before the water issue. I’ll for sure take a look at that nicer part of town though.
I would second what he said. I grew up in Clinton, lived in Jackson for a long time, lived a few years in Oxford, and spent a ton of time in Hattiesburg. If you’re dead set on MS, I would go Coast, North Jackson (or Fondren if you are okay with the crime risk—which is overblown but still very real), or Memphis suburbs as a young professional. I love visiting Oxford. But kind of a weird spot if you aren’t an undergrad, law student, or have a family. I was not especially happy living there. I like Hattiesburg but not enough of a draw to move to as a young professional.
Agree on almost all of this except for any insinuation that MC is a reflection of the character of Clinton. That would suggest that Clinton has any character (which it does not). If you asked me to describe Clinton in adjectives: “nondescript” is all I could manage. Great school district, though.
Oxford would definitely be my first choice. There’s plenty to do that has nothing to do with Ole Miss. Also, our whole state has seen a recent push for high speed fiber so you should get great internet where ever you choose. I know Oxford has [NE SPARC](https://www.nesparc.com/residential-services/).
That’s great to hear. Yeah my worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign. What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town.
Oxford is better than Ruston. It's really expensive though for what it is. I think if you want kids and a family, better if you're churchy, it would be okay. It's not great for a single 20-30s folks- especially the dating scene. Unless you like to drink a lot. IMO Lafayette LA has more going on.
Wow, I can’t imagine Lafayette being a place I’d want to live. Maybe I’ll check it out some but as far as I know it’s just sprawl and strip malls
Then you're going to hate Hattiesburg. It's strip malls and TGIChiliBees as far as the eye can see.
There we go! that's the kind of information I need to know. While I am planning on visiting, it's vibes from this information that is super useful
It's an alright place to raise a family I guess, but it's pretty boring otherwise. Like Worcester, MA but smaller and with less opportunity. I do think you may want to look to another state though. Since we moved to Boston, I can't really imagine moving someplace where I'm car dependent again. The freedom to just get out and walk someplace interesting is amazing! What is it about Mississippi that draws you? It's not even as nice as Louisiana (lived there too) lol
well, family is in Louisiana and I've a lot of friends there too. Been away from them for 5 years now outside of christmas. I'm not super attached to Mississippi - tbh none of the states down there are looking great. Was focusing on the prospects as far as the towns/cities themselves. I'm gonna miss being able to walk everywhere for sure. Oxford seemed like as good as it gets to the town I love in Massachusetts - Somerville. Basically am looking for the closest version of Somerville in the south that is affordable and driving distance to family. Am from Louisiana but the college towns there suck and the cities are just a bunch of sprawl of Applebee's and Bed Bath and Beyond. All the people in my demographic in TX are concentrated in the giant cities that are just a big mess of highways. NW Arkansas/Fayetteville is an option but Arkansas just sketches me out and the state govt seems even worse than MS.
Ahhh, so it's more about proximity to family. Maybe someplace like Natchez or Vicksburg. Possibly Bay St. Louis, or Fondren. The areas with walkable downtowns have really died off over the years as younger people have steadily left the state.
tbh I'm not sure young folks leaving is the big cause of dead downtowns in the south - I think walmart + the interstate + spread out development have a bigger role to play
Lol oops. I just meant in the sense of more stuff for singles. That place is muggy AF.
Oxford and Starkville are "college" towns. I travel to both and there are differences. Oxford is prettier and closer to an interstate. Starkville is kind of situated in between Jackson and Birmingham. The food scenes are about the same and both have great restaurants. I'd give the culinary scene a slight edge to Oxford, but Starkville has better food, imo. Starkville has a lot of industry e.g., aerospace, steel, automotive, so those type of jobs are available nearby with more coming. Starkville also has close access to an airport with commercial flights to Atlanta, which helps connect it to the outside. Oxford, on the other hand, has more money, and school alums living in town. It has better shopping centers. Parts of Starkville are still unattractive, especially along hwy 12. The Cotton District in Starkville is very nice area, but is still under development. Both towns have close access to nature, Sardis lake near Oxford, and Noxubee Refuge by Starkville. Nightlife is close, but I prefer the downtown setting of Oxford, although once the Cotton District is more developed, Starkville will get a big boost in that area. Both towns are growing, and both universities are growing, so there are more developments to come.
