I was thinking about the Purvis Tornadoes and all the exciting teams we have in our town, from softball to girls volleyball and basketball. With so many talented…

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Weather

Forecast →

91°

Clear

H 90° · L 63°

Local news

All →

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Purvis. Another town gets a different order.

Work & commute

About one in eight working residents works right in Purvis

Most working residents leave Purvis for work: only 12% work in town. The top destinations are Hattiesburg (39%), Laurel (3%) and Columbia (2%). Half commute less than 13 miles.

12%work in town

Where working residents work

In Purvis12%

Hattiesburg39%

Laurel3%

Columbia2%

Petal1%

13 mi

median commute distance

1,952

jobs based in Purvis

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Schools

Purvis’s public schools outperform 92% of Mississippi districts

The public schools Purvis’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 92% of Mississippi’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

ASchool Grade

School	Grades	Students	Grade
Purvis Lower Elementary	PK–2	448	D−
Purvis Upper Elementary	3–5	377	B+
Purvis Middle School	6–8	447	B+
Purvis High School	9–13	614	B
Lamar Co Voc Tech Center	9–12	—	Not graded
Jefferson/Todd Alternative Program	5–12	—	Not graded

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →

Outdoors

23.2% of Purvis is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

23.2%conserved

23.2%

conserved · 623 of 2,683 acres

0.0 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. World War II Memorial Park	—	1

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Health

Healthier than 31% of U.S. towns

Purvis beats the Mississippi average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.

CHealth Grade

32 measures vs. Mississippi

4 better28 too close to call0 worse

What stands out	Purvis	MS
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	18.5%	22.4%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off	9.3%	11.2%

Merit Health Wesley

12.5 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

68th

percentile among MS towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Housing

A typical Purvis home is worth about $241K

The typical Purvis home is worth about $241,000, up 5.6% in a year, 22% above the Mississippi typical home.

$241KZillow home value

Typical home value

Purvis$241K

Mississippi$198K

+5.6%

value change, 1 year

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Climate

Mild winters, hot summers

Purvis has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.

91°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter40–62°

Spring54–78°

Summer70–91°

Fall55–79°

Nov 23

typical first frost

Mar 7

typical last frost

+0.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

91°

typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Safety

Crime reported in Purvis

Purvis's reported crime rate is below Mississippi's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2024.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Purvis0.5

Mississippi2.2

U.S.3.6

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Purvis9.7

Mississippi14.6

U.S.17.7

violent crimes reported in 2024

property crimes reported in 2024

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with hurricanes at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 46% of U.S. communities.

46risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

A job hub

Every workday, about 1,872 people come to Purvis for work

Where Purvis’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

1,952jobs based in Purvis

12%of working residents work in town

13 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

2009 · CloseUpofWarMemorial · Wikimedia Commons

Purvis’s story

Purvis in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.

Explore the history →

Famous people from Purvis

9 notable people were born in Purvis.

See all 9 →

Lacey ChabertAmerican film actress and producer · born 1982

Lillian McMurryAmerican record producer · 1921–1999

Percy E. FoxworthFBI executive · 1906–1943

Ronald J. SlayAmerican football, basketball, and baseball coach · 1890–1948

Dave RyanAmerican musician · born 1967

De'Mar HamiltonAmerican musician · born 1984

About Purvis

City in Mississippi, United States

Purvis is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Lamar County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Purvis had a population of 1,909. The Town of Purvis was incorporated on February 25, 1888 and was founded by and named after Thomas Melville Purves, originally of Marion County, Alabama. Purves, born March 8, 1820, was a second generation Scottish-American; his grandfather emigrated to Charleston, South Carolina in 1765.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Population: 1,909
Area: 3.9 sq mi
Elevation: 387 ft
ZIP code: 39475
Area code: 601

More about Purvis

The handbookEverything you need to know about Purvis

Purvis Public Library122 Shelby Speights Drive

PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots

Town HallMeetings, officials & offices

Still missing for Purvis:upcoming events

PurvisMS

What makes Purvis stand out

Purvis has shrunk 12.2% since 2010

Purvis’s report card

Now in Purvis

Purvis School Spirit