Housing in Retirement

With warmer weather and no state taxes, retirees are heading south after they stop working. Here&rsquo;s what you need to know about retiring in Florida.

About this Class

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Gearing up for retirement means you might relocate for your golden years. Naturally, you might gravitate to one of the states that&rsquo;s most popular for retirees. Top on the list is Florida.&nbsp;
With retirement-friendly amenities like no state income tax and a warmer climate, it&rsquo;s easy to see why Florida is a great place to retire. But do you know everything the state offers for retirees?&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s hard to find a state that has fewer seasons than Florida. You can take advantage of heading to the beach during the December holidays, where the rest of the country might be bundling up in front of a fire or turning the heater on.&nbsp;
While the warmer climate is enticing, it&rsquo;s not the only benefit. There&rsquo;s no state income tax in Florida, which is good news come tax time&mdash;you&rsquo;ll only need to complete your federal returns.1 State attractions are nice, too, with Disney World in Orlando and the Florida Keys only a few hours away from the mainland by car.
But keep in mind the cost of living in the state. Nationwide, homes are averaging almost $414,300.2 In Florida, single-family homes cost an average of $425,000 right now, so it&rsquo;s not the inexpensive boon many think it is.3 And there are some locations in Florida that can cost even more than the national average; South Florida, Orlando and Tampa are notably more expensive than other parts of the state.
In this class, we&rsquo;ll cover 10 lessons, all breaking down different parts of retiring in Florida. Here&rsquo;s a preview of what you can expect to learn:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
How far your money will go. We draw cost of living comparisons with other states.
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Taxes. There are additional tax exemptions outside of no income taxes.
</li>
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Healthcare. Shockingly, healthcare costs are some of the highest in the country.
</li>
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The Florida lifestyle. From hurricanes to transportation, we give you a real look into what it&rsquo;s like to live in Florida and the costs associated with it.
</li>
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A real-life story. Take it from a retiree&rsquo;s perspective who moved to Florida for retirement.
</li>
</ul>
<h4>SOURCES:</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;Florida Tax Guide.&rdquo; StateOfFlorida.com, <a href="https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes">https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Median Sales Price of Existing Single-Family Homes.&rdquo; Fred Economic Data, 21 November 2025, <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HSFMEDUSM052N">https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/HSFMEDUSM052N</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Florida, NY Housing Market.&rdquo; Redfin. 2025.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redfin.com/state/Florida" rel="follow">https://www.redfin.com/state/Florida</a>. Assessed 27 December 2025
</li>
</ol>

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<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Floridians might get to take advantage of no state tax, but the state ranks 31st in cost of living compared to the rest of the nation.1 Using Silvur&rsquo;s Cost of Living calculator and with a base profile, we determined that Florida ranks 35th in total costs from healthcare, spending, and taxes.&nbsp;
<h2>Retirement Scores by State</h2>
Using an average Silvur profile, we took a couple with a combined annual salary of $120,000 who&rsquo;s planning to retire at age 62 and draw Social Security at 67. Their current net worth is $1,100,000 which includes savings and assets. We took their current spending of $6,500 and compared a few locations to see how far their Retirement Score will go.2
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/xAecSSZvRM0sQk5Yrf8E" width="642" height="656">
As you can see, the money they&rsquo;ve saved will last until they turn 88 years, 7 months old if they were to move to Florida, but their money will go further in Ohio. Although Ohio has a 3.99% state tax compared to Florida&rsquo;s 0%, Florida&rsquo;s total cost of living and Medicare costs are higher than Ohio&rsquo;s which helps to extend your savings.
<h2>Average Monthly Spend&nbsp;</h2>
By living in Florida, you would spend an average of $6,173 per month compared to a baseline spending of $6,500 per month. You can use the Silvur Cost of Living calculator to compare your cost of living in Florida to where you live now. Your cost of living comes down to your needs and wants. For instance, if you want to be by the beach, you might pay more compared to someone who lives more inland. And like other states, rural areas tend to have a lower cost of living compared to urban and suburban areas. The median home sale price in Palm Bay&mdash;along central Florida&rsquo;s Space Coast&mdash;is $269,900.3 In South Florida&rsquo;s Boca Raton, the median home sale price is $578,750.4
<h2>Flood Insurance</h2>
One thing you&rsquo;ll always pay more for as a Florida resident is insurance. Even the best home insurance policies don&rsquo;t have flood insurance. While it&rsquo;s not required for every home in the state to have this, flood insurance is highly recommended. About 20% of flood insurance claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas. Hurricane season is six months&mdash;June 1 to November 30&mdash;which means you&rsquo;ll need to plan accordingly to make sure your home is covered sufficiently.5

