Why Retirees Are Quietly Choosing Ocean Springs, MS

By Bryan David

Bryan David is one of the best REALTORS® serving Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport and the entire coast. He is a Biloxi native, military veteran and retiree, and a multi-year top-producing agent with hundreds of satisfied clients.

Ocean Springs is a small town on the Gulf of Mexico in South Mississippi, and it’s an easy place to fall for once you spend a little time here.

It has the relaxed feel of a small coastal town, but there’s a lot more to it than the size lets on, and that’s a big part of why so many people are choosing to retire here.

A lot of what makes it special comes back to the water. The town has three beaches, two of them man-made and one, Belle Fontaine, that’s one of the only natural beaches left in South Mississippi. If you like being on the water, there’s plenty to do, from fishing to kayaking to paddleboarding, and there are islands right offshore. Horn Island, about twelve miles out, is a favorite, and Ocean Springs is also home to Gulf Islands National Seashore, a huge and beautiful park.

The downtown is really the heart of it. The streets are lined with big old oak trees, and the town takes real pride in protecting those native oaks and magnolias. Downtown, you’ll find museums, arts and crafts shops, lots of places to eat, and festivals all year long, and the whole area is walkable and golf-cart friendly. In the evenings, it comes to life, with small restaurants and bars all around. For a small town, the food is excellent, with a lot of great seafood and Cajun cooking.

The homes around downtown are mostly older. Some pricier ones are on the coast, and it stays a beautiful, laid-back area within a short walk of the front beach. Shopping is a little more limited, with four grocery stores and a Super Walmart but no big malls, though the neighboring cities are a short drive away when you need more.

A few other things make it a great fit for retirees. Ocean Springs has some of the highest-rated schools in the state and a strong athletics program, which matters if you want grandkids nearby. It’s easy to get to, just south of Interstate 10 off Exit 50 on Highway 605, and it’s well placed on the coast, about an hour and fifteen minutes from New Orleans, forty-five minutes from Mobile, and a couple of hours from Destin and Pensacola. It also rates well for taxes and cost of living, which is one more reason it keeps showing up on lists of good places to retire.

If you’ve been thinking about a move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, or you just want to know what it’s really like to live in Ocean Springs, we’d be glad to help. Reach out to us at Expect Realty. Call or text us at 228-215-1861, email us at bryan@expectrealty.com, or visit expectrealty.com. We’ll help you find the right spot to put down roots.