Wiggins is defined by its rural landscape and close community
The City of Wiggins is a small rural community that sits between Hattiesburg and Gulfport, surrounded by farmland, creeks and a national forest. The nearby Flint Creek Reservoir welcomes plenty of outdoor recreation. As the county seat of Stone County, Wiggins has a wide selection of homes and growing commercial opportunities. “Wiggins has a lot of families that have lived there for multiple generations. People don’t move away as much as you’d think,” says Stacey Butera, a Realtor with Coastal Realty Group, who has been licensed since 2020. “New people moving to the area love that it’s more family oriented […] It has a small-town feel, and it’s very rural.”
A wide variety of single-family homes
Most homes in Wiggins are lined along residential streets and have large grassy lots with driveways. Contemporary single-story homes are common, built between the 1970s and 1990s. Some have a New Traditional design with simple exteriors, while others are Craftsman-inspired with front porches, pointed roofs and brick features. A handful of older properties were built in the 1940s and have a more Victorian style. Ranch-style homes with brick or vinyl exteriors are also popular. Prices range from $70,000 to $470,000, depending on the property’s size and condition. “You can find houses that are major fixer uppers…and then you can find beautiful communities,” Butera says.
City parks and reservoirs providing plenty of recreation
Blaylock Park is one of the city’s primary green spaces, with a playground, swings, tennis courts and a public art mosaic that pays homage to the city’s history. A large pavilion in the park hosts live music and events. To the north of the area, Reynold’s Field is often among soccer and football athletes. Surrounding the field is a playground, splash pad and skate park. To the south, baseball players round the bases at Hood Fields.
Flint Creek Water Park is located along its namesake reservoir, directly north of Wiggins. Fishing, boating and water sports are all allowed – a seasonal swimming area even has water slides. The park also has a disc golf course, nature trails and over 300 cabins and campsites for tents and RVs. Additionally, Wiggins is surrounded by the De Soto National Forest. Two main trails span 60 miles for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Outdoor enthusiasts can also go camping or fishing and canoeing along Black Creek.
Getting the Wiggins community together for events
Wiggins puts on a handful of events throughout the year. Pine Hill Festival takes place in April, with food and craft vendors sprawled throughout Blaylock Park. The event has live music and a classic car show. In September, the Stone County Fair and Parade is hosted near the airport and has everything from livestock competitions to a petting zoo. Additional city events include parades for Mardi Gras and Christmas.
Shopping and dining downtown and along the highways
Multiple commercial corridors are found throughout Wiggins. Pine Avenue has a handful of restaurants and shops lined along it, like Posh Magnolia Boutique. “It’s a cute downtown area that’s had a resurgence in the last few years,” Butera says. Staigle’s Steakhouse serves upscale dishes, and Whistle Stop Café is nearby with country-style comfort food. “People actually drive up from the coast to eat at that steakhouse,” she says. More locally owned restaurants are located along Mississippi Highway 29, including Boondocks Barbeque with its pork platters.
The commercial corridor along Frontage Drive follows U.S. Highway 49 and has a Walmart Supercenter. Fast-food eateries and chain restaurants in the area include Little Caesar’s and Waffle House. Piggly Wiggly on Central Avenue is the city’s main grocery store. At the southern edge of town, there are multiple car dealerships and Tractor Supply Company.
Stone County’s highly rated public schools
Wiggins is served by the Stone County School District. Stone Elementary School and Stone Middle both earn A-minus grades from Niche. From there, students head to Stone High School, which scores a B-plus. The high school offers an extensive vocational program, with two-year career-centered skills courses for everything from STEM to culinary arts. “They have good schools, and they’re not huge, so they have a nice student-to-teacher ratio,” Butera says.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus is around 6 miles south of the city, offering concurrent enrollment for high schoolers, adult education and career-technical programs.
Driving along Wiggins’ highway systems
Multiple major highway systems cross through Wiggins, supporting the car-dependent community. U.S. Highway 49, known as Azalea Drive, and Mississippi Highway 29 both travel north and south through the area. U.S. 49 is used to reach Hattiesburg and Gulfport, about 35 miles in each direction. Mississippi Highway 26 travels east and west, intersecting with the other two in Wiggins.
Memorial is Stone County’s general hospital, located on Central Avenue. Since the city’s Dean Griffin Memorial Airport does not offer commercial flights, travelers use Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, roughly 32 miles away.