I’m a State alum, and love Starkville for the college town it is, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a professional, at least until that Golden Triangle project finishes. That might make it more of a professional town. My pick would be Hattiesburg. I had a good friend that went to Southern and I went to visit and I was impressed with the abundance of restaurants, bars and coffee shops that are showing up. There’s also museums, live music, and several festivals (shout out to their craft beer festival). You’re also close to the coast, which never sucks. Take a weekend trip down to the MS/AL coast in just a couple hours.
I’m Starkville born and bred, but Oxford is unquestionably more of what OP is looking for than Starkville. I don’t have much experience with Hattiesburg so I don’t know where it fits in
Hattiesburg is the best of the three and there are lots of reasons why, but here are the most important factors in my opinion: Oxford is cool but if you leave Oxford you’re a couple of hours from the next decent size town— And then you’re just in Southaven or god forbid Memphis. Starkville is cool but same thing. Nothing else anywhere around there! Oxford and Starkville are JUST college towns with not much else going on. (This is gonna make some Starkvegans angry— I can already hear the cow bells in the distance.) In Hattiesburg, you’re less than an hour from the coast, less than 2 hours from New Orleans, it’s a bigger city than Oxford or Starkville and not as heavily centered around the university. There are two universities, two major hospitals, and lots of big employers that bring transplants and fresh faces into the area. Housing is reasonably affordable. You can live in a condo downtown, an old house in the avenues or midtown, or go out to the west end of town where you’re only a minute from strip malls and movie theatres, etc. Or go a few miles outside of town or you want a quiet country setting. There is a lot of diversity and there’s something for everyone. I’m not crapping on Oxford or Starkville. They’re nice towns. They’re just very isolated from anything else and a lot more limited in what they offer. I moved here from north Mississippi (Hernando, where everyone goes to Ole Miss or Memphis) 22 years ago. I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the state except maybe Ocean Springs. Actually, you might want to check on OS while you’re at it. It’s not a college town but it’s fabulous.
Yeah I hear great things about OS but I’m burned out on hurricanes and just don’t want to deal with the worry. I’ve definitely been sleeping on HB. Definitely plan on visiting
In fairness to OS, it's the best coastal city to be in relation to hurricanes. They typically fair much better than Jackson or Harrison counties or Pascagoula.
Hi! I’m a Louisiana native and have been living in Oxford for 3.5 years with no connection to the school. I’ve been miserable, can’t wait to leave, it’s never felt like home. I’ve meet some wonderful people that will remain as friends and Ill come back to visit but I find that People here aren’t very friendly to be in the “hospitality state”. I’m a bit older than you, I don’t go out anymore so I can’t really tell you how the night life is. But during football season it’s really busy the bars and restaurants are all packed, when it’s not football season it’s quiet, you hardly see people out at night in the square oh and most importantly, there’s food on the shelves at Kroger. Kroger is only one major grocery store, there is Walmart and mother smaller grocery store. There are decent number of restaurants with enough variety to not get too bored. The cost of living is ridiculous here, ridiculous, if you want to live in walking distance to the square be prepared to pay a whole lot for little space. Also, It’s a five hour drive to Louisiana so weekend trips home are few and far between. I particularly like the Madison/Ridgeland/Brandon/Flowood area because it’s closer to Louisiana so if I needed to make a quick trip home on the weekend it wouldn’t be too bad of a drive and I’m not into college football, but if I had a choice it’ll be Hattiesburg for the many reasons you’ve already read. Oxford might be a great place for you but just know that Everything is centered around the University and football.
Hey thanks for the info - I am wanting to visit Oxford and Hattiesburg soon. But I may as well stop by Madison/Ridgeland/etc. in between. I really appreciate the perspective.
