For more than 70 years, Florida has been the place to go when people want to retire. It's long since become a cliche.
It's also, according to a new report released Aug. 31 from WalletHub, still very true. Of the Top 10 Best and Worst Places to Retire in 2026, four were in Florida, including top spots one, two and three.
Plan your Florida trip with Orbitz
Yearround warm weather, mild winters, the state's natural beauty, and lots of senior activities are a big draw, but the state's lack of income, estate or inheritance tax is certainly a big win for retiring folks who need to stretch their remaining funds. Florida also has a large number of retirement communities, including The Villages, the biggest in the U.S., which was not included on WalletHub's
list.
The top three cities to retire to: Orlando, Miami, and Tampa, according to WalletHub. The other Florida city in the Top 10 was Fort Lauderdale at No. 8.
WalletHub compared the "retiree-friendliness" of more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key metrics in four categories: affordability, activities, quality of life, and health care.
Here's how Florida cities ranked.
No. 1 Best City to Retire: Orlando, Florida
Orlando topped the list with a total 63.38 score out of 100. The Central Florida city ranked second in the 182 cities surveyed for affordability, No. 11 in health care, No. 17 for activities, but No. 77 for quality of life.
Orlando is one of the most tax-friendly cities, according to WalletHub's Adam McCann in the report, and while it doesn't have a particularly low cost of living, "it is the 15th-cheapest city for homemaker services and the 20th-cheapest for adult day health care out of the more than 180 cities in our study."
The city also ranks 2nd in the country for recreational activities for retirees, with plenty of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.
"Finally, Orlando ranks 21st when it comes to gerontologists and eighth-highest for home health care facilities per capita," McCann said. "It also has the fourth-best hospitals for geriatrics, allowing elderly residents to receive quality care.
No. 2 Best City to Retire: Miami, Florida
Miami was next, with a total score of 59.40. It ranked 6th in the nation for activities and No. 29 for health care, but came in at No. 54 for affordability and No. 91 for quality of life.
Miami made second on the list, largely due to the wide variety of activities popular with retirees. "Miami ranks at the top of the country when it comes to adult volunteer activities, art galleries and fishing facilities per capita," McCann said, "and it has the 17th-most museums and 11th-most recreation and senior centers."
The South Florida city is also the 6th-most walkable city in the country, with quality public transportation within walking distance of most residents.
No. 3 Best City to Retire: Tampa, Florida
Tampa rounded off the Top 3 at No. 3, with a total score of 59.29. Activities were No. 10 out of 182, quality of life was No. 34, affordability was No. 41, but health care was ranked 89th.
Tampa cruised to third thanks to its lower property crime rate (19th in the country) and high number of recreational and social opportunities. The West Coast city was the fifth-best city for recreation, with the ninth-most bingo halls per capita, and the 11th-highest rater of adult volunteer activities.
No. 8 Best City to Retire: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
After Scottsdale, Arizona; Casper, Wyoming; Atlanta, Georgia; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hit the Top 10 list at No. 8 with a total score of 57.92. The city ranked 13th for activities, 41st for health care, 64th for quality of life, and 75th for affordability.
Fort Lauderdale is also an angler's paradise, coming in tied for first in the nation with St. Petersburg; Charleston, South Carolina; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Juneau, Alaska, for most fishing facilities per capita.
More Florida cities and their retirement rankings
Other Florida cities on the list include:
- No. 13: Cape Coral, Florida (3rd highest percentage of population aged 65 and older)
- No. 16: St. Petersburg, Florida
- No. 22: Pembroke Pines, Florida
- No. 31: Hialeah, Florida
- No. 37: Jacksonville, Florida (ranked 9th in affordability)
- No. 56: Tallahassee, Florida (ranked 8th in affordability)
The lowest Florida city on the list was Port St. Lucie at No. 95:
- 5th-lowest number of employed population aged 65 and older
- Fewest recreation and senior centers per capita
- No. 174 for museums per capita
Despite that, Port St. Lucie, Florida, ranked 5th in the 182 cities examined for highest percentage of population aged 65 and older.
Why did Florida become a popular retirement destination?
Until the early 20th Century, Florida was the least populated state in the U.S.
But a number of factors made it more attractive, including a tourism boom, the land boom of the 1920s, railway extension extended down to Miami, and, possibly most significantly of all, the rapid widespread growth of air-conditioning. (Fun fact: Compressor-based machines to make ice were invented in 1842 by a Florida physician, Dr. John Gorrie, to keep his patients cool.)
After World War II, newspaper articles touted the Sunshine State as a sun-soaked paradise where seniors could enjoy their retirement years. They talked up how retirees could sell their costly properties up North, buy cheaper properties here, and keep more of the difference thanks to the state's low or nonexistent taxes. The large number of activities and the state's natural beauty were big draws. From the 1950s on, it became a cliche that if you had the means, once you retired you were heading down to Florida.
That said, Florida may be losing its rep as a premiere retirement destination, as the population explosion during COVID drove up real estate prices. Skyrocketing insurance prices have also dealt a blow, and overall inflation rates have been high.
“As Florida attracts new residents, the rapid population growth also contributes to higher prices,” the Florida Chamber of Commerce said in 2024. “The low cost of living that Florida used to boast has waned, and those who moved here in pursuit of more affordable living could be looking elsewhere.”
In WalletHub'sBest and Worst States to Retire list for 2026, Florida ranked second after Wyoming.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best places to retire? Florida cities dominate Top 10 list in US
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
