Why the Mississippi Gulf Coast Keeps Growing in 2026

By Randy Richardson, Broker Associate, The 4th Right Team

Quick Answer: Mississippi as a whole has been losing residents for years and ranks near the bottom of all states for interstate migration. The Gulf Coast is one of the few parts of the state bucking that trend. Gulfport grew by about 1,624 residents in the most recent year alone, and D'Iberville has grown roughly 43% since 2010, the fastest rate of any Gulf Coast city. Beach access without beach-town prices, no state tax on Social Security, and a lower cost of living than most places transplants are leaving are the biggest draws.

Is the Gulf Coast really growing while the rest of Mississippi isn't?

Yes, and the numbers back it up. Mississippi ranked 41st among states for interstate migration in Census and United Van Lines data, and 39th in U-Haul's tracking, meaning more people are leaving than arriving across most of the state. That statewide picture hides what's happening down here. Gulfport went from 74,882 residents in 2024 to 76,506 in 2025 in the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates, a gain of 1,624 people in a single year.

D'Iberville grew from about 9,486 residents in 2010 to roughly 13,557 in 2025, an increase of about 43% and the largest percentage gain of any Gulf Coast municipality over that stretch. Pass Christian came in second at about 40%, and Long Beach grew about 17%. The growth isn't spread evenly across Mississippi. It's concentrated, and it's concentrated right here.

What's actually pulling people to the coast instead of inland Mississippi?

A mix of lifestyle and cost that's hard to find together anywhere else. Mississippi carried a cost-of-living index of 85.3 in 2025 readings, among the lowest of any state, and the coast delivers that affordability alongside actual beach access, which inland Mississippi obviously can't offer. Social Security income isn't taxed at the state level, which matters a lot to the retirees driving part of this growth. We're also close enough to New Orleans for weekend trips and easy flights without carrying anything close to New Orleans real estate prices. For somebody coming from a higher-cost state, that combination of beach, low taxes, and housing they can actually afford is the whole pitch, and it's a real one, not a marketing line.

Who's actually making this move?

Retirees, remote workers, and military families who decide to stay. Retirees coming from higher-cost states are drawn by the tax treatment of Social Security and the lower cost of living, especially compared to Florida's Gulf Coast or the Carolinas. Remote workers who no longer have to live near an office will trade an expensive metro for a slower pace and a smaller mortgage payment.

Military families are a quieter but steady source of new residents. A meaningful number of people stationed at Keesler AFB or NCBC Gulfport end up staying after their commitment ends, often using a VA loan to buy in Biloxi, Gulfport, or D'Iberville rather than moving again.

What should you know before you make the move?

That it's not all upside, and pretending otherwise does new residents a disservice. Insurance is the big one. How much insurance costs down here catches almost every out-of-state buyer off guard, so budget for it honestly instead of finding out three days before closing. Most carriers writing on the Coast today include wind and hail in the base homeowners policy, some still exclude it, and flood is always a separate policy. The fix is simple, and I tell every client the same thing. Quote the address before you write the offer, not after.

Wages are the other caveat. Median household income statewide runs about $52,658 in recent Census estimates, more than 30% below the national median, so this move works best for retirees, remote workers, or households whose income isn't tied to the local job market. Housing stock in some neighborhoods also skews older, especially near the water, and the gap between a pre-Katrina home and a post-2005 rebuild shows up on your insurance quote as much as your inspection report. And near the water, waterfront, bay front, bayou, and canal are four different purchases with four different cost structures.

Why is D'Iberville growing faster than anywhere else on the coast?

Location and infrastructure, mostly. D'Iberville sits at the intersection of I-10 and I-110, which puts Biloxi, Gulfport, Ocean Springs, the beaches, and the casinos within a short drive without requiring anybody to live on the waterfront. The Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, with its 300 hotel rooms and roughly 68,000 square feet of gaming space, anchored real commercial growth, and retail and restaurant activity along the I-10 corridor turned the city into a practical hub for the coast.

The finances tell the same story. Sales tax collections climbed from about $6.6 million in fiscal 2015 to roughly $10.8 million in fiscal 2025, which tracks closely with the population growth and shows how fast the local economy expanded alongside it. City leadership is pushing infrastructure to keep up, including a roughly $8 million sewer project.