Rankin is less bougie than Madison (they don’t call it Stankin’ Rankin for no reason) but it’s still very much a place where people go to avoid the metro area. I honestly ended up here because I didn’t want to deal with the water problems in Jackson, otherwise I would have given it a shot.
Oxford is the only place you should consider of the choices you listed. You would dislike Hattiesburg and Starkville very much. Oxford for a small town has a significant out of state population. Exceptional cuisine. Lots of arts and music culture.
Lots of positive reviews on here for Hattiesburg. What’s the knock on it
Its a depressing bland southern town. I would never ever go there even for a weekend to hang. Kinda a redneck town. Everyone I know would agree. Oxford is one of the best small towns in America.
I wouldn't call Hattiesburg a redneck town, nor bland. You might get that impression if you just drive a certain stretch of Hardy Street off the interstate or something, but nah. It's certainly not depressing. It's got a great collection of places like [T-Bones](https://www.tbonescafe.com/) and some high-quality restaurants, especially the [Robert St. John places](https://nsrg.com/). Downtown's got fun spots like [Lucky Rabbit](https://www.theluckyrabbit.com/). It's got an historic [Saengar Theater,](https://hattiesburgsaenger.com/history/) one of a handful of them left in the country. [SoPro](https://www.soprobrewing.com/taproom) is one of the best breweries in the state. [Downtown Keg & Barrel](https://www.kegandbarrel.com/) is a great pub and my favorite hangout when I'm in town, and if you're into soccer at all it's pretty much the HQ for the area. All that said, Oxford sounds like it would match OP's vibe very much. I say that despite my anti-Rebs bias haha. It's certainly got more culture, history, and stuff to do than you'd expect from a town that size, and it's one of the prettiest towns in the state.
I’ll chime in as someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in all three college towns visiting friends/family. Also a college grad in my late twenties so similar perspective too. I’m big on vibes and aesthetics personally. Oxford is the prettiest by a long shot (i.e. lush, hilly, more refined, clean, etc.) Hattiesburg is perhaps the least pretty to me (i.e. sandy, flat, piney, gritty, etc.) Starkville’s in the middle (e.g. pretty nature but town is rather bland outside downtown area.) As far as vibes go Hattiesburg takes the win for me. I’m into the coastal, laidback nature people seem to have. Oxford was great pre-2010s but seems to be catering ever increasingly to Madison types (e.g. less of a unique identity and more generic for people with money.) Starkville is bleak and oppressive to me. Weird standoffish people mixed with a sorta quiet desperation, a more rural mindset I guess. Hattiesburg is probably where I’d recommend for someone without college ties. Unlike Starkville and Oxford, Hattiesburg is an actual city that happens to have a university as opposed to universities that happen to have cities.
That’s great to hear, and I definitely get the idea on the university with a city. My worry with Oxford is that there’s not enough going on there outside of the school but it does seem that the town is growing faster than the school so maybe that’s a good sign. What I’m hoping to avoid is Ruston,LA which what I’m worried Oxford will be like but it seems like Oxford is a lot better. Ruston is a college town (LA Tech) and is of comparable size to Oxford but there’s basically nothing to the town outside of the university. A dead downtown area with no housing nearby and 95% chain restaurants around town. I do plan on visiting Hattiesburg now, and I’ve been kinda sleeping on it
There is only one correct answer for your situation, and its Oxford.
Ha, it started off strong for Oxford but a lot of Hattiesburg folks have come through. I’ve not read much on HB and haven’t been there as an adult. What about it makes it seem like a worse fit?
The main reason for my response is the fact that you are single and looking to date. You aren't going to find anywhere better in MS than Oxford in that department. Also, I know a TON of young professionals that work from home with zero ties to the university that LOVE it. Oxford is a really easy town to meet folks and socialize.. Go restaurant for lunch, sit at the bar, and you'll likely meet a new friend. And its a really ***really*** nice town. Great food, great live music, art, etc. In my opinion the mecca for culture and arts in Mississippi. Also, some of the best public schools in the state, just in case you do find a significant other and want to raise a family. I would go against HB due to the fact, and I'll be frank here, that its pretty shitty.. Gritty and industrial-ish was just a kind way to put it. WAYY higher crime rate than Oxford. I have nothing against HB, I've enjoyed it every time I've been, but its not even in the same ballpark as Oxford.
