Southern Living dropped a list last week naming the best places to live on the Gulf Coast year-round, and five Mississippi towns made the cut. Bay St. Louis. Waveland. Pass Christian. Long Beach. Ocean Springs. Every one of them earned it.
But I read the article twice, and I have to tell you, there's a Gulfport-sized hole right in the middle of that list.
I've lived and worked this coast for nearly three decades. I know these towns like I know my own front porch. So when a national magazine puts our stretch of the Gulf on the map, I'm the first one clapping. What Southern Living got right, they got very right. What they missed is worth a conversation.
What Southern Living got right about the Mississippi Gulf Coast
The magazine quoted a Louisiana broker who nailed our whole pitch in one line: a laid-back Southern lifestyle right on the beach, without the Florida coastal price tag. He is not wrong. That is the whole story.
Bay St. Louis has that artsy, walkable downtown that steals hearts on the first visit. Ocean Springs has the gallery scene and the live oak canopy. Pass Christian has the yacht club charm and some of the most beautiful old homes on the coast. Long Beach has the family-friendly quiet. Waveland has the rebuilt-since-Katrina spirit that runs through everything we do down here.
All five of those towns are real answers to the question, where should I move on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If you're weighing them, you're weighing well.
The Gulfport chapter Southern Living skipped
Here's what didn't make the article.
Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi and the anchor of Harrison County. It's the town where the beach highway meets the airport, the port, the hospitals, and most of the jobs. It's where a lot of the buyers I work with actually land, even if they started their search looking at one of the smaller towns on that list.
The numbers back it up. The cost of living in Gulfport runs about 15 percent below the national average according to the C2ER Cost of Living Index. Harrison County's effective property tax rate sits around 0.62 percent, well below the national median of 1.02 percent. Housing costs come in more than 30 percent under the national average. You do not have to squint to see the math.
Why Gulfport keeps showing up in my relocation calls
I hear from folks in Texas, Illinois, California, and every state in between. Here's what keeps coming up.
Access to the base. Keesler Air Force Base sits right next door in Biloxi, and the Naval Construction Battalion Center is inside the Gulfport city limits. If you're PCS'ing in or you're a military retiree looking to plant, this matters. A lot of the military families I've helped over the years choose Gulfport specifically for the commute.
New construction pace. There is real inventory going up right now in Gulfport and across Harrison County. Buyers who are used to bidding wars in other markets are surprised at what's available and what's still coming out of the ground. If you want a home nobody has lived in yet, this coast is quietly delivering.
The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. That sounds like a small thing until you're the one flying in from out of state to house-hunt. A short drive from the terminal to a listing tour changes the whole experience, and it changes how easy it is for family to come visit once you're settled.
Actual jobs. Between the hospitals, the port, the base, the casinos, and the growing small business scene, Gulfport has an employment base that supports year-round living. Not just a place you retire to. A place you can build a career.
Room to grow. The smaller towns on the Southern Living list are gorgeous, but inventory is tight and prices are climbing. Gulfport gives you more square footage, more yard, more options. Same coast. Same sunsets. Different math.
Who Gulfport is right for
If you want the postcard downtown and you don't need a lot of house, one of the towns on the Southern Living list might be your fit. I'll help you find it. I list and sell across all of them.
But if you want the coast without giving up conveniences, if you're bringing kids and need schools and hospitals close by, if you're a military family or a remote worker or a retiree who still likes a Costco run on Saturday, Gulfport is probably your answer.
That's why it belonged on that list. And that's why I'm writing this instead of just sharing the article.
Ready to see Gulfport for yourself?
I've spent nearly 30 years on this coast, and I've helped families from all over the country find the version of Gulf Coast life that actually fits them. If Southern Living got you thinking about a move, I would love to help you finish the thought.
Call, text, or drop a line in my email. If you're flying in to look around, I'll build you a weekend that includes Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs and every stop in between. That way you can see all of it, and decide for yourself which chapter is yours.
KATch you on the Coast,
Katherine Sutton, Managing Broker
Weichert Realtors Gulf Properties
Office: 228-400-4853 | Cell: 228-234-4649
mscoastalrealtor@gmail.com
mscoastalrealtor.com | katherinesutton.com
