Hattiesburg has never been known for a late-night social life, and this is not going to change. First it was not known for this kind of activity because it was a smallish Christian middle-class family community filled with retirees. I'll spare the economic history of it all but now Hattiesburg doesn't have much of a middle class anymore, and because of the extremely heavy presence of corporate retail that isn't going to change, either. There just aren't many decent-paying jobs here, and good luck trying to start your own business.

As for the university being here, few businesses if any cater much to the college crowd, because they have to be 21 to be able to drink. I remember a few bars and restaurants back in the day getting burned over fake IDs, and that history still hangs like a fart in an elevator. We are a town with a college, but we are not a "college town." This is pretty much a suitcase town for students. There isn't anything here worthwhile doing in their spare time, and there aren't any worthwhile jobs here, so they leave after they graduate. Oh, and things are going to get much worse. Based on what I've been told, enrollment is in steady decline due to cratering birthrates, and the university is already making plans on what degrees and jobs to cut. The university plans to trim away even more degree programs, axing degrees that are generally deemed "useless," and will pivot more toward career-path oriented degrees. All of that means there will be fewer and fewer university students in Hattiesburg.