Purvis offers friendly small-town living outside of Hattiesburg
The friendly and supportive nature of the people in Purvis has kept Stacey Byrd in the community her entire life. Byrd says locals passing through downtown always stop to let drivers back out of curbside parking spots at the drug store, followed by a customary exchange of waves. When Purvis High’s baseball and softball teams advanced to the state championships in 2025, businesses on Main Street flew team flags, and many of the city’s 2,000 residents turned out to cheer and send off the players as they left town. “Purvis may be a small town, but it has a big heart,” says Byrd, an agent at Vines Realty and Land who lives in nearby Lumberton but is one of the top-selling agents in Purvis.
Tree-shaded homes in Mississippi’s Pine Belt
Ranch-style homes dot the blocks surrounding downtown. Plentiful oaks and magnolias shade small yards and create buffers between properties. To the north, houses with larger lots sit in clearings among pine thickets. This area is also home to some of Purvis’ newest properties, such as the brick cottages in the Lost Orchard subdivision. Prices in Purvis range from $100,000 to $300,000.
The CAP Index Crime Score is 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
New Purvis High campus in the works
Elementary-aged students may go to Purvis Lower Elementary for kindergarten through second grade and Purvis Upper Elementary for third through fifth grades. Both schools receive B-plus grades from Niche, as does Purvis Middle School. B-rated Purvis High will soon move to a new campus. The school district began planning the construction in 2025, but it hasn’t shared a timeline for when the school will open. The project is funded by a $117 million bond issue that will moderately raise county property taxes. For example, a homeowner with a house valued at $100,000 would see a roughly $25 increase in their annual tax bill, according to the school district.
Coffee, boutiques and a street festival in downtown Purvis
Small businesses cluster near the intersection of Main Street and Shelby Speights Drive. Brick storefronts house Steam Craft Coffee & Cafe and Southern Oaks, a boutique selling clothing and artwork. Every November, the Purvis Street Festival takes over Main Street. More than 100 vendors line the road from the Lamar County Circuit Courthouse to First Baptist Church of Purvis, with classic cars filling a parking lot and musicians jamming on a stage.
Nearby, Cuevas Fish House has been a mainstay for fried catfish since 1983. “I worked there from the time I was 12 until I was 20-something,” Byrd says. With Pylant’s Ace Hardware, Dollar General and Ramey’s Marketplace grocery store in town, residents can do most of their shopping without driving to Hattiesburg.
I-59, Route 11 lead to Hattiesburg
Byrd says one of the appeals of Purvis is the three highways that run through it: Interstate 59, U.S. Route 11 and Mississippi Highway 589. The latter two connect to Hattiesburg. Located 15 miles from Purvis, the city is home to Forrest General Hospital, the University of Southern Mississippi and big-box stores along U.S. Route 98. Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport provides nonstop flights to Houston, and travelers can fly to more destinations from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Amtrak and other train operators use the tracks through Purvis. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows the trains can be noisy, but only for the blocks immediately surrounding the tracks.
Recreation includes fishing the Black Creek, golfing at Pine Creek
Downtown, magnolia trees border the playground and picnic pavilions of World War II Memorial Park. One of the park’s three play areas is accessible to children with disabilities. Anglers often fish for bass and bream in the Black Creek, which winds through the north side of Purvis. To the east, Pine Creek Golf Club’s 18-hole course is open to the public.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
