Certified Retirement Community

We’re Certified as the Ideal Retirement Destination

You’ve worked all your life for this moment. Retirement. You have your short list of places where you would like to live. Made notes about the things you want in a community. And how you want to spend your retirement dollars effectively.

Hancock County and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region were one of the first communities to receive the “Certified Retirement Community” designation, and remain one of the state’s top retirement destinations.

The State of Mississippi has made evaluating possible retirement destinations in our state easy. To qualify, our communities go through a rigorous 3-month evaluation process that measures cost of living, tax rates, quality of medical care, housing, recreation, educational and cultural opportunities, and overall hospitality to new residents. After careful evaluations, 20 communities in Mississippi were designated as Certified Retirement Communities.

It’s easy to understand why:

AFFORDABLE

• Kiplinger: “Retirement Tax Heaven”
• Cost of living index below the national average
• One of the most affordable urban housing markets in the South
• No state tax on Social Security and other qualified retirement income
• And many job opportunities for those retirees who want to continue to work full or part-time

FUN

• 10 first-class casino resorts offering gaming, fine dining, headliner entertainment and resort accommodations
• 20+ championship golf courses
• Outdoor/indoor recreation including sailing, boating, fishing, birding, kayaking, hiking/biking and beachcombing
• Festivals, parades and special events year-round

FULFILLING

• Museums, art galleries, symphony, classes from cooking to computers, dance, community theatre, volunteer opportunities and more
• Classes at Tulane University, University of Southern Mississippi, William Carey University and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
• Community continuing education classes

CONVENIENT

• Walkable downtown areas
• Close proximity to Keesler Air Force Base and Seabee Base
• 10 hospitals including the Gulf Coast VA
• Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, offering service to over 20 destinations
• Stennis International Airport and Diamondhead Airport for private air service
• Multiple places of worship – over 30 religious denominations represented

“Having lived in Connecticut, Texas, Oregon, Hawaii and Nevada, my retired husband and I believe the Coast combines the best of all we have experienced.”
Marcia Crawford