TOP 10 CITIES FOR SENIORS TO RETIRE IN FLORIDA

1. Naples

Not only is Naples the best place to retire in Florida. It is also the best place to retire in the country. The city is located in the southwestern part of the state, right on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Naples ranks particularly well for its number of medical centers, with more than 28 per 1,000 residents. It is also so senior-friendly that a remarkable 51% of its population is seniors.

Like many southwest Florida communities, Naples brings together the best of shopping, recreation, and beautiful white sand beaches. But residents here would argue that Naples offers the best versions of all three. It sounds to us that moving here wouldn’t be so bad.

2. New Port Richey

This town in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area is another location within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s also close to a major city, which means access to cultural attractions like museums and professional sporting events. For those of you that are looking to move to Florida, New Port Richey has plenty of recreation facilities, medical centers and retirement communities.

3. Orange Park

Orange Park is the highest-rated inland city on our list of the best places to retire in Florida. The city is located near Jacksonville, and with a population of less than 10,000, it would surely appeal to those who prefer small-town living. It is the second-ranked city on this list for medical centers.

The small size of this community means that some of the amenities available in other cities might not be as extensively available here. For instance, Orange Park ranks second-to-last on this list for the number of retirement communities and in the middle of the pack for recreation centers. Still, Orange Park is the 10th-best city to retire nationwide.

4. Brooksville

Situated about an hour north of Tampa, Brooksville is another good option for those looking for a small-town feel, as it has a population of less than 8,000. The town has a decent number of medical centers and falls toward the middle of this list in terms of both recreation centers and retirement communities.

Brooksville ranks in the top 15 places to retire nationally.

5. Stuart

Stuart, found less than an hour north of West Palm Beach, is the highest-ranked city on this list that’s located on Florida’s Atlantic coast. It’s also right outside of Port St. Lucie, famous as the spring training home of the New York Mets, so any New Yorkers thinking of moving to a warmer climate for their retirement may find something they like here.

Stuart has the third-highest number of recreation centers on this list. It has nearly 14 medical centers and 0.50 retirement centers per 1,000 residents.

6. Vero Beach

As the name suggests, Vero Beach is an oceanside town on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It ranks in the top 15 for the best places to retire in the country, driven mostly by its high number of recreation centers.

Vero Beach has the second-most recreation centers of any Florida city on this list. It also has the third-most retirement communities on this list, and with 28% of the population being seniors, you’ll have no trouble finding a community. The beaches make the area a popular tourist attraction, so if you decide to move here, it won’t be difficult to get your family to visit.

7. Inverness

Inverness, which is also ranked in the top 15 places to retire nationally, may not be along either of Florida’s coasts, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t near water. The town lies near the almost 11,000-acre Flying Eagle Preserve.

Inverness does rank relatively low for number of retirement communities and recreation centers. However, with 35.60% of the population being seniors, it likely won’t be a challenge meeting other retirees.

8. Venice

Venice is not only the home of Master Movers, but the town for shark lovers. This city is known as the shark tooth capital of the world, and it hosts an annual Shark’s Tooth Festival.

The town has 0.61 retirement communities per 1,000 residents. It does rank second-to-last on the list for medical centers, with just 7.15 medical centers per 1,000 residents. It has a remarkably high percentage of seniors, who account for 58.80% of its population, showing that folks in their twilight years certainly enjoy the coastal town, and perhaps occasional shark tooth festivities.

9. Sarasota

Located south of Tampa, Sarasota has its own ballet company and opera, so if you don’t want to give up your fine arts support in your retirement there are plenty of selections here. Plus, with Tampa and St. Petersburg just up the road, the cultural options here are legion.

This city also has a good number of medical centers and recreation centers.

10. Sun City Center

This is the only retirement-focused community on this list. Sun City Center has an age restriction, meaning no one under age 55 can live there. This, of course, leads to a whopping 74% of the population being senior citizens.

While there aren’t a vast number of specified recreation centers in the town, the community does have clubs for just about any interest you can think of, from sewing to ham radios. The town is located right between Sarasota and Tampa, so you can flee the retirement community scene and explore the outskirts with very little travel time.