The closest major city is Gulfport Mississippi, with about 70,000 people, in Harrison County, which has a population of about 188,000 people. Other nearby communities include Biloxi (44,000), Long Beach (15,000), and Pass Christian (5,000).

It is about 3 miles from downtown Gulfport to the NCBC; this takes about 7 minutes to commute, but the city is long and fairly narrow and travel times can vary significantly depending on traffic. The average commute in Harrison County and in the city of Gulfport is about 21 minutes.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Gulfport area ranges from $650 to $850 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Gulfport in the last few years was about $130,000 to $150,000, compared to $100,000 for Mississippi.

Short Description of the Area: Gulfport is a mid-sized city on the Gulf Coast of the Mississippi, an area that might be called the "Gulf Riviera." Much of the local economy is dedicated to tourism, including gaming, sport fishing, and beach resort fun, and much of the rest of the economy is seafood related. This area took a major hit from Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, and while much of the damage has been repaired, reconstruction continues. In 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil spill became an environmental and economic problem on the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Climate and Weather: The Gulfport area has a warm, humid climate, with wet, mild winter temperatures of the low 60s to low 40s, and hot, humid summer temperatures between the mid 70s and low 90s, with high humidity. Summers are long and humid, with regular rain, and storms possible from spring to fall including tropical storms and hurricanes. Winters are mild, with less rain.