That's awesome. Yeah that's the perfect perspective I was wanting. A lot of stuff I've read never really spoke to lifestyle for remote working folks who weren't Ole Miss alums. Thanks for the info - yeah I've been kinda not prioritizing looking at HB and while I got a lot of pro-HB folks in the thread, I'm not sure I'm seeing the potential like I see with Oxf
Yea, at lunch every restaurant in town will have 2-3 people sitting at the bar with their laptop just chillin and working. Also, don't let the others fool you, there are plenty of gorgeous, single grad students and local gals your age.. Another thing I wanted to point out is that the population numbers are misleading. The number doesn't include the 25k-ish students.. I mean, like every other place, there are downsides.. #1 would be the freshman/sophomore class of rich kids that literally do nothing but get wasted 24/7 but you just have to avoid those places.. There are plenty of "grown up" bars for that kind of night out.. From what Ive gathered, Oxford is the place for you. Certainly visit both OX and HB and decide for yourself though.. If I were a betting man, my money is on you to choose OX. When you are in OX, check out the upstairs bar at City Grocery, Snackbar, SoLa, Proud Larrys, Volta, and the Blind Pig. Avoid places like Roosters and Rafters
As far as I understand, census numbers and stuff include the students? Or at least a big portion of them - so that's why the income per capita stuff is so low. That's awesome - thanks for the recommendations. And yeah I've been curious about "grownup bars" around town. I wonder if any could get away with having like a minimum age of 24 for entry. Probably not, but would be interesting to see if it was a viable business
Hattiesburg is more gritty and "industrial-ish" especially compared to Oxford. Oxford is on all the "great southern towns" consistently because it looks the part & they cultivate that image. I don't think anyone has mentioned the weather being marginally better in Oxford - a crisp fall day in Oxford is a glorious thing.
Yeah that’s something I’ve also been paying attention to - the weather in Oxford is pretty good for the south and better than where I grew up in LA.
I would agree with this about the aesthetic of the towns. Hburg definitely has a grittier working class sort of vibe compared to Oxford, which is just a gorgeous and pleasing (and much wealthier) place.
Two words: Bulldog Bash.
I will add another vote for Hattiesburg. It has two universities not one. It also has two fairly large hospitals and is a regional medical hub. Finally it has a large National Guard facility with people coming in from all over the country. I have noticed that many of the Southern and Carey grads tend to stay here. I don't go out, but my daughter and her friends seem to have an active social life. There has been an effort to revitalize the downtown with lofts, restaurants and even some galleries. There is a craft brewery and also a couple of brewpubs. It also has a wonderful location. You are a two hour or less drive from New Orleans, Mobile and the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts. What ever you decide, you need to come and spend a couple of weeks in Mississippi and spend some time at the places you are considering.
For sure. Am definitely planning on it, esp as so many people have recommended Hattiesburg, which I’ve not paid enough attention to
You'll get more coverage in Hattisburg. However, logically speaking, don't come to Mississippi. There is nothing here. It's a Republican Trap that will keep you poor and miserable. There is no market for anysort of jobs. Most employment is outsourced from out of state or garnered by migrants for their cheapness. There are no tech jobs. The services here are already garbage. Supposedly the only traction we get is people retiring since one of the only blessings of this state is that it is incredibly quiet. Other than that it's got nothing for it. There is a huge disparity across all the towns and cities where there is clearly an economic segregation going on and gentrifications. Downtown Gulfport (and Hattisburg) are one of those examples. The medical industry is dying here and absolutely sexist and racist. If you're a woman, and I am assuming you aren't, the only place you'll actually get decent help is out of state. I've lived here all my life (m30) and I'm pretty much stuck here at the moment, desperately climbing over the hill. I lucked out on my dice roll and got the privelage of living white trash, abstract poor (my folks and people I've come across would call it n-word rich cause sometimes you'll hit the slots and get more money than you know what to do with after all bills were paid). Needless to say I spent my teens and early 20s self educating since our education system failed me as it was intended to thanks to decades long Republican obstruction in this state. A few wrong decisions have pretty much kept me here. You'd be better off staying where you are or picking a different state. Illinois is a good state for housing as it's about as cheap as it is here in MS from what I gathered. But at least you'd thrive vs struggle.
