Page 114 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2022

GOLDEN YEARS
reimagining
RETIRE
Enjoy Your Golden Years in Coastal Mississippi
Are you a nature lover seeking the perfect place to retire with wide open spaces, lush greenery, and sandy white beaches dappled with majestic dunes? Perhaps you’re searching for dazzling boutiques, unique restaurants, and festivals held in historic downtowns with 100-year-old Live Oaks? Or maybe you just want to play year-round golf in the sunshine throughout your twilight days.
Then look no further than right here, the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Coastal Mississippi has a lot to offer retirees with the most affordable coastal cities for retirement, a cost of
living 14 percent lower than the national average, and a total retirement spending one of the lowest in the nation. There’s no tax on qualified retirement income, and this includes Social Security. The Coast also has one of the most affordable urban housing markets in the South with a generous homestead exemption for persons over 65.
And as people reach that 65-year mark, health concerns become a priority. The Mississippi Gulf Coast has a variety of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies to choose from, including several veterans affairs hospitals.
So besides sun-filled summers and mild winters, what else makes coastal Mississippi an ideal retirement spot?
There are endless stretches of gorgeous shorelines and beaches teeming with flourishing palm trees that provide the perfect view of the six barrier islands in the Mississippi Sound, which is a large estuary that provides natural habitat and nourishment for a variety of fish and seafood delicacies and connects directly into the Gulf of Mexico. Cat Island, Ship Island, Deer Island, Horn Island, Round Island, and Petit Bois Island can be reached by boat and make for stunning sunset viewings and collecting gorgeous shells.
If gliding on a pontoon or deep sea fishing is not your style, there are plenty of other outdoor activities to enjoy year-round in the glorious sunshine, including more than 20 designer golf courses, Biloxi Shuckers baseball games, and year-round art, food, and cultural festivals that are peppered throughout the coastal cities. And, yes, this includes lots
of classic car shows and Mardi Gras. Basically, there’s a parade, festival, or event for everything imaginable.
Maybe you’d prefer a little cool indoor action. Then, check out the more than 10 first-class gaming resorts with table games, slot machines, amazing restaurants, relaxing spas, exciting nightlife, and top-name entertainers, all under
one roof that will allow you to let the good times roll and roll and roll. There’s also a professional hockey team, the
114 | November 2022 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living