Lynxshore Financial, a small-business funding service in Hattiesburg, MS, collects the Census figures that describe the area's businesses: Forrest County, MS employer and nonemployer counts, the downtown ZIP's sector mix and self-employment shares. The page links each leading sector to its funding page and lists official local resources.
| Payroll-paying workplaces counted in Forrest County, MS | 1,741 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Downtown ZIP employer establishments | 985 (ZBP 2023) |
| Share of Hattiesburg, MS workers self-employed | 7.1% self-employed (ACS 2020-24, margin 1.5) |
Hattiesburg, MS spans two counties
Most of Hattiesburg, MS lies in Forrest County, MS, and part of the city extends into Lamar County, MS. County figures on this page therefore describe Forrest County, MS, not the city itself. ZIP figures describe the USPS ZIP area: the city covers 18.3% of ZIP 39401's land, so a 39401 mailing address is not always inside city limits.
For an owner, that matters for paperwork. Which city or county records apply depends on where the business actually sits, not on the mailing address.
The 39401 ZIP in ZIP Business Patterns
ZIP Business Patterns counted 985 employer establishments with a ZIP 39401 address in 2023, employing 18,242 people with an annual payroll of $991.5 million. Fewer than five people worked at 43.8% of those ZIP 39401 establishments.
| Sector | Establishments | Portion with fewer than 5 on payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 189 | 42.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 116 | 27.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 114 | 21.9% |
| Other services | 87 | 49.4% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 80 | 65.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 68 | 69.1% |
| Construction | 53 | 52.8% |
Forrest County, MS employers and nonemployers
In 2023 County Business Patterns found 1,741 employer establishments in Forrest County, MS; together they paid 32,739 employees $1.70 billion over the year. 772 of them (44.3%) had fewer than five employees, and 1,417 (81.4%) had fewer than 20.
Nonemployer Statistics counted 6,517 businesses with no payroll in the county in 2024. That is a different program and year, covering the self-employed and other one-person businesses, so it is not added to the employer count.
By the American Community Survey (2020-2024), 8.7% (+/- 1.3) of Forrest County, MS employed residents were self-employed, against 9.4% (+/- 0.2) statewide and 7.1% (+/- 1.5) in Hattiesburg, MS. In the city, 2.1% owned an incorporated business and 5.0% an unincorporated one.
Leading sectors and their funding pages
Health care and social assistance carried the largest county payroll in 2023 ($607.9 million across 197 establishments, CBP); medical practice funding covers payer timing and equipment. Accommodation and food services had 200 establishments; restaurant funding covers kitchens and daily cash. Gasoline stations numbered 55; gas station funding covers fuel stock and pumps.
Every other sector is on the industry index, and the six funding types are compared on one page.
Residential permits, Forrest County, MS, 2023 to 2025
Permits for 75 new privately owned housing units were authorized in Forrest County, MS in 2025, down from 85 in 2024 and 127 in 2023 (Building Permits Survey). These are residential units only; commercial construction is not counted in this series.
Local records and official pages
The City of Hattiesburg's official website is hattiesburgms.com, and Forrest County's is co.forrest.ms.us (both confirmed reachable 2026-10-18). City licensing, zoning and permits start from the city site.
Two checklists cover the paperwork partners often see: the Hattiesburg, MS business and privilege license guide and the Mississippi business loan guide.
Chamber and economic development searches
Pages for "hattiesburg ms chamber of commerce" and "hattiesburg ms economic development" are not listed here, because this site has not verified those organizations' pages.
Commercial property for lease and businesses for sale
Two related topics are "commercial property for lease hattiesburg ms" and "hattiesburg ms business for sale". Leasing a space is often the start of a funding request: a build-out, equipment for the new space or a deposit. Before signing, confirm the zoning allows the use and what permits a build-out needs.
Buying an existing business is outside what Lynxshore arranges on this site; leasing, fitting out and equipping a space are not.
Reaching Lynxshore from the city
Lynxshore Financial's address is 134 E Front St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, and its phone number is (601) 236-2900. Lynxshore handles requests over the phone and through its online form.
Owners in nearby towns use the same process; see the towns around Hattiesburg, MS.
Hattiesburg, MS sectors our partners fund
Lynxshore Financial works with Hattiesburg, MS businesses of most kinds; contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock are common examples. The partner, not the industry, makes the decision.
Paperwork partners commonly ask for
- Last year's filed tax return for the business
- Current financial statements: profit and loss plus a balance sheet
- A driver's license or passport for each owner
- Formation documents and your EIN
- A list of existing business debts and payments
- A written quote or invoice if the money is for equipment
No two partners ask for exactly the same file, so use this as a checklist rather than a rule.
The steps after your first call
- It starts with a call to (601) 236-2900 or the short contact form. On the phone we cover the purpose of the funds, time in business and approximate monthly revenue.
- We walk through the funding types that suit that purpose and the paperwork partners tend to ask for. Nothing goes out until you say so.
- After you give the go-ahead, we share the request with suitable lending partners, and each one decides on its own.
- If a partner makes an offer, you compare the total cost, payment schedule and terms. You are never obligated to accept.
Everything can be handled by phone or online from Hattiesburg, MS.