<h4>SOURCES</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;Cost of Living Data Series, 2025 Quarter 3.&rdquo; Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, <a href="https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series">https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
Silvur Services LLC. (2023) Cost Of Living Calculator. Unpublished internal company document.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Palm Bay FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Palm-Bay_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Palm-Bay_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Boca Raton, FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Boca-Raton_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Boca-Raton_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Common Questions About Flood Insurance.&rdquo; Florida Flood Insurance, <a href="https://floridafloodinsurance.org/faqs">https://floridafloodinsurance.org/faqs</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 26, 2024</h6>
Florida doesn&rsquo;t have a state income tax&mdash;though federal income tax is still required&mdash;and that&rsquo;s not the only tax relief residents take advantage of. Florida also doesn&rsquo;t have an estate or inheritance tax as well as intangibles tax, or taxes on investments.1
Out of the 45 states that have sales tax, Florida ranks number 17&mdash;in the middle.2 Florida&rsquo;s sales tax is 6% but some local jurisdictions have their own local rate.3 For instance, Broward County in South Florida collects an additional 1%, so the sales tax there is 7%.4 Other taxes and exemptions include:
<ul>
<li>
Property tax homestead exemption. There&rsquo;s a homestead tax exemption up to $50,000 for primary residences in Florida. A homestead tax exemption safeguards your home from creditors after the death of a spouse.&nbsp;
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Widow(er) exemptions. An extra $500 annual exemption is available to widows and widowers who have not remarried.&nbsp;
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Senior citizen exemption. These are only available for certain cities and counties. In Miami-Dade County, the property must already qualify for a homestead exemption, meet income restrictions, and must have at least one homeowner who is 65 years of age or older as of January 1.4
</li>
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Corporate income tax. If you move a business to Florida, your company will need to pay corporate income taxes.
</li>
</ul>
Keep in mind that while the state of Florida doesn&rsquo;t impose property taxes, each county and jurisdiction has its own local property taxes.
<h2>Taxes in Retirement</h2>
Because Florida doesn&rsquo;t have a state income tax, that means your 401(k) withdrawals are not subject to state taxes too. Also, Social Security benefits aren&rsquo;t taxed at the state level. This can be a huge financial benefit, so be sure to factor this in if you&rsquo;re planning your retirement budget for the state of Florida.
<h4>SOURCES:</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;Florida Tax Guide.&rdquo; StateOfFlorida.com, Accessed 1 November 2021.
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Cammenga, Janelle. &ldquo;State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2025.&rdquo; Tax Foundation, 8 July 2025, <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/" rel="follow">https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Florida Tax Guide.&rdquo; StateOfFlorida.com, <a href="https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes">https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Florida Sales Tax Rates: Broward County.&rdquo;&nbsp;Sales Tax Handbook, October 2021, <a href="https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/florida/rates/broward-county">https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/florida/rates/broward-county</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Healthcare costs continue to rise the older you get. This means you&rsquo;ll need to have enough money to cover these costs as you age.&nbsp;
Although Medicare Parts A and B are priced federally, Medigap and Medicare Part D (prescription drugs) are priced locally. Therefore, your total Medicare costs vary by state and region, along with the type of Medicare plan you need to get. Even though Florida is a popular retirement state, it actually ranks one of the highest in Medicare costs across the country.1 Check out our Cost of Living Calculator to see additional details about different locations.
Long-term care costs are also an important factor. Monthly healthcare costs in Florida can range from $2,758 for adult day care services to $12,262 for a private room in a nursing home. A home health aide is about $6,068 a month.2
<h2>Medicaid Program</h2>
Florida has a Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program. This program offers long-term managed care and managed medical care assistance. Some long-term care services include adult day health care, assisted living facilities, physical therapy, transportation, and other services. If you&rsquo;re 65 years of age and older and eligible for Medicaid, you might qualify for the SMMC program. You&rsquo;ll need to complete an assessment with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs to see if you&rsquo;re eligible.3
<h2>Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities</h2>
The Sunshine State is home to many world-renowned hospitals and healthcare facilities. The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville is ranked number 2 in the state, while Cleveland Clinic in Weston is ranked number 6.4 The Mayo Clinic ranks number 25 in the nation for geriatrics and 24 in the nation for cancer.5 Other top hospitals include:
<ul>
<li>
UF Health Shands in Gainesville
</li>
<li>
AdventHealth in Orlando
</li>
<li>
Tampa General
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Morton Plan in Clearwater
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Sarasota Memorial
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Orlando Regional Medical Center
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Baptist Health in Miami
</li>
</ul>
You can use Silvur&rsquo;s Cost of Living calculator to compare different zip codes in Florida and see the Retirement Score for each location. This can help you determine the long-term care costs for the specific city or county you&rsquo;re thinking about moving to. Read our Medicare class on &ldquo;<a href="/retirement-school/understanding-the-costs" rel="follow">Understanding the Costs</a>&rdquo; and long-term care class on &ldquo;<a href="/retirement-school/type-of-long-term-care-and-costs" rel="follow">Types of Long-Term Care and Costs</a>'' for more in-depth information on how to budget for healthcare before you move.
