It's no secret that Florida is a popular landing spot for retirees. The sunshine state has some attributes that are attractive to those ending their careers. The weather is warm. The tax structure is mostly friendly, and many cities have amenities meant to attract an older population.
In fact, some cities offer so many amenities that those places become highly populated with people over 65.
Determining Which Cities House the Most Retirees: The website SpaceWise wanted to identify the American cities with the most retirees, so it looked at data from from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to determine the 25 cities with the most people who are 65 years or older. This survey included data from a combination of both suburban neighborhoods and urban cities.
How Did Florida Fare?: 25 cities from all over the United States were on the list. Of those, 15 were from Florida. California had the next highest rate of cities, at 3.
Here are the Florida cities that had the highest number of retirees. They are listed from lowest population over 65 to highest.
#25. Daytona Beach: This city had 22.5% of its population as retirees. In addition to being a popular spring break and NASCAR spot, retirees appreciate its proximity to well-rated hospitals, major airports, and beaches. The cost of living is also moderate by Florida standards.
#19. Port St. Lucie has approximately 23% of its population as over 65. Located on Florida's treasure coast and close to Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie is one of Florida's fastest-growing cities. This is known to be a safe city, with access to amenities like a fitness clubhouse and public parks.
#18: Melbourne: With just over 23% of its population retired, Melbourne can be found on Florida's space coast, which is only an hour's drive from Orlando and theme parks. Although home prices have increased dramatically here (as they have everywhere in Florida,) this city is still considered reasonably priced when compared to others.
#15 Clearwater: This is a city on the coast, so you'll have access to lovely beaches. It's welcoming to retirees, with many communities catering to those 55 and older, including shopping and dining. Clearwater is close to both Tampa and St. Petersburg.
#14 Largo: Quite close to Clearwater, Largo is home to Florida Botanical Gardens and offers a lower cost of living than many Florida communities, with an average home value of around $350,000.
#13 Cape Coral: This city has approximately 24% of its population as retirees. It contains over 400 miles of canals, making water activities plentiful. It also has access to some top medical centers.
#12 Spring Hill: This area feels more rural and quiet, although it is only about an hour's drive from Tampa. Home prices are a little lower here at $334,000.
#11 Jupiter: Admittedly, this city is affluent and likely appeals most to retirees with a generous amount of savings. The average home here costs over $700,000, but there is access to serval medical centers, wonderful golfing, and gorgeous weather.
#10 Deerfield Beach: Only 20 minutes from Miami, this is a very centrally located city with access to nearby Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. Although property values are increasing, this city is one of the few on the list where home prices are close to the high 200s, currently sitting at just over $300,000. Almost 24.3% of residents are over 65 years old.
#9 Boca Raton: This is a safe city with access to top-notch health and cancer care, but it is also quite affluent and expensive. Still, it caters to retirees and has a wide range of amenities.
#8 Delray Beach: Close to West Palm Beach, this city is home to the famous Atlantic Avenue, which is awash with galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. Even so, this city is reasonably priced compared with some others on the list, coming in with a current average home price of $387,000.
#5 Port Charlotte: Over 27% of this Gulf Coast city's population is over 65. There are quality health care choices, but even better, there are plenty of beaches and state parks.
#3 Tamarac has nearly 28% of residents as retirees. It's a suburb of Fort Lauderdale and is also not too far from Miami Beach. With access to Fern Forest Nature Center, it's a nice choice for nature lovers.
#2 Palm Coast: This city had the second-highest percentage of retirees in the state, at 30.2%. This is a great place for beach lovers as there's a pier and boardwalk on its 19 miles of beaches and also access to Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park for history lovers.
#1 North Port: The winner is North Port, with over 32% of the population over 65. This city is in Sarasota county and sees most residents owning their own homes, with the average cost of a home being around $389,000.
Here is the rest of the list, showing the cities that weren't in Florida:
North Port, FL
Palm Coast, FL
Tamarac, FL
Walnut Creek, CA
Port Charlotte, FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Georgetown, TX
Delray Beach, FL
Boca Raton, FL
Deerfield Beach, FL
Jupiter town, FL
Spring Hill, FL
Cape Coral, FL
Largo, FL
Clearwater, FL
Santa Fe, NM
Hemet, CA
Melbourne, FL
Port St. Lucie, FL
Mission Viejo, CA
India, CA
Livonia, MI
St. George, UT
New Rochelle, NY
Daytona Beach, FL
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