Blog > Gautier, MS 39553: A 2026 Neighborhood Guide for Buyers
By Randy Richardson, Broker Associate, The 4th Right Team
Quick Answer: Gautier, pronounced GOH-shay, is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, on Highway 90 between Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. Redfin reported a median sale price of $205,000 in the 39553 zip for the three months ending August 2026, at about $129 per square foot, which makes it one of the more affordable cities on the Coast. The median home sold in just 22 days. About 19,024 people live here across roughly 32 square miles, with bayous, wetlands, and the Pascagoula River all around. Much of the housing dates to the 1960s and 1970s, which is a big part of why the prices look the way they do.
How do you pronounce Gautier, Mississippi?
GOH-shay. Not "gaw-tee-ay," not "gow-tee-er." The city takes its name from the Gautier family, who came from Lyon, France, and it's said the French way. Locals will know within three seconds whether you're from here. Get it right and you've already started better than most people relocating in.
What is Gautier, MS actually like?
It's a spread-out, water-heavy town with more nature than downtown. Gautier annexed enough land in 2002 to more than double its size, so it now covers about 32 square miles. The city sits at the mouth of the West Pascagoula River, known locally as the Singing River. The Pascagoula is often described as one of the largest free-flowing river systems left in the lower 48.
The outdoor access is the real draw. Shepard State Park covers 395 acres off Highway 90 on the south side of town, with camping, RV sites, eight miles of nature trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, more than 19,000 acres, sits nearby. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has its Jackson County campus right in town.
What Gautier doesn't have is a walkable historic downtown like Ocean Springs. It doesn't have a beachfront like Long Beach either. It's a bedroom community. People live here and drive elsewhere to work, shop, and eat.
How much do homes cost in Gautier in 2026?
Redfin reported a median sale price of $205,000 in 39553 for the three months ending August 2026, down about 2% from a year earlier. Price per square foot held about flat at $129.
What changed is the pace. The median home sold in 22 days, down from 29 a year earlier, for about 96.9% of list price. Redfin rates 39553 as somewhat competitive. For context, homes across the whole Gulf Coast averaged 71 days on market in August, according to the Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®. That's an average, not a median, and a different measure, but the gap is wide enough to matter.
Well-priced homes in Gautier don't sit long. In a market this affordable, buyers are price-sensitive and know the comps, so a seller who overprices usually hears about it fast.
The reason prices run low is the housing stock. Much of it was built in the 1960s and 1970s. You're often buying older construction, so budget for roof age, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical. There's also real variation across the city, from waterfront and bluff properties to older inland subdivisions. Two houses a mile apart in Gautier can be completely different purchases.
What schools serve Gautier, MS?
Most of Gautier is in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, which runs 19 schools and enrolled about 6,590 students in 2024-2025. Gautier students typically attend one of three elementary schools, Gautier, College Park, or Eastlawn. After that comes Singing River Academy for fifth and sixth grade, then Gautier Middle School and Gautier High School. Gautier High opened in 1997, the first time the city had its own high school.
The district earned a B in the Mississippi Department of Education's 2025-26 accountability grades, released in October 2026, with 651 points. Gautier High School earned a C. These are the first grades under the state's tougher standards, so don't compare them to older reports. Check the current Mississippi Succeeds Report Card for the specific school your address is zoned for before you make a decision based on the letter.
Here's the part that catches buyers. Not all of Gautier is in the Pascagoula-Gautier district. Some parts of the city are served by the Jackson County School District, and some by the Ocean Springs School District. Both of those earned an A in the 2025-26 grades, so which side of the line a house sits on can matter a lot. Three districts inside one city is unusual, and a Gautier mailing address won't tell you which one you're in. Confirm zoning for the exact street address before you write an offer.
What about flood risk and insurance in Gautier?
Take it seriously. Gautier's official elevation is about 6.6 feet, and the city is surrounded by bayous, wetlands, and river. First Street modeling shown on Redfin puts about 68% of properties in 39553 at severe flood risk over the next 30 years.
The city covers both bluffs and low-lying areas, so elevation varies a lot from one part of town to another. That variation is your whole insurance picture. A home on higher ground away from the water can price very differently from one on a bayou. Pull the FEMA flood zone and get the elevation certificate. Then get a real insurance quote for the specific address before you're under contract.
Here's what that flood zone letter actually costs. Flood is always a separate policy.
Wind is its own question. Most carriers writing on the Coast today include wind and hail in the homeowners policy, though some still exclude it. Jackson County is one of the six coastal counties served by the Mississippi Wind Pool, which is the backstop when a private carrier won't write wind on a home.
How far is Gautier from Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, and Mobile?
Gautier sits on the east end of the Coast. Pascagoula and Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, are just east, roughly ten to fifteen minutes. Ocean Springs is about fifteen minutes west, Biloxi around twenty-five, and Gulfport closer to forty. Mobile is about forty miles east.