<h4>SOURCES</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;Silvur&rsquo;s Cost-of-Living Calculator Shows Major Differences In Location And Impact On Retirement Across The U.S.&rdquo; Silvur, 9 May 2021. <a href="https://www.silvur.com/plan/goals/silvurs-cost-of-living-calculator-impact-on-retirement-us">https://www.silvur.com/plan/goals/silvurs-cost-of-living-calculator-impact-on-retirement-us</a>. Accessed 1 December 2024.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Cost of Long Term Care by State: Cost of Care Report.&rdquo; Genworth, <a href="https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html">https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program.&rdquo; Department of Elder Affairs, 4 April 2023, <a href="https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/medicaid-long-term-care-services/statewide-medicaid-managed-care-long-term-care-program">https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/medicaid-long-term-care-services/statewide-medicaid-managed-care-long-term-care-program</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Best Hospitals in Florida.&rdquo; U.S. News &amp; World Report, <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl">https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville.&rdquo;&nbsp;U.S. News &amp; World Report, <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl/mayo-clinic-6390380">https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl/mayo-clinic-6390380</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
In this lesson, we&rsquo;ll walk you through some of the lower-level costs you might run into if you decide to move to Florida. After all, those sneaky, day-to-day expenses can derail your budget just as quickly as major financial factors.&nbsp;
<h2>Transportation</h2>
Florida is a long state. It takes more than 10 hours to drive the full length of Florida, from Pensacola to the Florida Keys. Needless to say: you&rsquo;ll need a car.
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/hm3AKOkeTWe46m5J1DRN">
As you&rsquo;re exploring places to live, make sure to include the cost of a vehicle. If you live in a community or a place with a homeowner&rsquo;s association, there might be a charge for a parking space. Sometimes this fee is one-time; sometimes it&rsquo;s annually or monthly, depending on where you live.
You&rsquo;ll also need car insurance. In Florida, car insurance averages $1,878 a year. This is 31.6% higher than the national average.1
If you can&rsquo;t drive or don&rsquo;t want to, public transportation exists throughout the state, both through local and multi-county options. For instance, Brightline is a private rail route that runs from Miami to West Palm Beach in South Florida (with an extension currently being built all the way up to Orlando). Central Florida offers the SunRail, South Florida has the Tri-Rail and there are multiple Amtrak stops throughout the state.&nbsp;
Since Florida is below sea level, you won&rsquo;t find any subways. But many retirement communities offer shuttle services to local shops and stores, depending on where you live.&nbsp;
<h2>Air Conditioning</h2>
It&rsquo;s hot in Florida for at least nine or ten months of the year, and it can feel like 100 degrees during the hottest parts of the summer. That means your A/C will be working overtime for many months of the year. Adjust your electric bill accordingly for those summertime heatwaves.
<h2>Hurricane Prep</h2>
Hurricane season in Florida is six months long. While some years have mild thunderstorms, other years might be more active than others. It&rsquo;s best to do your prep early and buy supplies, like bottled water, flashlights, batteries, canned goods, and possibly a generator. A generator is hundreds or thousands of dollars but can keep the power on when, in some cases, it could be out for weeks at a time.
<h2>Lawn and Pool Care</h2>
More than 1 million Florida homes have residential pools that require servicing and cleaning.2 Unless you plan to do the dirty work yourself, you&rsquo;ll need to hire some outside help for your lawn and pool. Some communities include lawn fees in your home costs, which means you don&rsquo;t need to worry about getting your own contractor. If you have your own pool, you might want to hire someone. Depending on your pool and needs, you could pay upwards of $200 a month for pool maintenance.3
<h4>SOURCES&nbsp;</h4>
<ol>
<li>
Martin, Ross. &ldquo;Florida Auto Insurance Rates&mdash;What to Know.&rdquo; The Zebra, 1 December 2025, <a href="https://www.thezebra.com/auto-insurance/florida-car-insurance/fl-average-cost-of-auto-insurance">https://www.thezebra.com/auto-insurance/florida-car-insurance/fl-average-cost-of-auto-insurance</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
Hall, Kristal and Michael Lo. &ldquo;Survey of Residential Swimming Pools Assessed by Florida County Property Appraisers, Summer 2006.&rdquo; Florida State University, October 2006, <a href="http://www.consensus.fsu.edu/FBC/Pool-Efficiency/ResidentialSwimmingPoolSurvey.pdf">http://www.consensus.fsu.edu/FBC/Pool-Efficiency/ResidentialSwimmingPoolSurvey.pdf</a>. Accessed 1 December 2024.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Is It Worth Hiring A Pool Company in Florida? A Complete Price Breakdown.&rdquo; Sublim Pools &amp; Spa, 1 September 2020. <a href="https://sublimepools.net/blog/is-it-worth-hiring-a-pool-company-in-florida-a-complete-price-breakdown">https://sublimepools.net/blog/is-it-worth-hiring-a-pool-company-in-florida-a-complete-price-breakdown</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Some places in Florida are known for their bustling nightlife and younger residents. If you&rsquo;re planning to retire in Florida, you might not want to move to the louder, younger spots. Some of the best cities include:
<ol>
<li>
Naples. This west coast city is ideal for retirees. It&rsquo;s small&mdash;a little more than 20,000 residents&mdash;but more than half of residents are 65 years of age and up.1 You&rsquo;ll need a good housing budget, as median home prices are selling for $619,000 right now.2 
</li>
<li>
Sarasota. Also on the west coast of Florida, this city is a bit bigger than its Gulf of Mexico neighbor to the south. It has almost 58,000 residents, with about 30% of them 65 years and up.3 The median sold home price is $500,000.4 
</li>
<li>
Fort Myers. Another west coast town, Fort Myers also offers white sandy beaches in a quiet community. About 22% of the 99,918 residents are ages 65 and up.5 The median home price for homes sold here is about $309,900.6 
</li>
<li>
