Petal is a somewhat small city located in the state of Mississippi. With a population of 7,666 people and three constituent neighborhoods, Petal is the 46th largest community in Mississippi.

Unlike some cities, Petal isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Petal are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Petal is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Petal who work in office and administrative support jobs (15.78%), sales jobs (13.00%), and teaching (7.66%).

Petal is a very car-oriented city. 98.27% of residents commute to work in a private automobile rather than by other means, such as public transit, bicycling, or walking. This is because Petal is a small city, and most people who live here have to drive out of town for work, and the town population is not large nor dense enough to support an extensive public transportation system. Petal has a lot of rural roads, and houses can be far apart. Many residents drive out of town for regular shopping trips as well.

Petal Information and Demographics

The population of Petal overall has a level of education that is slightly above the US average for all US cities and towns of 14.96%. Of adults 25 and older in Petal, 17.91% have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Petal in 2000 was $13,996, which is middle income relative to Mississippi, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $55,984 for a family of four.

The people who call Petal home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Petal is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Petal include Irish, English, and German.

The most common language spoken in Petal is English. Some people also speak Spanish.