What does this growth mean if you're buying or selling here?

If you're selling, your buyer pool is bigger and more varied than it was ten years ago, and a real share of it has never lived in a coastal market. Those buyers price insurance into their offer and get spooked by things a local would shrug at. An old roof, a missing elevation certificate, a listing that's been sitting too long.

Overpriced listings sit here the same as anywhere, and pricing it right from day one still beats chasing the market down in $5,000 cuts. Before you settle on a number, know what your equity actually looks like.

If you're buying, growth cuts both ways. More demand means less room to negotiate in the neighborhoods everybody wants, but whether you're in a buyer's or seller's market depends on the price band and the city, not a national headline. Our market snapshot breaks it down by neighborhood.

Getting ready to sell? Start with a home value evaluation, then walk through how we handle the listing process.

Buying? The buyer's guide covers the Coast-specific parts nobody warns you about, and current D'Iberville listings are a good starting point if the growth story is what pulled you here.

By the Numbers

Mississippi's rank for interstate migration, per Census and United Van Lines data: 41st out of all states. Gulfport population growth, 2024 to 2025, Census Vintage 2025 estimates: 1,624 residents. D'Iberville population growth since 2010: about 43%, the largest of any Gulf Coast city, followed by Pass Christian at about 40% and Long Beach at about 17%. Mississippi cost-of-living index as of 2025: 85.3, among the lowest in the nation. D'Iberville sales tax collections: about $6.6 million in fiscal 2015 to about $10.8 million in fiscal 2025. Mississippi statewide median household income: about $52,658.

The Bottom Line

The honest story here beats the generic one. Mississippi is losing residents overall, but the Gulf Coast is genuinely growing, and it's growing on real advantages instead of hype. Beach access without beach-town prices. Favorable tax treatment for retirees. A cost of living well below most of the places new residents are leaving. It isn't a fit for everybody, especially given local wages and insurance costs, but for the right buyer this is one of the few corners of Mississippi actually gaining ground. I'd rather show you the numbers than sell you a feeling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mississippi's population actually growing or shrinking?
Mississippi as a whole has been losing residents and ranks near the bottom of all states for interstate migration, but the Gulf Coast specifically is growing even as the rest of the state declines.

Why is D'Iberville growing so fast?
Its location at I-10 and I-110 gives quick access to Biloxi, Gulfport, and the beaches, and commercial growth around the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort has fueled both population and sales tax growth over the past decade.

Do retirees get a tax break for moving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
Yes. Mississippi doesn't tax Social Security benefits, and qualified retirement income is generally exempt too, which is a real draw for retirees coming from higher-tax states.

Is the Mississippi Gulf Coast cheaper than other Gulf Coast destinations?
Generally yes. Mississippi's cost-of-living index is among the lowest of any state, and coastal home prices here run well below comparable beach towns in Florida or Alabama.

What should someone moving here from out of state watch out for?
Rising insurance costs, particularly wind and flood, and lower local wages than most higher-cost states. The move works best for retirees, remote workers, or anyone whose income isn't tied to the local job market.

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Gulfport city, Mississippi: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gulfportcitymississippi/PST045225
Our Mississippi Home, "D'Iberville Invests in Infrastructure as Population Growth Leads Mississippi Gulf Coast," July 2026: https://ourmshome.com/diberville-invests-in-infrastructure-as-population-growth-leads-mississippi-gulf-coast/
Mississippi Department of Revenue, Individual Income Tax FAQs: https://www.dor.ms.gov/individual/individual-income-tax-faqs
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), Cost of Living Data Series: https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series
United Van Lines, 2025 National Movers Study: https://www.unitedvanlines.com/newsroom/2025-national-movers-study

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About the Author
Randy Richardson is a Broker Associate and Team Leader of The 4th Right Team at CENTURY 21 J. Carter & Company. He works with buyers and sellers across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula and north of I-10.

Randy Richardson | Broker Associate
The 4th Right Team | Century 21 J. Carter & Company
Office: (228) 731-3881 | Cell: (228) 547-9999
Email: realtorrandyrichardson@gmail.com
Web: www.The4thRightTeam.com