The Villages. This central Florida retirement mega center is a major plus for retirees. It&rsquo;s also the biggest retirement community in the country. It&rsquo;s known for its golf courses, social clubs, and other activities for older folks. The Villages has almost 80,000 residents, with more than 86% of them ages 65 and up.7 Home prices are a bit more affordable here compared to some of the cities along the Gulf Coast, with the median sold price at $359,900.8 Many people love the small community at The Villages, ditching cars and using golf carts or local shuttles to get around.
</li>
<li>
Century Village. There are four Century Village locations in South Florida: Pembroke Pines, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Each one is a 55+ community&mdash;made specifically for retirees. Each location has pools, golf courses, walking paths and other recreational activities. The clubhouses host games, movie screenings and musicals. There are more than 30,000 residents across all four locations, which feature one- and two-bedroom condominiums inside a gated community. Homes can cost around $350,000 and rentals go anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000+ but costs differ by location.9 
</li>
</ol>
<h4>SOURCES</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;QuickFacts: Collier County, Florida; Naples City, Florida; United States.&rdquo; United States Census Bureau, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/colliercountyflorida,naplescityflorida,US/PST045219">https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/colliercountyflorida,naplescityflorida,US/PST045219</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Naples, FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Naples_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Naples_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;QuickFacts: Sarasota City, Florida; Sarasota County, Florida.&rdquo; United States Census Bureau, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sarasotacityflorida,sarasotacountyflorida/PST045219">https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sarasotacityflorida,sarasotacountyflorida/PST045219</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Sarasota, FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Sarasota_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Sarasota_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;QuickFacts: Fort Myers City, Florida.&rdquo; United States Census Bureau, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/fortmyerscityflorida/PST045219">https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/fortmyerscityflorida/PST045219</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Fort Myers, FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Fort-Myers_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Fort-Myers_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;QuickFacts: The Villages, Florida.&rdquo; United States Census Bureau, <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/thevillagescdpflorida/PST045219">https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/thevillagescdpflorida/PST045219</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;The Villages, FL Real Estate Market.&rdquo; Realtor.com, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/The-Villages_FL/overview">https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/The-Villages_FL/overview</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;About Us.&rdquo;&nbsp;Century Village, <a href="https://www.centuryvillage.com/about-century-village">https://www.centuryvillage.com/about-century-village</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Florida is a long state with a swath of recreational activities and attractions. While DisneyWorld and Universal Studios might be what gets the kids and grandkids to visit, there are other notable attractions for retirees.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sports teams. Florida is home to the Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the three-time NBA champs, Miami Heat. Other teams include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Orlando Magic, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC (both soccer teams). </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">National parks. There are nearly a dozen national parks across Florida, including Dry Tortugas in Key West and Big Cypress in Ochopee. Don&rsquo;t forget the Everglades, which are throughout South Florida in Miami, Homestead and Naples.1 </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golf courses. You don&rsquo;t need to wait for harsh winters to pass in Florida, where there are golf courses abound. The best include Cabot Citrus Farms in Brooksville, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Verde Beach and Tiburon Gold Club. in Naples, among others.2 </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Festivals. In Florida, festivals pop up year-round. There&rsquo;s the South Florida Garlic Fest in February, Fantasy Fest in October and seafood festivals throughout the year all across the state. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Beaches. There&rsquo;s the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast and the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast. It&rsquo;s hard to find a bad beach, but some of the best are Sanibel Island in Fort Myers, Marco Island and Siesta Key, among others.3</li>
</ul>
<h4>SOURCES:</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;Florida.&rdquo; National Park Service, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/state/fl/index.htm" rel="follow">https://www.nps.gov/state/fl/index.htm</a> Accessed 5 January 2025.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;The Best Golf Courses in Florida.&rdquo; Golf Digest, 26 February 2025, <a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/courses/guides/best-public-golf-courses-florida" rel="follow">https://www.golfdigest.com/story/florida-best-in-state-rankings</a>. Accessed 5 January 2026.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;Best Florida Beaches.&rdquo; U.S. News &amp; World Report, <a href="https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-florida-beaches/" rel="follow">https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-florida-beaches</a>. Accessed 5 January 2026.</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
So, will the Sunshine State work for you? Does what you&rsquo;ve learned so far fit into the retirement dream you&rsquo;ve held for so long? Here&rsquo;s a closer look at the day-to-day lifestyle in this sunny, southern state.&nbsp;
<h2>Weather</h2>
The weather and climate isn&rsquo;t the same for all Floridians year-round. The panhandle part of the state sits in the central time zone&mdash;practically inside the state of Alabama. The climate there is quite different than, say, Miami on the far southern tip of the state. Here are the average temperatures throughout the year for different parts of the state.1
