Waynesboro offers a quiet, rural lifestyle
The sleepy community of Waynesboro offers a quiet lifestyle in rural southern Mississippi. Top local employers include lumber manufacturers and sawmills, as well as oil and gas companies. The community of about 4,500 is close-knit, coming together weekly to support the local high school’s football team. “High school football is the main attraction on a Friday night – it’s a real tradition,” says Dennis West, a Smalltown Hunting Properties Realtor with over 20 years of experience. “Children grow up and graduate, but they still show up and support the team. I’d say it’s more intense than in Friday Night Lights, even.”
Single-family homes sell for under $400,000
Many of the cottages, Colonial Revivals, New Traditionals and ranch-style homes here have broad lawns with azaleas and crepe myrtles. Thick groves of pines, oaks and sweetgum trees shade large backyards and narrow, winding streets. Prices start under $100,000 and rise to about $360,000.
The Chickasawhay River is prone to flooding, and the risk of high water and wind damage is elevated during hurricane season. Wayne County is also vulnerable to tornadoes. Summers here are hot and muggy, with average high temperatures reaching 90 degrees. Winters are typically mild, with lows rarely dipping below freezing.
Above-average Wayne County School District
Wayne County School District earns a B-minus from Niche and allows school transfers by application. The district serves just under 3,000 students across seven schools, including five combined elementary-middle schools, one high school and the Wayne County Career Technical Center. Pipelines vary by address. Students may attend Wayne Central School (C+) for preschool through eighth grades before attending Wayne County High (B-) for ninth through 12th. High schoolers may take dual credit classes at Jones Junior College in Ellisville, about 40 miles away. Wayne Academy is a C-minus-rated private school for pre-K through 12th graders.
Waynesboro parks and athletic facilities, where to fish/hunt nearby
Waynesboro Sports Complex's lighted fields host local youth baseball, softball and soccer leagues. Hogan Park has more ballfields, along with picnic areas and a lighted driving range. Both the sports complex and Hogan Park have concessions stands. Playgrounds, like those at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Eastside Park and Southside Park, are scattered around the city. Eastside Park also has tennis courts, and Southside Park has a splash pad, a basketball court and a community center. Wayne General Hospital has public recreational amenities, including a wellness center with gym equipment and an outdoor walking track. The Waynesboro Municipal Auditorium hosts events like beauty pageants, dances, civic meetings and the annual Wayne County Memorial Day celebration.
Maynor Creek Water Park and the Chickasawhay River/Chickasawhay State Wildlife Management Area, both within 20 miles of Waynesboro, are popular fishing, hunting and camping destinations. West says the DeSoto National Forest, about 55 miles away, is also a popular spot for fishing and hunting.
Shopping and dining in central Waynesboro
The small shopping center across from the high school has a Walmart Supercenter and a Dollar General. Downtown has more shopping options, like Waynesboro Hardware, Hutto’s Gift Gallery and Southern Roots Clothing Company. Rhinehart Square, at the corner of Court Street and Station Street, hosts events like the annual Waynesboro Whistle Stop Festival. The springtime celebration features live music, local vendors and children’s activities, like train and pony rides. The square is close to stores like the Waynesboro Farm Supply and the Athletic Locker, a sporting goods shop. The Stanford Steakhouse is an industrial-chic sports bar-style eatery near Cooley’s Hamburgers. “All the locals know about it, it’s a must-stop, old-style, walk-in hamburger joint,” West says. “There’s a tiny place to eat-in, but most people take their orders to go. And most of the time, the person taking your order is also the person doing the cooking.”
U.S. Routes 84 and 45 connect around Wayne County
U.S. Route 84 connects east toward Alabama and west to Laurel, nearly 30 miles away. The Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport is about 50 miles from Waynesboro. U.S. Route 45 heads north to Meridian and southeast toward Mobile, Alabama, just over 80 miles away. Wayne General Hospital, a big local employer, is within about 3 miles of most homes. Southern Connect provides public transportation service to southeastern Mississippi, including Wayne County.
