New Hope offers quiet homes, a few businesses and a low crime score
Settled near the Mississippi-Alabama border is New Hope, a quiet residential community with highly rated schools and growing local traditions. "I grew up in New Hope, and this is a close-knit community. Locals really support and help us as business owners," says Tim Massey, who owns Taylor Made Cake with his wife, Taylor Massey. "It seems like there’s not much to offer here, but all the business owners and residents work together to make things available for the community." The area is a census-designated place in Lowndes County consisting mainly of residences and a few storefronts. The area offers celebrations and gatherings throughout the year. "We have a community organization called New Hope Strong that has a festival at the high school," Massey says. The New Hope Festival, organized mainly by volunteers, marked its inaugural year in 2024. The two-day gathering includes live concerts, arts and crafts vendors and a nighttime fireworks display. New Hope's CAP Index Crime Score is 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Housing ranges from country lots to more suburban homes
New Hope offers a varied streetscape, from suburban streets lined with houses to long country lanes dotted by homes positioned across open fields. The community contains primarily ranch-style dwellings built between the 1960s and 1990s. There are also more recent, New Traditional homes from the 21st century. Several homes sit inside subdivisions such as New Hope Park, which includes residences from the late 1980s and new constructions. Homes in New Hope rarely sell on the market. According to a Homes.com calculation, which uses a combination of estimated data, the average home value in the community was around $240,000 in midyear 2025.
Attending highly rated Lowndes County School District locations
Children attend highly rated local schools within the Lowndes County School District. New Hope Elementary students are split into multiple buildings. New Hope Middle is next to the elementary, while New Hope High stands less than half a mile away. Each school has an A-minus rating on Niche.
Visits to New Hope Park and Lake Lowndes
New Hope Park, located next to the local high school, has a paved path, a playground and an open field. The park is decorated for Christmas in early winter and hosts the community holiday celebration. Lake Lowndes State Park stands southeast of the area among the pine forests. The grounds include hiking trails, a play area and an 18-hole disc golf course. There's also a walking track and a tennis complex. Residents fishing in the 150-acre lake can expect to catch bream or largemouth bass. The waters are open seasonally to jet skiing and tubing. Visitors pay a fee to access the state park.
Commerce includes small businesses and local restaurants
The area has a small mix of regional storefronts and local businesses, including New Hope Pharmacy and the local supermarket, Piggly Wiggly. "Taylor Made Cake has been here for 11 years. We have a walk-in bakery with a good variety of sweets, and we do special cake orders. In the morning, we serve breakfast. We also have casseroles and chicken salads for lunch," Massey says. Little Porky’s, a local barbecue spot, is tucked away from the street view.
A wintertime gathering in the community
The community holds events like the New Hope Strong Festival and an annual celebration on Independence Day. "Our biggest gathering is our Christmas parade that runs around a [city] block. We have Santa Claus and the Grinch. And the parade comes around and people sit and enjoy it," Massey says. "And we'll open up our store [Taylor Made Cake] at night. We serve our sweets and hot chocolate."
Easy trips to Columbus or Alabama
Highway 69 stretches along the border of this car-dependent community. The Mississippi-Alabama state line is roughly 5 miles away from the center of New Hope. Downtown Columbus is within a 10-mile drive of most homes. Locals also visit the nearby city for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle Columbus. The Golden Triangle Regional Airport, around 20 miles away, provides flights to Atlanta and Dallas/ Fort Worth.
Risks of flooding and a nearby Superfund site
Wildfires pose some risks to New Hope. Nearby communities have also experienced flooding along roadways during heavy rain. The region is susceptible to hurricanes, which may cause damaging high winds. The Kerr-McGee/Tronox chemical facility, about 10 miles away, is a designated Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The site is known to have caused groundwater and soil contamination, and cleanup efforts are ongoing.
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Written By
Ashley Kennedy
