Many Americans desire a Florida retirement thanks to the state’s balmy weather and lack of income taxes. But not all Florida cities are created equal.
To find the best Florida cities for retirement in 2024, GOBankingRates highlighted the Sunshine State cities featured by U.S. News in their 2024 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. list.
To identify the best places to retire, U.S. News analyzed data for the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on criteria including the happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates and healthcare quality.
Here’s a look at the top 10 Florida cities that made the cut ranked from best to worst, with scores on a scale of 1 to 10.
1. Daytona Beach
- Overall score: 7.0
- Housing affordability: 6.7
- Healthcare: 5.5
2. Tampa
- Overall score: 6.9
- Housing affordability: 6.2
- Healthcare: 5.6
3. Sarasota
- Overall score: 6.9
- Housing affordability: 5.8
- Healthcare: 5.5
4. Lakeland
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 7.0
- Healthcare: 5.7
5. Melbourne
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 6.5
- Healthcare: 5.3
6. Orlando
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 6.1
- Healthcare: 5.6
7. Ocala
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 7.5
- Healthcare: 5.5
8. Naples
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 5.1
- Healthcare: 5.1
9. Jacksonville
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 6.6
- Healthcare: 5.2
10. Pensacola
- Overall score: 6.8
- Housing affordability: 6.9
- Healthcare: 4.7
Data is sourced from U.S. News and is accurate as of Nov. 6, 2023.