What to know about retiring in Mississippi.
Home > Retirement > Retirement Taxes in Mississippi
Retirement income is not subject to state income taxes in Mississippi, including income from Social Security, pensions, and other retirement accounts.
Low property taxes, no estate taxes, and close to average sales taxes make it a tax-friendly state for retirees.
Weighing the pros and the cons of retiring in Mississippi is key to deciding if this is the right state for you.
Mississippi is one of the states with the lowest taxes for retirees, giving seniors the opportunity to save significantly compared to other states, due to its exemption to retirement income taxes on the state level. This includes income from Social Security, pensions, and retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, and IRAs. Additionally, the state has relatively low property and sales taxes.
Mississippi is very tax-friendly for retirees, as all retirement income is exempt from state income taxes. In addition, the state has one of the lowest property taxes in the country, no estate taxes, and close to average sales taxes. However, it may be important to note that federal taxes may still apply.
If you’re near retirement, it might be helpful to consult a financial advisor, who can help you handle all your tax-related concerns and ensure your retirement fund can support your move.
Mississippi taxes all tangible goods and services purchased across the state at 7%,1 but exemptions may apply. It is also important to note that local sales taxes may apply, which may vary depending on the county.
Goods such as prescription drugs are exempt from state sales taxes. Mississippi also allows cities and counties to levy additional local taxes on hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars for tourism and economic development.
However, Mississippi has two sales tax holidays, bringing additional tax benefits. The first is usually during the last weekend of July, which exempts clothing items up to $100 from being taxed. The second sales tax holiday, the Mississippi Second Amendment Weekend, occurs over the first weekend of September. On this weekend, firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies are free from sales taxes.
As Mississippi has below-average property taxes, it can ease the cost of living for its residents, especially retirees. The effective property tax rate is 0.70%.2
You may also be qualified for the homestead exemption, which offers a credit of up to $300 in property taxes, based on the first $7,500 of the home value.
Mississippi is one of the states that are free of estate taxes. In case of living in another state but inheriting an estate from someone in Mississippi, you may be liable to pay fees on the inheritance in your state, so you may want to check local laws.
As you now know, Mississippi does not tax retirement income. If you’re considering moving there for retirement, you might first learn about the advantages and potential disadvantages of retiring in Mississippi.
Here are some pros of retiring in Mississippi:
Low cost of living: Mississippi is one of the states with the lowest cost of living, as its residents pay less for groceries, utilities, gas, and transportation. Additionally, the state has relatively low housing costs.
Natural beauty: Outdoor enthusiasts have many possibilities to enjoy the natural beauty that Mississippi is offering, including lush forests, scenic rivers, beaches, and geologic rock formations.
Rural area: Mississippi is ranked as the fourth most rural state in the U.S.. Jackson is the most populous city in the state, followed by Gulfport. As the rest of the towns are mainly rural and at least half of Mississippi’s population lives in rural areas, the state has some of the lowest population densities per square mile in the United States, which could be a benefit to those seeking a quiet and peaceful retirement.
Here are some of the potential disadvantages of living and retiring in Mississippi:
Hot and humid summers: During summer, Mississippi is prone to reaching temperatures of 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it one of the hottest and most humid states in the country.
Natural disasters. With an average of more than 40 tornadoes per year, Mississippi is a high-risk area for natural disasters. Due to its location on the Gulf Coast, the state is also susceptible to hurricanes.
Access to healthcare facilities: Mississippi ranks lower than average when it comes to access to healthcare facilities and cost and quality of healthcare.
Limited entertainment possibilities. With a majority of its residents living in rural communities, Mississippi has fewer entertainment options. You might need to travel longer distances to reach theaters, museums, and nightlife.
With a high-interest savings account, you can start building a nest egg for retirement. Explore accounts with competitive interest rates, you can complement your retirement funds, and make the most of your savings potential. Browse through competitive interest rates on high-yield savings products at the Raisin marketplace and start growing your savings today!
The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.
© 2026 Raisin SE. All rights reserved.
The Raisin name and logo are trademarks of Raisin SE. All other trademarks, logos, marks, and brand names are the property of their respective owners.
*APY means Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of April 26, 2026. Interest rate and APY may change after initial deposit depending on the terms of the specific product selected. Minimum opening deposit is $1.00.
Raisin is not an FDIC-insured bank, and FDIC deposit insurance only covers the failure of an insured bank.
Raisin is not an NCUA-insured credit union. NCUA deposit insurance only covers the failure of an insured credit union.
Raisin does not hold any customer funds. Customer funds are held in various custodial deposit accounts. Each customer authorizes the Custodial Bank to hold the customer’s funds in such accounts, in a custodial capacity, in order to effectuate the customer’s deposits to and withdrawals from the various bank and credit union products that the customer requests through Raisin.com. The Custodial Bank does not establish the terms of the bank or credit union products and provides no advice to customers about bank or credit union products offered by the applicable bank or credit union through Raisin.com. Each customer also authorizes the Service Bank to move funds among the various banks and credit unions at the customer’s request. First International Bank & Trust (FIBT), Member FDIC, is the Service Bank. Bell Bank and Starion Bank, each Member FDIC, are the Custodial Banks.
†Based on $250,000 in FDIC or NCUA insurance coverage per insurable category of ownership at each partner bank or credit union on the Raisin platform (each a "Product Bank"), when aggregated with all other deposits held by you at such Product Bank and in the same insurable category. Deposits made through Raisin will be eligible to receive deposit insurance from the FDIC or the NCUA (each a "Deposit Insurer") in accordance with and up to the maximum amount permitted by law at each Product Bank. Raisin is not a bank or credit union and does not hold any customer funds. Funds are held at FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank or credit union. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass through deposit insurance coverage to apply. Customers may choose to deposit funds with identically registered accounts at different Product Banks on the Raisin platform to be eligible for Deposit Insurer coverage up to $10 million for individual accounts and $20 million for joint accounts when at least 40 Product Banks are utilized. Please be aware, however, that any deposits you have at a Product Bank, whether through the Raisin platform or outside the Raisin platform, that you may hold in the same capacity (such as in an individual capacity or joint capacity) count toward the applicable Deposit Insurer's deposit insurance maximum amount, and any such amounts that you hold in the same capacity at a Product Bank that exceed the maximum insurance coverage by the applicable Deposit Insurer will not be insured. For more information on FDIC deposit insurance, please see here. For more information on the NCUA share insurance fund, please see here. You are solely responsible for monitoring the amount of funds you have on deposit at each a Product Bank, whether through the Raisin platform or outside the Raisin platform, to confirm that the deposits you hold in the same capacity at each Product Bank do not exceed the maximum deposit insurance coverage provided by the applicable Deposit Insurer.