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/pl4M5wzyTwuukwWSJuf2">
Remember that hurricane season goes from June 1 to November 30. While the east coast is more likely to get hit throughout the Atlantic hurricane season, the west coast and panhandle also get their fair share of storms. Even Central Florida will see tropical storms or hurricanes during the season.&nbsp;
Along with your hurricane supplies, you should check your homeowner&rsquo;s insurance coverage, flood insurance and anything else related to your home and health before a hurricane hits to make sure you&rsquo;re prepared.
Summers are particularly brutal, so make sure you have adequate sunscreen, bug spray and water. Once &ldquo;winter&rdquo; comes&mdash;you might have to put on a jacket when the temperatures drop to 40 degrees!&mdash;you&rsquo;ll be able to ease up on the air conditioning.&nbsp;
<h2>Transportation and Traffic</h2>
You should plan to drive a lot in Florida. Most of the state isn&rsquo;t considered walkable&mdash;the largest cities in the state average a Walk Score of 30.2 If you don&rsquo;t have a car, you should find reliable transportation and plan to leave earlier than expected. Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians; cars or public transit are practically required.3
Florida relies heavily on tourism. Snowbirds&mdash;the part-time residents who live in Florida for a few months out of the year to escape the snow&mdash;come from the Northeast and Canada. But they also cause major congestion on the roadways. Keep this in mind as you plan your outings and getaways.
<h4>SOURCES:</h4>
<ol>
<li>
&ldquo;Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Miami.&rdquo; Weather Spark, <a href="https://weatherspark.com/y/18622/Average-Weather-in-Miami-Florida-United-States-Year-Round">https://weatherspark.com/y/18622/Average-Weather-in-Miami-Florida-United-States-Year-Round</a>. Accessed 5 January 2026.
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Cities in Florida.&rdquo; Walk Score, ​​<a href="https://www.walkscore.com/FL">https://www.walkscore.com/FL</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
<li>
Perkins, Chris. &ldquo;South Florida is 13th-Most Dangerous Region in Pedestrians; Florida is Most Dangerous State.&rdquo;&nbsp;South Florida Sun Sentinel, 19 March 2021, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-ne-south-florida-pedestrian-fatalities-20210319-7zqjuw7gbzg7lksh43fnoactnu-story.html">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-ne-south-florida-pedestrian-fatalities-20210319-7zqjuw7gbzg7lksh43fnoactnu-story.html</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.
</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
There are so many enticing parts of Florida, but you might not know which part is right for you. Florida is best for:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Snow escapers. It doesn&rsquo;t snow in Florida and even on the coldest days, you won&rsquo;t find yourself in freezing temperatures for very long.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Beach-goers. You have your choice of great beaches up and down the east and west coasts, along with the Keys.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golfers. People flock from around the world to hit the links in the Sunshine State.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nature enthusiasts. Hit the trails at any of the national parks, nature preserves, or local trails.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Boat owners. You don&rsquo;t need to pack your boat away if you can take it on the water all year long. Florida has a number of boating cities, including St. Petersburg, Cape Coral and Miami.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tax ease. Skip the state income tax returns as a Florida resident.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Business owners. Along with no state income tax, companies are only required to pay 5.5% on their corporate income tax return. Even if you&rsquo;re retired or partially retired, you might want to move your company to Florida along with you.1</li>
</ul>
You might want to skip Florida if&hellip;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can&rsquo;t stand the heat. It&rsquo;s hot in the sunshine state, as the heat index can make it feel well over 100 degrees during the hotter months. In fact, 215 people have died from heat-related causes in the last decade.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can&rsquo;t stand the humidity. The humidity in this tropical climate is just as harsh as the heat. And of course, you can&rsquo;t forget those hurricanes.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You don&rsquo;t like bad thunderstorms. Floridians endure near-daily thunderstorms in the hotter months, which quickly pass and lead to more&hellip; you guessed it&hellip; heat and humidity. The state ranks 4th in the nation for lightning flashes thanks to these quick and dirty storms. And with the dense population, more people are struck by lightning.2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The weirdness is too much for you. There is no shortage of &ldquo;Florida man&rdquo; and &ldquo;Florida woman&rdquo; stories, with something happening about every day somewhere in the state.3 Florida&rsquo;s &ldquo;Sunshine&rdquo; Law&mdash;or the open records law&mdash;gives everyone the chance to access government meetings, minutes, commissions and yes&mdash;mugshots.4 Learning about a Ponzi scheme or other corruption is just another day in paradise. </li>
</ul>
<h4>SOURCES:</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;Florida Tax Guide.&rdquo; StateOfFlorida.com, <a href="https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes">https://www.stateofflorida.com/taxes</a>. Accessed 27 December 2025.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Sosnowski, Alex. &ldquo;Why Florida Ranks Highest for Lightning Fatalities in the US.&rdquo; AccuWeather, https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/why-florida-ranks-highest-for-lightning-fatalities-in-the-us/350561. Accessed 1 November 2021.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Norman, Bob. &ldquo;Who is Florida Man?&rdquo; Columbia Journalism Review, https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/florida-man-news.php. Accessed 1 November 2021.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">&ldquo;Open Government - The &lsquo;Sunshine&rsquo; Law.&rdquo; Attorney General, https://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/DC0B20B7DC22B7418525791B006A54E4. Accessed 1 November 2021.</li>
</ol>

