What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for The Highlands?
The Highlands is ranked #16 of 21 eligible neighborhoods in Hattiesburg; #94 of 122 eligible neighborhoods in MS; and #13,204 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
The Highlands
Hattiesburg, MS | Forrest County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
31.6
Stability and Strength
23.3
Value Opportunity
42.6
Momentum
29.3
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Hattiesburg, MS |
| County | Forrest County |
| National rank | #13,204 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #94 of 122 |
| City rank | #16 of 21 |
| County rank | #15 of 20 |
| National percentile | 11.8 |
| National band | LOWER_25_PERCENT |
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Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $159,630 |
| Year-over-year home value change | -2.5% |
| Month-over-month home value change | 0.08% |
| Home value to income ratio | 3.90 |
| Median household income | $40,886 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.1% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 11.4% |
| Homeownership rate | 9.5% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 12.4% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 49.1% |
How to read this profile
- Ranks are always shown with denominators.
- Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
- Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
- Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers
Questions About Living in The Highlands
Is The Highlands one of the best neighborhoods in Hattiesburg?
The Highlands has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 31.6 and a city ranking of #16 of 21 eligible neighborhoods in Hattiesburg.
How much are homes worth in The Highlands?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for The Highlands is approximately $159,630.
Are home values rising or falling in The Highlands?
Zillow neighborhood values changed -2.5% year over year and 0.08% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for The Highlands?
The Highlands has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 29.3. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in The Highlands?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $40,886.
How affordable is The Highlands relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 3.90. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is The Highlands primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 9.5%.
What is the unemployment rate in The Highlands?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 11.4%.
How educated are residents of The Highlands?
Approximately 37.1% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in The Highlands face high rent burden?
Approximately 49.1% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
How does Best Neighborhoods USA score The Highlands?
The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.
Governed ranking context
How this neighborhood ranks
HMDA Mortgage Intelligence
Neighborhood Mortgage Market
Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.
Activity year2024
Estimated applications22
Estimated originations15
Home-purchase applications10
Origination rate66.0%
Home-purchase share46.3%
Average application loan$227,423
Total application loan amount$5,105,657
National application rank#10,261 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications -10.6% YoY; originations -4.2% YoY
Mortgage methodology
HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.