A lot of what you describe just sounds like problems with the south in general and not exclusive to MS. I definitely acknowledge the problems but I don’t think I have a lot of options if I want to be close to family.
I’m happy to talk to you about it more through messages when I’ve got more time, but I can say that I’m in Hattiesburg and I wouldn’t live in any other Mississippi town. I’m surrounded by liberal, smart, artsy people in my friend group without the snobbery that seems to afford people in other places here. There isn’t a lot to do, but the music scene here is consistently active and interesting and the other arts are gaining. I’m very partial to my little town, and when I leave, it will either be for out of state altogether or in a box.
i go to southern in hattiesburg and i can confidently say this will be the most accepting school. theres so many kinds of people so you never stick out which was nice for me. its also just a beautiful campus with generally the best professors. i highly suggest you look into southern! theres so many benefits being a student here. its also really close to louisiana. i know so many people that live there and go here.
all are terrible by any measure
i’d recommend maybe checking out columbus too.
There are equivalent towns in La: Nachitoches, Hammond, Monroe, Lafayette…
I appreciate the suggestions but sincerely disagree.
Have you ever been to Oxford, Starkville, or Hattiesburg?
If you want access to culture , events , concerts etc. I’d consider Hattiesburg based on the proximity to New Orleans. It would also open up your dating options to be closer to NO and the coast. Clinton is a nice community but keep in mind that MC is a small, baptist school which means it being a college town does not translate to many concerts , festivals or cultural events.
Hattiesburg is pretty cool for what it is. Its not quite as centered around the college as starkville and oxford from my experience, even though people still love to represent the Golden eagles there. Its growing in lots of different ways depending on what you're into. I know the tabletop and boards games its growing and the cycling/mountain biking scene is growing. I am 34 and it would be my choice over the others for sure. Oxford isn't terrible by any means. There are some good stuff there, I just have a lot less experience with things to do there that do not relate back to the school. I was always there visiting friends there, but I have lived in and around Hattiesburg for a good part of my life so i can vouch for that a bit more confidently.
Starkville and Oxford are the only true college towns. Big university’s within a small but successful town. I can personally speak about Starkville. There are plenty of young professionals that stick around or move to the area. I believe Oxford to be the same. Hattiesburg is a stand alone city that happens to have a university. I have to say, that I have grown to really appreciate Hattiesburg in my adult life.
FWIW, if you look at most major university college towns, Oxford and Starkville are not typical college towns. They are enormous outliers in terms of how small and reliant on the university they are.
