Drew Dixon
The top city for retirees in Florida is in one of the least populated counties on the state’s east coast, according to Retirement Living journal.
Palm Coast in Flagler County got the top honors in Florida, according to the publication. To determine its list, Retirement Living analysts compared factors such as the percentage of retirees at least 65 years old living in a community, home and rental prices, poverty rates, and sales taxes.
Palm Coast is located in Northeast Florida between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. Contributing to its No. 1 ranking is the fact that 30.1% of its population is 65 years or older. Median home prices sit at $346,000, with median monthly rental costs at $1,790. The poverty rate is 10.3%, and the sales tax rates is 7%.
“Retirees are drawn to Palm Coast’s relaxing blend of safe, comfortable neighborhoods, sandy beaches, and pristine natural beauty. There’s no shortage of activities to keep you busy, including fishing, boating, tennis, golf, and hiking. Nature lovers can also enjoy bird-watching or dolphin-spotting along the city’s well-maintained wildlife trails,” Retirement Living concluded.
Cape Coral, located in Southwest Florida in the Fort Myers metropolitan area, was ranked the second-best city for retirement. Some 25% of that population is of retiree age. But the cost of living is a bit higher than Palm Coast, with the median home price at $375,000 and the rental price up to $1,969. But sales taxes are more tolerable in Cape Coral, with a rate of 6.5%. The poverty rate is just 10%.
“No matter what you’re looking forward to in retirement — rest, relaxation, or recreation — Cape Coral has it, and more and more people want it. The city’s population rose by nearly 23,000 people since 2020, according to U.S. Census data, yet the area’s still relatively affordable for many seniors,” the report said.
Just a few miles north on the Gulf Coast, North Port earned the No. 3 ranking. Some 25.4% of that city’s population is 65 years or older, with a median home sales price of $359,000 and median rental price of $1,982. But poverty is scarce in North Port, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. The sales tax rate is 7%.
The rest of the top 10 places to retire to in Florida include Daytona Beach, Palm Bay, Lakeland, St. Petersburg, Melbourne, Deltona and Port St. Lucie. Few larger Florida cities cracked the top 10, though they were prominent in the back half of the top 20 list, which included cities such as West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Tampa and Orlando.