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 27, 2025</h6>
Lynn and her husband are semi-retired, and chose to move to Florida from Los Angeles about a year ago. After testing the waters, they plan to fully retire in the Sunshine state. Here&rsquo;s what they have to say about their experience in this retirement hot-spot (no pun intended).&nbsp;
&ldquo;At 67 and 80, my husband and I are both on our second marriage. After living in expensive Los Angeles for most of our lives - and all of our married life - we knew we were facing retirement, so we thought, why not find somewhere less expensive to live? We considered a few different places, but both my daughter&rsquo;s family and my best friend live in Sarasota, so we figured it was the most obvious place to go.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re so happy we did - ,we love Florida. The things we love the most about the state are&nbsp; lower taxes, lower cost of living, free parking and large parking spots. We owned a home in LA and were able to sell it for enough to pay cash for a new home in Sarasota and still have money left over to add to our retirement nest egg.&nbsp;
Everything is more expensive in LA - even parking downtown for a doctor&rsquo;s office can cost as much as $12 per hour! It&rsquo;s little things like that that really add up when you&rsquo;re retired. We&rsquo;ve calculated that we&rsquo;ve lowered our cost of living by as much as 50% by moving to Florida, and we&rsquo;ve improved our quality of life as well. We&rsquo;re both able to be much more active than we were in LA, thanks to Florida&rsquo;s expansive walking and biking trails. &rdquo;
We love the weather. It&rsquo;s only humid for about two months and if you are retired you stay inside and go out in the evening. Fun facts: there is lots of wildlife. We had a 7-foot alligator crawl onto our lawn! Everyone walks or bikes for exercise and everyone is very friendly.&rdquo; - Lynn P
Let&rsquo;s apply Lynn&rsquo;s location in our Cost of Living calculator using our previous base couple assumptions. By moving from Los Angeles, California to Sarasota, Florida, Lynn&rsquo;s Retirement Score increases by 22 years. Here&rsquo;s a breakdown using a standard couple profile:
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/YH0mYGiGRqOHMTnVjIP5" alt="undefined">
Find out if your Retirement Score changes by moving to Sarasota, Florida using our Cost of Living calculator. To learn more about moving in retirement, read our class &ldquo;<a href="silvur://retirement-school?urlDestination=https://www.silvur.com/retirement-school/retirement-cost-of-living-101" rel="follow">Retirement Cost of Living 101</a>.&rdquo;

