There’s plenty of reasons so many people retire to the Sunshine State.
There’s plenty of reasons so many people retire to the Sunshine State.
Right now you might be feeling cold and tired of working. You’re checking your 401(k) balance, and you keep looking at Social Security calculators. You’re thinking about laying on a warm beach, and spending your days relaxing, golfing, fishing, or just not having to shovel snow or set your alarm every day.
People 65 and over make up almost 21% of the Florida’s population, and there’s a reason so many people retire to the Sunshine State. Florida does not tax Social Security benefits, pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s or other retirement income. Florida also has 1,350 miles of coastline—more than any other state except Alaska—and a climate suited to enjoy all that sand and sea.
To rank 120 cities in Florida for retirees, personal finance site WalletHub used three main metrics:
Quality of life, which includes cost of living, share of population over 65, crime rates, air and water quality, job market for older workers, number of discount stores and the number of households with severe housing problems. The last one refers to overcrowding and housing that lacks complete plumbing or kitchen facilities.Health, which includes the number of doctors, dentists, hospitals and healthcare facilities, Covid rates, life expectancy and death rates.Activities, which looks at the number of zoos, museums, theaters, music venues, senior centers and fitness centers, as well as fishing, golf, and weather.TheStreet Recommends: The Secret to Retiring Successfully
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for retirement. The data comes from a variety of sources, including the BLS, census, FBI, the CDC, EPA, State of Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs, TripAdvisor, Yelp and the New York Times.
Here are the 30 Florida cities that came out on top. Some cities are not included because data were not available.
The Best Places to Retire in Florida1. Sarasota, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 5 (of 120 cities)Healthcare rank: 3Activities rank: 12. Fort Myers, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 12Healthcare rank: 2Activities rank: 93. Boca Raton, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 54Healthcare rank: 4Activities rank: 44. Miami
Quality of life rank: 36Healthcare rank: 5Activities rank: 55. Orlando
Quality of life rank: 58Healthcare rank: 22Activities rank: 36. Tampa, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 89Healthcare rank: 45Activities rank: 27. Sebastian, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 1Healthcare rank: 47Activities rank: 438. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 76Healthcare rank: 29Activities rank: 69. Delray Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 66Healthcare rank: 7Activities rank: 1310. Clearwater, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 20Healthcare rank: 15Activities rank: 1811. Bradenton, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 6Healthcare rank: 19Activities rank: 2512. Immokalee, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 11Healthcare rank: 1Activities rank: 6613. Jupiter, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 27Healthcare rank: 24Activities rank: 1514. Winter Park, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 26Healthcare rank: 9Activities rank: 2415. Pensacola, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 38Healthcare rank: 54Activities rank: 1016. South Bradenton, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 7Healthcare rank: 92Activities rank: 1917. Bonita Springs, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 8Healthcare rank: 16Activities rank: 3818. Cape Coral, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 4Healthcare rank: 33Activities rank: 3419. Melbourne, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 87Healthcare rank: 10Activities rank: 2120. Estero, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 2Healthcare rank: 38Activities rank: 4121. Wellington, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 21Healthcare rank: 17Activities rank: 4222. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 110Healthcare rank: 11Activities rank: 1223. North Fort Myers, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 3Healthcare rank: 32Activities rank: 5324. Boynton Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 98Healthcare rank: 6Activities rank: 2725. Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 39Healthcare rank: 49Activities rank: 2226. Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 13Healthcare rank: 30Activities rank: 6427. Dunedin, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 14Healthcare rank: 69Activities rank: 3128. Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 47Healthcare rank: 12Activities rank: 4829. Riviera Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 108Healthcare rank: 26Activities rank: 730. New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Quality of life rank: 18Healthcare rank: 118Activities rank: 11