Best places to retire in Florida (2026): 17 ranked

Best places to retire in Florida: short answer

On a score built from home prices, rent, recent price trends and nearby hospital quality, the top Florida places to retire are Pensacola, Jacksonville, Port Richey, Milton and Titusville. Each has a typical home value under $290,000, against $375,470 for Florida as a whole (Zillow, August 2026), and each county has at least two hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars by Medicare.

Most of the winners are in north Florida or the older Gulf and Atlantic suburbs, where prices held up better over the past year. The well-known retirement areas of Southwest Florida rank lower on this data mostly because of price: Venice, Punta Gorda and Naples all had one-year value falls between 2.4% and 5.2%.

How we scored places to retire

We looked at every Florida place in Zillow's data that ranks among the 1,500 largest nationally and has both home value and rent figures, 128 places in all. Each was scored against the others on four measures, weighted equally:

Typical home value, August 2026: lower is better.
Typical rent, August 2026: lower is better, for anyone who rents first or for good.
One-year value change: a gain or a small fall is better, because a falling market eats into home equity you may be relying on.
Hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars in the same county, from the Medicare (CMS) Care Compare hospital file released in August 2026.

Taxes are not scored because Florida's main tax advantages apply statewide, and property tax depends on the county and your exemptions, covered below. The hospital measure counts by county, so a place near a county line may be closer to good care than its score suggests.

Ranking: 17 best places to retire in Florida

Hospitals column: acute care hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars out of all acute care hospitals in the CMS file for that county.

#	Place	County	Typical value	Typical rent	1-yr	4-5 star hospitals	Score
1	Pensacola	Escambia County	$266,727	$1,657	+1.2%	2 of 3	81.5
2	Jacksonville	Duval County	$285,103	$1,601	-0.8%	5 of 7	81.4
3	Port Richey	Pasco County	$228,252	$1,687	-0.4%	3 of 7	80.6
4	Milton	Santa Rosa County	$287,336	$1,775	+1.7%	2 of 2	77.3
5	Titusville	Brevard County	$272,395	$1,613	-0.8%	2 of 6	75.4
6	Daytona Beach	Volusia County	$252,622	$1,533	-2.3%	4 of 6	73.6
7	Largo	Pinellas County	$336,911	$1,833	+0.5%	4 of 10	73.0
8	Lake City	Columbia County	$264,618	$1,494	+0.4%	0 of 1	72.7
9	Tallahassee	Leon County	$294,444	$1,470	+1.4%	0 of 2	70.2
10	DeLand	Volusia County	$336,624	$1,851	-0.4%	4 of 6	69.0
11	Cocoa	Brevard County	$297,820	$1,873	+0.2%	2 of 6	68.7
12	Panama City	Bay County	$284,369	$1,697	+1.2%	0 of 2	68.7
13	New Port Richey	Pasco County	$288,380	$1,814	-1.3%	3 of 7	68.4
14	Fort Walton Beach	Okaloosa County	$322,045	$1,800	+1.1%	1 of 3	66.7
15	Brandon	Hillsborough County	$355,560	$1,643	-0.6%	2 of 9	65.4
16	Deltona	Volusia County	$298,293	$2,039	-0.7%	4 of 6	65.1
17	Gainesville	Alachua County	$295,760	$1,618	-1.2%	1 of 2	64.5

The places, with costs and hospitals

1. Pensacola

Pensacola tops the list because it pairs a typical value well under the state figure with a price gain over the year and two 4-star hospitals in Escambia County. Winters are cooler than on the peninsula, which some buyers want and others do not.

Costs: typical home value $266,727 (+1.2% over one year), typical rent $1,657 a month. Hospitals in Escambia County: 3 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 2 with 4 or 5 stars: Sacred Heart Hospital (4 stars), Baptist Hospital (4 stars).

2. Jacksonville

Jacksonville has the deepest hospital bench in the top 17: Duval County has five acute care hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars by CMS, including the Mayo Clinic campus. Typical values are still under $290,000, and the city has several 55+ options covered in our Jacksonville 55+ communities guide.