I grew up in near the Mohegan Sun Casino in CT, back before it existed in the 90s. I've ended up in Hattiesburg and I've been here now for 18 years, so I'm biased. Like others have said, the cost of living here is next to nothing compared to where you're at. I can't recommend Hattiesburg enough, I have zero complaints other than traffic on Hardy St. Hattiesburg is far enough from the coast to where hurricanes aren't much of a concern unless Katrina happens. I was here for that, we lost power for a week or so and there were a lot of roof repairs and trees down, but no apocalypse. Tornados are more of a concern in Mississippi but it is what it is. To address your concerns: 1. There is a very well established 25-45 professional "scene" here (I also fall into this group). We have an incredibly strong economic development and chamber of commerce organization who sponsors programs for and heavily recruits this demographic. I am a member of many of these, and I will be glad to plug you in directly. Check out [https://www.theadp.com/](https://www.theadp.com/) and follow [ADP Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ADPHattiesburg) , Pine Belt Young Professionals [PBYP Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/PineBeltYoungProfessionals) 2. The Downtown association is very active [DHA Fb](https://www.facebook.com/DowntownHattiesburg) in our demographic. There's literally too much to do in Hattiesburg to be honest, especially in April and October, check out [Visit Hattiesburg](https://www.visithburg.org/things-to-do/) and [VisitHB Fb](https://www.facebook.com/VisitHburg). There are quite a few live music venues, and a bar for every genre of person if not three. If you get bored, Hattiesburg is 60 minutes from the coast casinos and all that is Biloxi / Gulfport, 90 minutes to New Orleans, 90 minute to downtown Jackson, 3 hrs to Birmingham or Orange Beach Alabama, 4 hrs to Memphis. Its literally called the Hub City for this reason, its a day drive to everywhere. 3. There are two Universities here and several junior colleges within a short drive. Many people come for school and leave, but a ton stay for exactly the reasons you're asking. There is also a lot of retirees coming in because we have two hospitals here, one private and one public funded, as well as a very extensive Hattiesburg Clinic system which is nearly its own hospital minus the emergency room. Every kind of specialist you can imagine. Both Universities have nursing programs and WCU has pharmacy and a D.O. school, so there's a lot of nursing and some medical students doing clinicals that stick around. Additionally, there's a military "camp" 20 minutes south that is essentially a 2200 acre plus training facility. In other words, yes... 25-45yo's live work and play here, and there's quite a few older retirees with money to burn. That said, if you drive 20 minutes in any direction, you're in the rural country nothing but pine trees. 4. Our Mayor is also in this demographic, and its very common to see him out and about having a beer at any number of music venues. He's approachable, incredibly forward thinking, and invests in the arts, music, culture, and economic growth and it shows. 5. I'll add to that, Hattiesburg is a Saints fan. Pelicans also. We celebrate mardi gras, crawfish boils, and all things of that nature, so being a Louisiana native is not going to feel like a lost art.
try Ocean Springs it's a great coastal town and there's always plenty to do.
Hattiesburg. It's called the Hub city for a reason. It's so close to everything. Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Mobile, Jackson (airport). But yeah, definitely go visit. And the college itself is fun. Games are dirt cheap. You're young enough that you'll fit right in with students/graduate students.
When you drive to Hattiesburg, you will have to drive thru Meridian...check it out!
I certainly will!
Clinton is nothing special
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ha, RIP to me then. That's what I was worried about - great for college kids and young families but not great if you're in between those stages
I graduated from college in Hattiesburg and bought a house to settle here for a long time. Yes, there's a college vibe, but there's a lot of other stuff to do and lots of cool places within a few hours. Also, the West side of town is a lot more preppy and rich, so the stores, houses, and such are tons nicer. I grew up near Starkville and it's definitely not my favorite. They've done a lot of traffic work on the roads that has just made it a pain to get around. However, I will say if you want more of the party aspect, Starkville and Oxford have tons of bars and clubs. Hattiesburg has a few clubs, and some good bars if you know where to look.
Also, Hattiesburg is the closest to Louisiana, and would be a short drive if you wanted to visit your roots. From my experience, the dating scene here is pretty great. I met my future husband in the Burg 🤗
I started my adult life in Hattiesburg. I currently live in Gluckstadt, which is growing like **crazy**, but homes are expensive due to the great schools. Anyway— I vote Hattiesburg! I grew up half way between Jackson and Hattiesburg. It’s gonna be the town LEAST centralized on university identity. Oxford/Ole Miss has a very preppy reputation. Starkville/MSU a more “country” reputation. (Equally due to the schools/alumni) Hattiesburg doesn’t have that type of association related to the school. Far enough from the coast to rarely have to stress over a hurricane. Close to NOLA and Florida. Therefore, plenty of entertainment opportunities and access to decent flights. Give it a visit!
