Anyone exploring the possibility of choosing Mississippi as a place to retire is certain to be pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices available to them. Beginning in 1994, the Hometown Mississippi Retirement Program was established to promote the state as a retirement destination. To qualify for the designation as a Certified Retirement City, a town is evaluated on several criteria important to retirees, specifically affordable cost of living, taxes, crime rate, quality of medical care, recreational, educational and cultural opportunities and community spirit.

The 21 cities and towns currently recognized as Certified Retirement Cities provide a wide selection for retirement living, including quaint small towns, residential resort communities along the Gulf Coast and picturesque river towns situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. A complete list of these can be found on the Program's official website. Though there is no clear distinction as to which is the most popular choice among new retirees, prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast Region, which stretched almost 100 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, was experiencing a rapid growth in its retirement-age population, with a substantial number of the new arrivals being young, active retirees lured by the explosion of golf course communities and gambling resorts.

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