Retire in Shreveport-Bossier City

Shreveport and Bossier City, two neighboring cities that make up the greater Shreveport-Bossier community, serve as the cultural and economic hub of northwestern Louisiana. With a combined regional MSA population of  397,590, Shreveport-Bossier offers all of the amenities of a major commercial center – including access to world-class health care, shopping, restaurants, arts and culture, and more – without the gridlock, high cost of living and stressful pace of a larger city. 

According to a 2016 study conducted by the Council for Community and Economic Research, Shreveport-Bossier's cost of living is 88.9 percent of the national average. Business Insider ranks Shreveport 17th among the “Top 25 Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living”, while USAA and Military.com have ranked Shreveport-Bossier among the best cities in America for military retirees.   

Another factor that adds to the appeal of Shreveport-Bossier is its centralized location near some of the South’s most vibrant cities, including: Dallas, Texas (2.75 hours drive); Little Rock, Arkansas (3 hours drive); and Jackson, Mississippi (3.25 hours drive). The Shreveport Regional Airport provides convenient access to countless other travel destinations, including direct flights to Charlotte, Denver, Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta and more. 

Shreveport-Bossier’s moderate climate makes it possible to enjoy an active lifestyle year-round, with spring and fall seasons that are typically mild and winter months that are normally mild with brief cold spells. Measurable snowfall amounts occur on an average of only once every other year. The summer months are consistently quite warm, but maximum temperatures only exceed 100 degrees, on average, about 6 days per year.

The welcoming climate enables local residents to enjoy outdoor sporting activities, as well as a year-round calendar of more than 55 festivals and annual events. The largest local festivals include the Red River Revel Arts Festival – one of the largest outdoor arts festivals in the South – as well as Mudbug Madness Festival, the State Fair of Louisiana, the Louisiana Film Prize and the Let the Good Times Roll Festival. Six riverfront casinos and a horse racing track complement the around-the-clock nightlife scene. Cultural centers including Artspace, Robinson Film Center, The Strand Theatre of Louisiana and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra provide a window to the world by way of regularly scheduled screenings, performances, exhibitions, and events. Centurylink Center in Bossier City and Shreveport Municipal Auditorium regularly host performances by the biggest names in popular music and entertainment.  

Those who are always seeking new things to see, experience, taste, and explore will find that there is more to do than ever before in Shreveport-Bossier. New attractions include Shreveport Aquarium, an interactive riverfront center that is home to over 3,000 different animals, and Gator Raceway, a high-speed go-kart track located at Gators and Friends Adventure Park. Other major amenities that have opened since 2016 include Shreveport Dog Park, Bossier City’s East Bank District and Plaza, and countless new restaurants, food trucks and farmers’ markets.

While the low cost of living, world-class entertainment options and diverse cultural offerings make Shreveport-Bossier an appealing destination for retirees, it is the warm, friendly and welcoming attitude of local residents that truly distinguishes Shreveport-Bossier from other communities. Genuine Southern hospitality is alive and well in these sister cities, where no new arrival remains a stranger for very long. 

For more information on retiring in Shreveport-Bossier, visit RetireShreveportBossier.org. For general information, including a list of upcoming events, visit Shreveport-Bossier.org.