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Last Updated: December 30, 2025</h6>
Whether you want to head to the oldest city in the country or the nation&rsquo;s largest retirement community, Florida has an endless list of benefits for retirees contemplating the move. When you compare Florida to other states, your Retirement Score can stretch to 87y 6m based on our average Silvur couple profile. As you&rsquo;re making the changes and gearing up for the move, make sure you remember:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Healthcare. Long-term healthcare, Medicaid and other medical needs will cost you more as a Florida resident than if you were living in New York, for example.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Home prices. Florida is one of the hottest states&mdash;and not just for the weather. The home prices in the state are, on average, higher compared to the rest of the country. If you&rsquo;re moving from a state with a lower cost of living, you&rsquo;ll need to budget accordingly for your new home costs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Estate planning. If you haven&rsquo;t created a last will and testament, do it right now. Florida usually requires a trust and a last will that&rsquo;s signed with two non-family witnesses present. Luckily, if you already have these documents that were validated somewhere else, they should still be valid in Florida. Remember probate court is public, which means probate documents are public record. If you want to avoid probate for your family after you die, consider getting a trust instead.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Retiring in Florida might be a great move, but it&rsquo;s also a big move. Cover all your bases before you head to the beach. Now, what are you waiting for? Go to our <a href="silvur://costOfLiving" rel="follow">Cost of Living calculator</a> to see what your Retirement Score will be if you moved to Florida.

