Here To Stay - The Best Places to Live in Florida
Florida has long been a vacation destination, but over the past few decades has become a permanent home for many. The beautiful weather, sunshine year-round, and friendliness of local communities makes it the ideal place not just to visit, but to stay! Find your forever home in Florida. Here are some suggestions for you.
On the Gulf Coast
Florida’s Gulf Coast is known for being slower paced than other parts of the state and is the best place to relax on the calm Gulf of Mexico waters or white sand beaches.
Punta Gorda | Median home price: $189,000
Senior population: 54%
On the southwestern side of Florida is Punta Gorda, a waterfront retreat of a town to which many retirees are drawn. In fact, over half of the population in Punta Gorda are seniors, so you’re sure to have lots of company. This is yet another great destination for water lovers, too — you could spend your days relaxing on the beach or out on the boat. This is a great place to keep a boat, thanks to Charlotte Harbor, which is one of the U.S.’s largest natural harbors. The town’s Fisherman Village is a great place to find shopping, dining, live entertainment, and even sunset cruises. A perk of being located in Punta Gorda is that when family comes to visit, they can fly directly into Punta Gorda Airport! The bustling city of Sarasota is located just north, and the iconic beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel and Captiva Islands are located to your south.
One of Punta Gorda’s top retirement communities is Buttonwood Village, which is southwestern Florida living at its best: pristine landscaping, brightly colored homes and villas with tropical decor, private lanais for watching the sunset, and stocked fishing lakes for the avid fisherman.
ci.punta-gorda.fl.us
buttonwoodvillage.com
Sarasota | Median home price: $359,900
Senior population: 27%
Sarasota is known for its cultural offerings, this a fantastic place to live if you love to indulge in the arts. Once home to the circus magnate John Ringling, it boasts The Ringling estate museum and gardens. Thanks to the Ringlings’ support of the local arts community, it is thriving to this day, and offers a variety of theaters, the Van Wezel Performance Center, the Sarasota Opera House, and a plethora of art galleries. For retirees, there are many beautiful retirement communities dotted throughout the Sarasota area (as well as its sister city, Bradenton). Many 55+ neighborhoods feature smaller homes that are easier to care for, with the benefit of swimming pools and other recreational activities for both you and visiting family to enjoy.
Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay is retirement living at its most luxurious, providing a new perspective on your life of retirement. Residences are designed to space and light, with views of downtown Sarasota, Sarasota Bay, or the Gulf of Mexico.
sarasotafl.gov
plymouthharbor.org
On the Atlantic Coast
Dotted with iconic oceanfront cities and the home of NASA, Florida’s Atlantic Coast is the best place to find excitement from the beaches to the downtowns.
Stuart | Median home price: $315,000
Senior population: 29%
Any New Yorkers looking to retire on Florida’s Atlantic Coast may want to check out Stuart, located less than hour north of West Palm Beach and famous as the spring training home of the New York Mets! As a part of Martin County, which is known for its natural beauty and scenic roadways, it’s also a popular spot for auto lovers to motor around. You can also hop onto the iconic A1A and road trip up to St. Augustine or down to Miami (if you’re feeling quite adventurous, you could keep going to the Florida Keys). The combination of fun things to do with small-town living is most likely what spurred Coastal Living Magazine to award Stuart the prestigious “America’s Happiest Seaside Town” designation in 2016.
The Pointe at Ocean Boulevard is a top choice for senior living communities in Stuart, providing “casually elegant” living in spacious apartments with a focus on ease of access and peace of mind. Onsite are chefs to prepare your meals, a fitness center, transportation, and 24-hour onsite staff.
cityofstuart.us
thepointeatoceanboulevard.com
Vero Beach | Median home price: $269,900
Senior population: 28%
North of Stuart is Vero Beach, which is a favorite of many retirees thanks to its plethora of recreation centers and, of course, its pristine beaches for which it is named. 27 percent of the population here is seniors, so you’ll make lots of friends, and there are many retirement communities here from which to choose. Vero Beach has the sensational knack of combining world-class luxury and an arts and culture scene featuring theater, art museums, ballet, and opera, with small-town charm, which is why residents and visitors alike find it so attractive. This is probably why, like Stuart, Coastal Living Magazine chose it as one of the “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns” in 2018.
