Mississippi

Living wage in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Most of Hattiesburg is in Forrest County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $26.17 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$26.17/hrForrest County standard
At Hattiesburg's middle rent$27.16/hrstudio rent $890 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Forrest County

Across the 5 ZIP codes in Hattiesburg with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $880 to $1,080 a month. At the middle rent, $890, a full-time job would need to pay $27.16 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Hattiesburg are also in Lamar County.

ZIP codes in Hattiesburg

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
39401Forrest County$890/mo$27.16/hr
39402Lamar County$1,080/mo$33.38/hr
39403Forrest County$880/mo$26.83/hr
39404Forrest County$880/mo$26.83/hr
39406Forrest County$900/mo$27.48/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Hattiesburg needs to pay at least $26.17 an hour before taxes, about $54,441 a year. That is the figure for Forrest County, where the typical studio rent is $860 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 5 ZIP codes in Hattiesburg with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $880 to $1,080 a month. At the middle rent of $890, the pay needed would be $27.16 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Forrest County is $7.25 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.6 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads