Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, along the Leaf River. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,454 in the 2010 census, increasing to 11,010 in the 2020 census. The post office was established in 1903 and was named after the daughter of a first settler. It is the only city in the U.S. with this name.

Petal incorporated on April 5, 1974. Petal was a community filled with farmers. This is slowly changing with new businesses coming into the city.

The International Checker Hall of Fame was located in Petal until September 29, 2007, when of the building caught fire.

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

left|thumb|January 21, 2017, Petal, Mississippi, tornado damage

Geography

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Petal had a population of 11,010. The median age was 36.1 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.7 males age 18 and over.

71.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 28.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,111 households in Petal, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 14.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,435 housing units, of which 7.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.

  • William Leon Clark, former Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
  • Percy Dale East, journalist
  • Demarcus Evans, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Tom King, former member of the Mississippi State Senate
  • Dan M. Lee, Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1981 to 1998
  • Mike Lott, former member Mississippi House of Representatives (2000-2008); current Alderman-at-Large
  • Kris Mangum, professional football player
  • Cliff Pace, 43rd World Champion of Bass Fishing, 2013 Bassmaster Classic
  • Javon Patterson, professional football player
  • Ray Perkins, University of Alabama wide receiver; attended Petal High School, where he was an All-American
  • Nate Rolison, former Major League Baseball first baseman
  • Charles Walker, former Mississippi state checkers champion
  • Tom Walters, safety for the Washington Commanders

References

  • City of Petal official website