Best counties to retire to in Mississippi

Written by:
July 31, 2022
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Best counties to retire to in Mississippi

Buyers and sellers of real estate alike—when asked what are the three most essential considerations about a property—will nearly always reply "location, location, location." While this answer is sometimes tongue-in-cheek, it is often quite accurate, and this reply perhaps applies to retirees more than any other demographic. Settling down after a lifetime of working and perhaps raising a family calls for the perfect location: a spot where you can enjoy life with as few concerns as possible.

When seniors aged 65 years or older decide on where they want to live out their golden years, they consider very specific factors, such as the cost of living, government services, health care facilities, weather and overall climate, crime rate, outdoor recreational activities, eating establishments, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and more.

Stacker compiled a list of the best counties to retire in Mississippi using data from Niche. Niche ranks counties based on a variety of factors including cost of living, healthcare, recreation and weather. Read more about Niche's methodology here.

Location is critical as retirees determine where to spend their senior years enjoying favorite activities; however, it's a very unique decision based on a multitude of preferences and needs. Whether it be bustling downtowns or access to parks, affordable home prices or cultural amenities like museums, retirees seeking to settle in a permanent spot are sure to find a private paradise in any of these counties recommended by Niche because, in the end, there is no place like home—no matter the location.

Read on to discover the best counties to retire to in Mississippi.

#25. Yalobusha County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (A), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Water Valley (B-), Coffeeville (C+), Oakland (C-)

#24. DeSoto County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (B), weather (B), outdoor activities (B-)
- Top places to live: Olive Branch (A-), Hernando (A-), Southaven (A-)

#23. Lowndes County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (B+), weather (B+), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: New Hope (B+), Columbus (C+), Caledonia (B+)

#22. Forrest County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (B), weather (B+), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Petal (A), Hattiesburg (B+), Glendale (C+)

#21. Stone County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (A-), weather (B), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Wiggins (B)

#20. Lauderdale County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (A-), weather (B), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Marion (B-), Nellieburg (B-), Meridian (C+)

#19. Simpson County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (A), weather (A), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Magee (C+), D'Lo (B-), Mendenhall (B-)

#18. Grenada County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (B+), weather (B), outdoor activities (B-)
- Top places to live: Grenada (B), Holcomb (B), Elliott (B-)

#17. Pearl River County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B), cost of living (B+), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Hide-A-Way Lake (B), Nicholson (C+), Picayune (C+)

#16. Monroe County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A), weather (B+), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Amory (B+), Aberdeen (B-), Hatley (B)

#15. Choctaw County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A), weather (not available), outdoor activities (C)
- Top places to live: French Camp (B), Ackerman (B-), Weir (C+)

#14. Hancock County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Diamondhead (B+), Waveland (B), Bay St. Louis (B)

#13. Tishomingo County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A), weather (B), outdoor activities (C)
- Top places to live: Golden (B), Belmont (B-), Tishomingo (B-)

#12. Jackson County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B+), weather (B+), outdoor activities (B+)
- Top places to live: Ocean Springs (A), Gulf Hills (A), Gulf Park Estates (A)

#11. Montgomery County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Winona (B-), Duck Hill (B-), Kilmichael (B-)

#10. Lee County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B+), weather (B), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Tupelo (A), Saltillo (B+), Shannon (C+)

#9. Harrison County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B), weather (A-), outdoor activities (B+)
- Top places to live: Pass Christian (A-), Biloxi (A-), Long Beach (B+)

#8. Winston County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A-), weather (B), outdoor activities (C)
- Top places to live: Louisville (B-)

#7. Rankin County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B+), weather (B), outdoor activities (B)
- Top places to live: Flowood (A), Brandon (A), Pearl (A-)

#6. Madison County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (B), weather (B), outdoor activities (B+)
- Top places to live: Madison (A+), Ridgeland (A+), Canton (C+)

#5. Jasper County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (B+), cost of living (A), weather (B+), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Louin (B), Bay Springs (B), Montrose (B)

#4. Lamar County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (A-), cost of living (B), weather (B+), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: West Hattiesburg (A), Arnold Line (B+), Sumrall (A-)

#3. Alcorn County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (A-), cost of living (A-), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Corinth (B+), Farmington (B-), Glen (B)

#2. Clarke County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (A-), cost of living (A), weather (not available), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Quitman (B+), Enterprise (B), Stonewall (C+)

#1. Attala County

- Niche grades: good for retirees (A-), cost of living (A), weather (B), outdoor activities (C+)
- Top places to live: Kosciusko (B-), Ethel (B-), Sallis (C+)

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