With warmer weather and no state taxes, retirees are heading south after they stop working. Here’s what you need to know about retiring in Florida.

The home equity you&rsquo;ve built from owning your home over the past years can be used to fund your next stage in life: your retirement. Learn how you can unlock your home equity and home financing options to cover your retirement expenses.

About This Class

The home equity you’ve built from owning your home over the past years can be used to fund your next stage in life: your retirement. Learn how you can unlock your home equity and home financing options to cover your retirement expenses.

If you want your retirement dollars to go further, consider downsizing as you exit the workforce.

If you want your retirement dollars to go further, consider downsizing as you exit the workforce.

Whether you're purchasing a second home as an investment property or a place you can vacation whenever you please, here's everything you need to know about buying a second home in retirement.

Whether you're purchasing a second home as an investment property or a place you can vacation whenever you please, here's everything you need to know about buying a second home in retirement.

Warm weather, friendly people, and no income tax could make Texas your stop for retirement. The Texas economy is hot right now and prices are on the rise, but gorgeous scenery and ample conveniences still make the Lone Star State a desirable destination for retirement.

Warm weather, friendly people, and no income tax could make Texas your stop for retirement. The Texas economy is hot right now and prices are on the rise, but gorgeous scenery and ample conveniences still make the Lone Star State a desirable destination for retirement.

It really is dry heat along with world-class entertainment, dining, and socializing with new friends&mdash;Nevada is calling you.

It really is dry heat along with world-class entertainment, dining, and socializing with new friends—Nevada is calling you.

Retiring in a state with all four seasons and a low cost of living sounds enticing. Michigan might be the best state for you to retire in &mdash; if you&rsquo;re ready to take the plunge.

Retiring in a state with all four seasons and a low cost of living sounds enticing. Michigan might be the best state for you to retire in — if you’re ready to take the plunge.

With mild weather and no state income tax, along with entertainment centers like Nashville and Memphis, retirees might be surprised at the quality of life they can enjoy in Tennessee while stretching every dollar.

With mild weather and no state income tax, along with entertainment centers like Nashville and Memphis, retirees might be surprised at the quality of life they can enjoy in Tennessee while stretching every dollar.

Mild winters, a strong economy, and low housing prices make Arizona an attractive place for retirees. Here&rsquo;s what you need to know about retiring in the Grand Canyon State.

Mild winters, a strong economy, and low housing prices make Arizona an attractive place for retirees. Here’s what you need to know about retiring in the Grand Canyon State. 

Where you plan to live throughout your golden years can affect your savings if you do not factor in cost of living. Here&rsquo;s how to navigate the decision of moving to a new location for your retirement.

Where you plan to live throughout your golden years can affect your savings if you do not factor in cost of living. Here’s how to navigate the decision of moving to a new location for your retirement.

We polled Silvur Members to find out where they'd most like to retire. Check out the results!

We polled Silvur Members to find out where they'd most like to retire. Check out the results!

Though mortgage interest rates have risen through 2023, the Fed is expected to possibly lower interest rates in 2024. Even though interest rates are higher than recent years, and may only decrease slightly in 2024, your home can still be a powerful financial asset for the decades ahead. In this class, we&rsquo;ll show you how.

Though mortgage interest rates have risen through 2023, the Fed is expected to possibly lower interest rates in 2024. Even though interest rates are higher than recent years, and may only decrease slightly in 2024, your home can still be a powerful financial asset for the decades ahead. In this class, we’ll show you how.

Housing In Retirement Category

Retiring in Florida

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