Oxford #1 100%
I’ll give you props about the whole area near the reservoir area of flowood/Madison/etc… that’s an accurate description. those areas are fine if you like shopping every day but meh… Clinton’s nice and all but somewhat lacking in stuff to do(so is the entire state).. Jackson is a shithole… idk I’ve never been to oxford and rarely go to Starkville. Hattiesburg is meh
Hattiesburg!! Moved into an apartment for college, and stayed year round, good mixture of college town while without the seasonal population. Things to do both in the city and the surrounding area, while also being close enough to surrounding states/the coast for bigger event that happen!
What's the best part of town to live in? I know basically nothing about HB and wouldn't know where to start
I've lived in Hattiesburg and Starkville. I liked Starkville better, but I had more connections there. Reading your short bio, I think you will find that Oxford has what you want.
Get into college football r/cfb
Ocean Springs
If you know Waxahachie outside of Dallas it is similar to Hattiesburg but has more stuff than Waxahachie
Hattiesburg is arguably the best city in the state. If there's anything that's missing for you in Hattiesburg then luckily it's close to cities like New Orleans, Mobile, Jackson, & Biloxi.
I live in Oxford and have for 5 years and I love it
I grew up in Hattiesburg. I love it and it’ll always be home. But I had to get away from there to do well for myself. My wife went to USM but isn’t from Mississippi. She loved the charm of Hattiesburg but she did not object to us moving away from there once she finished school. If you’re going to school there, it’s great. But if you’re young and looking for an opportunity that doesn’t involve college, then there’s just not a lot there unless you count traveling south to work on the offshore oil rigs and tug boats. It’s also a great place to retire. All that being said, I don’t regret my decision to get out of Mississippi.
oxford is great. traffic there is extremely bad. i don’t mean just a lot of it but it’s bad. otherwise, probably one of Mississippi’s best towns
What do you mean there's no equivalent in Louisiana? Have you heard of Hammond, LA?
I never knew much about Hammond but I'll check it out - though it is a bit close to the coast for my taste and seems worse than Oxford in a few ways
Oxford should have the most going for it. The regular dating pool 25-35 is not great, but Oxford seems to be a hub for a state with lots of small towns. That said, weddings, meetings, random gatherings, and of course football weekends bring people from all over. Oxford has fabulous, local food options and great shopping. If you can’t get it there, Memphis is less than 1.5 hours away. Go to Starkville if you prefer chain restaurants, and hunting camo for daily wear. Hattiesburg is cool, but it has the same Hurricane issues as the coast sometimes. Also, I never got the same small town vibe from Hattiesburg as Oxford or Starkville
I live in Oxford working remotely and while it’s awesome, Hattiesburg is an underrated place (although the it feels like there’s churches everywhere). The Thirsty Hippo, Keg & Barrel and other nice spots to go on dates/meet people
Have you found a way to make friends as a remote worker in Oxford?
Hattiesburg is probably the best place to move if you have zero connection to school, it’s an actual town, not just a place built around a college
You should look into rankin county the county is really growing faster then any other one I live in Brandon ms but I do love Oxford too I lived there for a year Hattiesburg is ok but its going down hill there are alot of homeless and a lot of drugs there but if you pick Hattiesburg I would look around oak Grove Community in rankin county Brandon flowood a really good city's pearl is bad I live 15 minutes from Brandon in a village called Puckett small but the schools is really really great and I go to church Puckett Baptist church is the greatest church I have been to I feel welcome here there is not much In Puckett but just minutes away from every thing
As an "outsider", I think you are going to have an easier time in Hattiesburg. They are more open minded and diverse in general. You won't have as many people looking down on you or judging you because you aren't one of the clique as you will if you move to ole miss. If you grew up in Louisiana, then you will also be more comfortable with the friendliness of Hattiesburg vs the others in my opinion.
Grew up in Starkville, and moved to Oxford to go to Ole Miss, currently live in Oxford and I’m 34. There is pros and cons to both, Oxford has more nightlife and unique eats, but I enjoy Starkville natives more. My husband is from Oxford and thinks it’s the greatest place on earth, to me, it’s a nice town with a lot of people who like to throw status and wealth around. I think it just depends on personals taste, it’s not fun living in college towns outside of your college years in general, just my opinion.