These are rough off-peak estimates. If your work is at Ingalls or in Moss Point, Gautier keeps your drive short.
By the Numbers
Median sale price, 39553: $205,000, three months ending August 2026, down about 2% (Redfin)
Median price per square foot: $129 (Redfin)
Median days on market: 22, down from 29 a year earlier (Redfin)
Sale-to-list ratio: about 96.9% (Redfin, August 2026)
Properties facing severe flood risk over 30 years: about 68% (First Street, via Redfin)
Pascagoula-Gautier School District, 2025-26 state grade: B, 651 points
City population: 18,572 in 2010, 19,024 in 2020
City area: about 32 square miles
Elevation: about 6.6 feet
Shepard State Park: 395 acres with 8 miles of trails
The Bottom Line
Gautier is one of the places your money goes furthest on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A median near $205,000 buys more house than most of the Coast, plus state park, river, and refuge access most towns can't touch. The trade-offs are older housing that needs real inspection scrutiny, big differences in flood exposure across the city, and three school districts inside the same city limits.
Well-priced homes also move fast, so be ready when the right one shows up. Do your homework on the specific address and this is a serious value. Skip that homework and you'll be surprised at closing. Our buyer's guide walks through the steps. When you're ready to look, start with homes for sale in Gautier.
Keep reading: Buying Near Ingalls: How Pascagoula and Gautier Actually Compare
Moss Point, MS 39562 vs 39563: What Buyers Need to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Gautier, Mississippi?
It's pronounced GOH-shay. The city takes its name from the Gautier family, who came from Lyon, France, and locals say it the French way instead of reading it phonetically.
How much does a house cost in Gautier, MS?
Redfin reported a median sale price of $205,000 in the 39553 zip for the three months ending August 2026. Prices vary a lot between waterfront, bluff, and older inland homes, so recent comparable sales in the same part of town are the best guide.
What school district is Gautier, MS in?
Most of Gautier is in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, home to Gautier High School, Gautier Middle School, and Singing River Academy. The district earned a B on the 2025-26 state grades. Parts of the city are served by the Jackson County School District and the Ocean Springs School District, which both earned an A, so confirm zoning for the exact address.
Does Gautier, MS flood?
Some areas do. Gautier sits at about 6.6 feet of elevation and is surrounded by bayous, wetlands, and river, though elevation varies a lot across the city. Check the FEMA flood zone and elevation certificate for the specific address and get an insurance quote before going under contract.
What is there to do in Gautier, MS?
Shepard State Park offers 395 acres with camping, RV sites, eight miles of nature trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, more than 19,000 acres, is nearby, and the Pascagoula River offers boating and fishing.
Sources
Redfin, 39553 Housing Market (median sale price, price per square foot, days on market, sale-to-list ratio, competitiveness and First Street flood risk, three months ending August 2026, checked September 2026): https://www.redfin.com/zipcode/39553/housing-market
Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS®, Gulf Coast Market Stats, August 2026 (average days on market across the Coast): https://gcarealtors.com/
WXXV, South Mississippi school districts earn high marks under tougher state accountability standards, October 2026 (2025-26 district grades and points): https://www.wxxv25.com/south-mississippi-school-districts-earn-high-marks-under-tougher-state-accountability-standards-for-2025-26-school-year/
WLOX, South Mississippi schools earn top grades under new MDE standards, October 2026 (2025-26 high school grades): https://www.wlox.com/2026/10/15/south-mississippi-schools-earn-top-grades-under-new-mde-standards/
Wikipedia, Gautier, Mississippi (pronunciation, name origin, population, area, elevation, 2002 annexation, Singing River, school districts, community college campus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautier,_Mississippi
Wikipedia, Pascagoula-Gautier School District (school count, enrollment, Gautier schools, Gautier High opening): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascagoula-Gautier_School_District
Wikipedia, Shepard State Park (acreage, location, trails, amenities): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_State_Park
Wikipedia, Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (refuge acreage): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_Sandhill_Crane_National_Wildlife_Refuge
HII, Ingalls Shipbuilding (largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi): https://www.hii.com/ingalls-shipbuilding
Mississippi Code Section 83-34-1 (coast area counties for the Windstorm Underwriting Association): https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-83/chapter-34/section-83-34-1/
About the Author
Randy Richardson is a Broker Associate and Team Leader of The 4th Right Team at CENTURY 21 J. Carter & Company. He works with buyers and sellers across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula and north of I-10.
Randy Richardson | Broker Associate
The 4th Right Team | Century 21 J. Carter & Company
📞 Office: (228) 731-3881 | Cell: (228) 547-9999
📧 realtorrandyrichardson@gmail.com
🌐 www.The4thRightTeam.com
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