If you’re as old as Mississippi’s name is long, you’re about ready to retire.
And there’s no better time than now to start thinking about where you will spend your retirement years.
The Magnolia State is pretty great. So great that we created a list of the best places to retire in Mississippi for 2025. To identify the best places to retire, we looked at the FBI and Census data for 22 cities with 10,000 residents. We considered important factors like crime, affordability, rent, and how close a place is to an international airport.
In general, Mississippi is a solid choice for retirement. The state does not tax retirement income, and its property tax is the lowest in the country.
You’ll have extra funds to spend on a beach vacation to Gulfport or a little leftover cash to take your honey out to a nice fried alligator dinner at Snappers in Biloxi.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What is Mississippi’s best place to retire? The best place to retire in Mississippi is Brandon.
Look below to learn more about the rest of Mississippi’s best places to spend your golden years.
Why did Brandon take the top spot? And where are Southaven and Hattiesburg?
For more Mississippi state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Mississippi
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Mississippi For 2025
/10
Population: 25,352
Median Income: $93,073
Median Home Price: $255,900
Median Rent: $1,261
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Brandon: Data
/10
Population: 17,580
Median Income: $71,451
Median Home Price: $282,200
Median Rent: $1,163
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Hernando: Data
/10
Population: 14,450
Median Income: $41,243
Median Home Price: $164,200
Median Rent: $638
Distance to Closest Airport: 83 miles
More on Corinth: Data
/10
Population: 20,944
Median Income: $42,484
Median Home Price: $117,000
Median Rent: $857
Distance to Closest Airport: 47 miles
More on Vicksburg: Data
/10
Population: 11,839
Median Income: $37,270
Median Home Price: $146,500
Median Rent: $907
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Picayune: Data
/10
Population: 27,775
Median Income: $120,918
Median Home Price: $334,700
Median Rent: $1,798
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Madison: Data
/10
Population: 16,876
Median Income: $71,121
Median Home Price: $205,300
Median Rent: $1,209
Distance to Closest Airport: 70 miles
More on Long Beach:
/10
Population: 27,418
Median Income: $70,913
Median Home Price: $220,400
Median Rent: $1,135
Distance to Closest Airport: 15 miles
More on Clinton: Data
/10
Population: 17,129
Median Income: $37,781
Median Home Price: $110,200
Median Rent: $839
Distance to Closest Airport: 69 miles
More on Laurel: Data
/10
Population: 11,195
Median Income: $72,845
Median Home Price: $161,400
Median Rent: $958
Distance to Closest Airport: 82 miles
More on Petal: Data
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Magnolia State for 2025
To create our ranking of the best places in Mississippi to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Magnolia State — 362 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 22 places from across the state.
For these 22, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 22, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Brandon, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2025. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Mississippi.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Mississippi Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Mississippi goes to Brandon.
The best places to retire in Mississippi are Brandon, Hernando, Corinth, Vicksburg, Picayune, Madison, Long Beach, Clinton, Laurel, and Petal.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Pascagoula
- Hattiesburg
- Oxford
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Mississippi
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon | 25,352 | $93,073 | $255,900 | $1,261 |
| 2 | Hernando | 17,580 | $71,451 | $282,200 | $1,163 |
| 3 | Corinth | 14,450 | $41,243 | $164,200 | $638 |
| 4 | Vicksburg | 20,944 | $42,484 | $117,000 | $857 |
| 5 | Picayune | 11,839 | $37,270 | $146,500 | $907 |
| 6 | Madison | 27,775 | $120,918 | $334,700 | $1,798 |
| 7 | Long Beach | 16,876 | $71,121 | $205,300 | $1,209 |
| 8 | Clinton | 27,418 | $70,913 | $220,400 | $1,135 |
| 9 | Laurel | 17,129 | $37,781 | $110,200 | $839 |
| 10 | Petal | 11,195 | $72,845 | $161,400 | $958 |