Costs: typical home value $285,103 (-0.8% over one year), typical rent $1,601 a month. Hospitals in Duval County: 7 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 5 with 4 or 5 stars: Shands Jacksonville (4 stars), Baptist Health Medical Center - Jacksonville (4 stars), Baptist Medical Center Beaches (4 stars), Mayo Clinic (5 stars).

Property tax detail: Duval County property tax.

3. Port Richey

Port Richey is on the Gulf coast of Pasco County, north of Tampa. It is a small city, so the Zillow figures cover a modest number of homes, but it has the lowest typical value in the top five and the Tampa Bay hospital network is within reach.

Costs: typical home value $228,252 (-0.4% over one year), typical rent $1,687 a month. Hospitals in Pasco County: 7 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 3 with 4 or 5 stars: AdventHealth Zephyrhills (4 stars), AdventHealth Dade City (4 stars), AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (5 stars).

4. Milton

Milton is the Santa Rosa County seat on the Blackwater River, east of Pensacola. Values rose 1.7% over the year, the strongest gain in the top 17, and both acute hospitals the CMS file lists in the county score 4 stars.

Costs: typical home value $287,336 (+1.7% over one year), typical rent $1,775 a month. Hospitals in Santa Rosa County: 2 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 2 with 4 or 5 stars: Santa Rosa Medical Center (4 stars), Gulf Breeze Hospital (4 stars).

5. Titusville

Titusville is the Brevard County seat on the Indian River, facing Kennedy Space Center. It has the lowest typical value of any Brevard city in the ranking, and the county's 4- and 5-star hospitals, Holmes Regional and Viera, are listed in Melbourne.

Costs: typical home value $272,395 (-0.8% over one year), typical rent $1,613 a month. Hospitals in Brevard County: 6 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 2 with 4 or 5 stars: Holmes Regional Medical Center (4 stars), Viera Hospital (5 stars).

6. Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach combines one of the lowest typical values in the top 10 with an ocean beach. Volusia County has four hospitals with 4 or 5 CMS stars, among them AdventHealth Daytona Beach.

Costs: typical home value $252,622 (-2.3% over one year), typical rent $1,533 a month. Hospitals in Volusia County: 6 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 4 with 4 or 5 stars: AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach (4 stars), AdventHealth Deland (4 stars), AdventHealth Daytona Beach (5 stars), AdventHealth Fish Memorial (5 stars).

7. Largo

Largo is in central Pinellas County between Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Pinellas has the most CMS-rated acute hospitals of any county in the top 17, and Largo's values rose 0.5% over the year while St. Petersburg and Clearwater fell.

Costs: typical home value $336,911 (+0.5% over one year), typical rent $1,833 a month. Hospitals in Pinellas County: 10 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 4 with 4 or 5 stars: Mease Dunedin Hospital (4 stars), AdventHealth North Pinellas (4 stars), Morton Plant Hospital (4 stars), Mease Countryside Hospital (4 stars).

8. Lake City

Lake City is the Columbia County seat at I-75 and I-10. It is the second-cheapest place in the top 10 to rent, but healthcare is thinner: one acute care hospital in the CMS file, rated 3 stars, so larger care means a drive to Gainesville.

Costs: typical home value $264,618 (+0.4% over one year), typical rent $1,494 a month. Hospitals in Columbia County: 1 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 0 with 4 or 5 stars.

9. Tallahassee

Tallahassee has the lowest typical rent in the top 17 at $1,470 a month, and values rose over the year. Neither of Leon County's two acute hospitals in the CMS file reached 4 stars in the latest ratings.

Costs: typical home value $294,444 (+1.4% over one year), typical rent $1,470 a month. Hospitals in Leon County: 2 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 0 with 4 or 5 stars.

10. DeLand

DeLand is the Volusia County seat, inland from Daytona Beach and home to Stetson University. It shares Volusia County's hospitals, including AdventHealth DeLand, rated 4 stars.

