City of Picayune receives 2018 Seal of Approval from AARC

The City of Picayune was recently awarded the 2018 Seal of Approval at the American Association of Retirement Communities Conference held in Wilmington, NC in November. The award recognizes communities and their programs to attract retirees to their city.

The AARC’s Seal of Approval program recognizes communities who have made a commitment – both in “hard” amenity offerings and “soft” programs – to a “best in class” lifestyle for retirees. The Seal of Approval program has also been used as a point of differentiation by communities seeking retirees, as the endorsement of the AARC has helped the stature of retiree attraction marketing.

Christy Goss, Retirement Director for Picayune, commented on the history of Picayune’s involvement with the ARCC.

“Mississippi started the Certified Retirement City Program in 1995 and the City of Picayune has continued to be a part of this prestigious program from the beginning. We had to go through strenuous specifications to be a part of the program including an affordable cost of living, low property taxes, low crime rate, a mild climate, and a warm and friendly community. I’m happy to say that Picayune is all of that and more.”

Goss credited other attributes such as no state income tax on certified retirement income, and Picayune’s location as a key benefits to residents looking for a place to retire.

“I really like that Picayune is close enough to live away from it all,” Goss added.

One of twelve certified retirement cities in the state of Mississippi, Picayune is conveniently located off I-59 and has other major interstates located within a 10 minute drive.

Ora Baldwin (Tupelo), Christy Goss (Picayune), Marcia Crawford ( Mississippi Gulf Coast Partnership), Rosie Vassallo (Oxford)