Fairlane Harbor Homes is a retirement community for active adults, located on 40 acres beside the Indian River Lagoon with the Atlantic Ocean just minutes away. This desirable community offers manufactured homes with relaxing porches and stellar views, as well as a community clubhouse that hosts lots of social events. Take a swim in the pool, hit the shuffleboard court, or fish off the community dock.
covb.org
fairlaneharborhomes.com
Jacksonville | Median home price: $229,900
Senior population: 13.8%
One of the best perks of Jacksonville, other than its fantastic location - just a few hours’ drive from several major cities in Florida and Georgia - is the incredible variety of things to do when you live here. Every neighborhood offers a different opportunity for you to immerse yourself in our local culture. Relax on the miles of white sandy beaches, shop and dine in unique districts, picnic or hike in the neighborhood parks, or tap into the bustling culture of Downtown. Don’t forget that Jacksonville is a major Arts and Culture destination - it’s home to the Museum of Science and History (MOSH), Alhambra Theatre, and locals live for the Jacksonville Art Walk.
Just as all of the other neighborhoods in JAX are different from each other, so too are the retirement communities; so there’s really something for everyone. Cypress Village invites you to luxurious lakefront living in a happy and carefree environment. Residents can enjoy a packed social calendar and plenty of activities - or just the peace and quiet of the putting greens, wooded pathways, and resplendent gardens. To enjoy the ease of being in the beautiful downtown area, consider a life at HarborChase of Mandarin, just a short stroll from the St. Johns River and featuring some of the best amenities and care. cypressvillageretirement.com
harborchase.com
In Central Florida
At the heart of Florida, you will find beautiful communities full of friendliness, sunshine, and relaxation. Enjoy the feeling of living in a neighborhood while having the perks of being in a tropical destination.
The Villages | Median home price: $295,000
Senior population: 82%
The Villages is a huge retirement community in Sumter County, located in Central Florida. Sometimes referred to as “Disney World for Adults,” The Villages is a rapidly growing, lifestyle-based community that offers more than 2,000 activities for residents. You can choose between seasonal or year-round living here, with homes and villas that are unique in their styling to set each apart from each other, so that rather than feeling like you’re in a cut-and-paste subdivision, you feel like you’re living in a beautiful neighborhood. This is the ideal spot for golfers, as The Villages has their own Executive courses, and residents receive free lifetime membership to all of our Championship Country Clubs, including Palmer Legends and Nancy Lopez Legacy — you could play golf every day, if you wanted! For social gatherings, there are the previously mentioned activities, as well as three old-fashioned town squares, shopping and dining, entertainment including live performances, and social clubs.
thevillages.com
Winter Haven | Median home price: $198,500
Senior population: 25%
Also in Central Florida is Winter Haven, known for its Chain of Lakes and interconnected canals that provide endless activities for water lovers like boaters and fishermen. The surrounding area also features many attractions like the Lake Wales Historic District and Bok Tower Gardens. The gardens provide acres of tall oaks, fragrant flowers, and historic architecture, and is a great place to bring the family or perhaps just spend some time by yourself with a good book. Winter Haven’s economy is built on small businesses and entrepreneurs, and there is a strong music, theater, and arts culture — just a couple of the reasons that the community here is a strong and happy one, which makes Winter Haven truly feel like home. While the median age range is younger here than other choices on our list, some retirees prefer to live in a town with a variety of ages. Many retirees choose to buy a home here thanks to great prices, although some find that Winter Haven’s retirement communities are the best places to live. Spring Haven Retirement, part of Meridian Senior Living, is located on five acres of lakeside land, with scenic views and a convenient location close to town. They offer both independent and assisted living, depending on your needs, and encourage social living with lots of community activities.
mywinterhaven.com
meridiansenior.com
