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Rural Communities Courting Retirees to Boost Economic Growth

By Jeanne Cole

Based on this article, one would think that some small businesses might want to target this market!

Retirees are boosting states’ rural economies, says a recent article at Stateline.org. The article notes that this year is the beginning of an 18-year cycle during which 400,000 Baby Boomers a year will retire and move out-of-state. Contrary to popular belief, today’s retirees bring in more revenue than they cost in services, the article points out. Mississippi is among the states actively courting these retirees. Hometown Mississippi Retirement, a program that helps local officials plan for and market their communities to retirees, has lured nearly 7,500 additional retirees to the state according to a study by Mississippi State University. Recruitment efforts in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee are also highlighted. Despite these efforts, the article suggests that states could be doing even more.

In the opinion of one expert quoted in the article, “rural and exurban communities seeking growth and job creation would do better to attract retirees first and businesses later.” Read the article at http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=93345

[small biz] [rural] [entrepreneurs] [retirees]

March 14, 2006 Filed Under: rural

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