Gulf HillsMS
Public schools that outperform most of Mississippi. In Mississippi, this town has 8,451 residents.
Is Gulf Hills a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Taken together, its subjects give Gulf Hills a C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 29th of 99 in Mississippi. Where it falls short is walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too (D): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Homes run about $252K for a typical one, 4 times the Gulfport metro’s $62K median household income. Schools are its strong suit — its public schools beat 85% of Mississippi towns on state tests and graduation.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
What makes Gulf Hills stand out
Where Gulf Hills beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| St. Martin East Elementary | PK–3 | 704 |
| St. Martin Upper Elementary | 4–5 | 600 |
| St. Martin Middle School | 6–8 | 946 |
Gulf Hills has grown 19% from 2010 to 2020
7,144 counted in 2010 and 8,526 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Gulf Hills grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Gulf Hills is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Gulf Islands National Seashore and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gulf Hills. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
10 mi MuseumJefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum
4 mi MuseumOhr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art
16 mi MuseumOld Spanish Fort
17 mi Zoo & aquariumMississippi Aquarium
4 mi MuseumMaritime & Seafood Industry MuseumPhoto credits
Gulf Islands National Seashore: National Park Service, Public domain · Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum: Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Of Art: Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Spanish Fort: Michelle Miller-Freeck/FEMA, Public domain · Mississippi Aquarium: Kaotate, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum: Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to Gulf Hills: who provides what
Gulf Hills is unincorporated, so Jackson County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gulf Hills.
Gulf Hills has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and looks healthier within Mississippi than nationally, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Mississippi (mostly hurricanes).
Gulf Hills has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of Mississippi towns, with expected losses of about $373 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Only 10 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher natural-hazard score from FEMA than Gulf Hills. Flood insurance has paid out on 33 claims here since 1998. Expected losses in Gulf Hills break down as 55% from hurricanes and 23% from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Gulf Hills earns an A for schools
The largest public high school is St. Martin High School, with 1,289 students. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the Jackson County School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Martin Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 946 | B+ |
| St. Martin High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,289 | A |
| St. Martin East ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 704 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Nearly a quarter of Gulf Hills is conserved land
The biggest park or preserve is Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, at 98 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge | — | 98 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most of Gulf Hills’ workers leave town for work
Gulf Hills has 685 jobs for its 3,588 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 423 in 2013 to 685.
11% of residents live below the poverty line in Gulf Hills, below Mississippi’s towns (21%) but above U.S. towns (9.6%). For most workers, Gulf Hills is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Gulf Hills grew to 685 in 2023, 262 more than in 2013. Only 3 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher share of workers working from home than Gulf Hills.
| Gulf Hills | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 20% | 8% |
| Work from home | 16% | 5.3% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Gulf Hills earns a C+ for cost of living
Zillow values the typical Gulf Hills home at about $252,000, up 0.7% in a year, 30% above the Mississippi typical home. In Gulf Hills, the typical rent is $1,401 a month, above both the Mississippi town median ($900 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Homes sold in Gulf Hills spent a median 51 days on the market.
| Gulf Hills | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,401 a month | $900 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Gulf Hills has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 42.5°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.2°.
Gulf Hills’ peak summer temperature stands at 89°F. Only 6 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher January low than Gulf Hills. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Gulf Hills | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 36°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
On CDC estimates, Gulf Hills is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Within Mississippi it is healthier than 82% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures. Its widest gap with Mississippi is tooth loss: 10.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 18.5% statewide.
In Gulf Hills, nearly one in ten adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Two figures for adults here: 18% say their health is fair or poor, 13% smoke cigarettes.
| Gulf Hills | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Gulf Hills | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.6% | 18.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.5% | 22.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Gulf Hills
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gulf Hills; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Gulf Hills residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
98% of working residents leave Gulf Hills for work
Where Gulf Hills’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Gulf Hills
Census-designated place in Mississippi, US
Gulf Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,526 at the 2020 census, up from 7,144 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 13 ft
- Area code
- 228
Gulf Hills’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Gulf Hills.
| Town | MS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Hills | #29 | C+ | C+ | — | A | B |
| Ocean Springs | #12 | B+ | C− | — | A+ | A− |
| St. Martin | #34 | C | C+ | — | A | C+ |
Gulf Hills, Ocean Springs and St. Martin report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Gulf Hills with a neighbor →
Questions about Gulf Hills
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gulf Hills, MS a good place to live?
Gulf Hills grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #29 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades B for health and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.