08:23 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Associated Press

DALLAS -- Small towns and lush landscapes are what a new state campaign hopes will lure more retirees to settle in Texas.

Starting this week, the state Agriculture Department will take applications from cities seeking the brand of “certified retirement community” from the state. Cities will pay 25 cents per resident to apply, or $5,000 if the city is under 20,000 people.

In return, the state will promote the city nationwide in hopes of bringing more retirees to towns like Nacogdoches in East Texas.

“We’re off the radar screen for many older folks,” said Bruce Partain of the city’s chamber of commerce. “We’re hoping the state’s new marketing program will give us some firepower.”

With the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age, communities are competing to attract their tax dollars and consumer spending, he said.

Gene Warren, a Phoenix-based consultant who helps cities market to retirees, says each new household spends an average of $36,000 a year in the local economy and pays about $3,000 in taxes. They bring jobs and are lured by the charms of the Pineywoods, the Gulf Coast and the Hill Country, he said.

Texas ranked sixth on a list of most popular retirement states, according to a new book by gerontologist Charles F. Longino. Florida, Arizona, Nevada and the Carolinas made the top five.

Longino, author of “Retirement Migration in America,” said more retirees are flocking to Texas, settling in what they consider smaller, friendlier cities located a short drive from big-city amenities.

Robert Wood, state assistant commissioner for rural economic development, will oversee the state’s program, which is modeled after Mississippi’s “Hometown Retirement” campaign.

The state will create a “Retire in Texas” Web site, participate in AARP conventions and possibly advertise in publications aimed at seniors, Wood said.

The program, created by the Legislature last year, will be funded by applicants.

Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs will travel throughout the state this summer inviting communities to join.