Affordable Storage in Gulfport

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Gulfport, Mississippi.

About Gulfport, MS

Gulfport, with a population of 72,926 (2020 U.S. Census), represents the western part of the Greater Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area with a combined population of 416,259 (2020 U.S. Census). Biloxi is known for its fabulous Gulf Coast casinos. Gulfport is better known for its active seaport.

The seaport operations of Gulfport are very efficient because of the port’s strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico. It is only 16 miles from international shipping lanes and five nautical miles from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Ships departing from the harbor reach international waters within an hour.

Historically, the French controlled the area until 1803, when the land stolen from the native people was sold by France to the United States in a massive deal called The Louisiana Purchase. The United States government paid $15 million to France for 828,000 square miles, which was about four cents per square mile.

This deal doubled the size of the United States and made westward expansion possible to take more native people’s land. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the native people to leave the area and move to Oklahoma. This land grab was done by the European settlers who wanted the land for cotton plantations that they could exploit using enslaved labor.

In contemporary times, the city is best known for oil, gasoline, diesel, and other important petroleum products that ship to and from this port. Also, much of the green agricultural products from South/Central America and Mexico come through this seaport.

What to do in Gulfport, MS

Gulfport has these nice features and things to do:

• Features: A hike down the Enchanted Nature Trail is fun for kids, and dogs on a leash are welcome.
• Events: Popular annual events include the Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival, the Gulf Coast Marathon, Mardi Gras, and the 4th of July Celebration.
• Museum / Historic Sites: The museums to visit include the Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, and the SeaBee Heritage Center.
• Destination: An adventuresome day trip is a boat trip to a coastal barrier island or deep-sea fishing in the Gulf.

Working in Gulfport, MS

The Gulfport local economy depends on health care, tourism/hotels/restaurants, retail, and construction. The unemployment rate is high at 7.5%. The median household income of $41,250 annually is $18,000 less than the national average household income of $69,021. The economy is growing slower than the rest of America. Gulfport's expected job growth rate for the next decade is only 27.1%, compared to the national expectation of a job growth rate of 33.5%.

The industries offering the most jobs are tourism/hotels/restaurants (11.4%), health care (9.9%), construction (7.9%), education (7.6%), public administration (6.7%), hospitality services (9.5%), and finance/insurance (3.4%).

Gulfport, MS Neighborhoods

Gulfport has many attractive neighborhoods to consider. The best homes sell for over $450,000.

Here are a few neighborhoods with nice houses that are more modestly priced:

• Lyman: This area is on the northern side of the town. The median real estate price is $282,457, which is more expensive than 86.3% of other cities in the state. There are rental homes, apartments, and mobile homes in this area. The average rent is $1,965. The vacancy rate is 5.9%.
• W Magnolia St / Cleveland Ave: This nice neighborhood has a median real estate price of $279,270. Apartments and houses are available to rent for around $1,708 per month. The vacancy rate is 19.4%, so finding a place to rent is easy.
• Duckworth Rd / Brayton Blvd: This is a nice area northeast of the city. The median real estate price is $274,724. There are rental homes and apartments available here. The average rent is $2,405, which is pricey. The vacancy rate is 8.2%, so a few nice places are usually available.
• City Center: The area is right on the water near the beach. The median real estate price is $269,801. There are some homes for rent and plenty of apartments in high-rise buildings. The average rent is $1,948 monthly. The vacancy rate is very high at 32.3% due to the many vacation rentals that are not occupied for part of the year.

Gulfport, MS School District

The Gulfport School District runs the local school system. The school district spends $9,698 annually per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16 to one.

In the Gulfport area, there are six choices for private schools. The best ones are Dedeaux KinderCare (NS to PK), Christian Collegiate Academy (PK to 12th), and Hope Academy (PK to 8th).

Within a 50-mile radius, there are four colleges. They only offer two-year programs. The two private colleges are Blue Cliff College Gulfport and Virginia College Biloxi. The other two are community colleges.

Moving to Gulfport, MS Resource Guide

An elected mayor and seven elected members serving on the City Council comprise the local government.

The Gulfport Department of Leisure Services manages the public parks, walking tracks, ball fields, tennis courts, gymnasiums, and recreational areas. There is a marina, fishing piers, and municipal boat ramps. There is a senior center, a fitness center, and a swimming pool.

Gulfport, MS Housing

The median listing price for a house in Gulfport is $260,000. This price has been staying about the same year-over-year. It is a buyer’s market with more homes listed for sale than the number of interested buyers.

The cost of living in Gulfport is 7% higher than other cities in Mississippi and 10% lower than the American average.