Costs: typical home value $336,624 (-0.4% over one year), typical rent $1,851 a month. Hospitals in Volusia County: 6 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 4 with 4 or 5 stars: AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach (4 stars), AdventHealth Deland (4 stars), AdventHealth Daytona Beach (5 stars), AdventHealth Fish Memorial (5 stars).

11. Cocoa

Cocoa sits on the Indian River in central Brevard County, across the causeway from Cocoa Beach. Typical values are under $300,000 and edged up over the year.

Costs: typical home value $297,820 (+0.2% over one year), typical rent $1,873 a month. Hospitals in Brevard County: 6 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 2 with 4 or 5 stars: Holmes Regional Medical Center (4 stars), Viera Hospital (5 stars).

12. Panama City

Panama City is the Bay County seat on St. Andrew Bay. Values rose 1.2% over the year and 23.9% over five, but neither of the county's two acute hospitals in the CMS file scored 4 stars or more.

Costs: typical home value $284,369 (+1.2% over one year), typical rent $1,697 a month. Hospitals in Bay County: 2 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 0 with 4 or 5 stars.

13. New Port Richey

New Port Richey is on the Pithlachascotee River in western Pasco County, next to Port Richey. Pasco has three acute hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars, including AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

Costs: typical home value $288,380 (-1.3% over one year), typical rent $1,814 a month. Hospitals in Pasco County: 7 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 3 with 4 or 5 stars: AdventHealth Zephyrhills (4 stars), AdventHealth Dade City (4 stars), AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (5 stars).

14. Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is on Santa Rosa Sound in Okaloosa County, next to Okaloosa Island and close to Destin. Values rose over the year, and HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in nearby Niceville holds 5 CMS stars.

Costs: typical home value $322,045 (+1.1% over one year), typical rent $1,800 a month. Hospitals in Okaloosa County: 3 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 1 with 4 or 5 stars: HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital (5 stars).

15. Brandon

Brandon is an unincorporated suburb east of Tampa in Hillsborough County. Its typical rent is lower than Tampa's and it sits near the Tampa hospitals, including the 5-star HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital. See our Tampa-area 55+ communities.

Costs: typical home value $355,560 (-0.6% over one year), typical rent $1,643 a month. Hospitals in Hillsborough County: 9 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 2 with 4 or 5 stars: St Josephs Hospital (4 stars), HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital (5 stars).

Property tax detail: Hillsborough County property tax.

16. Deltona

Deltona is in western Volusia County on I-4, between Orlando and Daytona Beach. It shares Volusia County's hospital network, including 5-star AdventHealth Fish Memorial in neighboring Orange City.

Costs: typical home value $298,293 (-0.7% over one year), typical rent $2,039 a month. Hospitals in Volusia County: 6 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 4 with 4 or 5 stars: AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach (4 stars), AdventHealth Deland (4 stars), AdventHealth Daytona Beach (5 stars), AdventHealth Fish Memorial (5 stars).

17. Gainesville

Gainesville is home to UF Health Shands Hospital, one of only 17 acute care hospitals in Florida with a 5-star CMS rating. Typical values are about $296,000 and rent about $1,618 a month.

Costs: typical home value $295,760 (-1.2% over one year), typical rent $1,618 a month. Hospitals in Alachua County: 2 acute care hospitals in the CMS file, 1 with 4 or 5 stars: UF Health Shands Hospital (5 stars).

Property tax detail: Alachua County property tax.

Florida taxes in retirement

No state income tax

Article VII, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution bars a state tax on the income of residents beyond what federal law allows as a credit, so Florida has no personal income tax. Social Security, pensions and IRA withdrawals are not taxed by the state. Federal tax still applies.

Homestead exemption

If you own and live in the home as your permanent residence on January 1, the homestead exemption removes the first $25,000 of assessed value from all property taxes and up to a further $26,411 (2026) from non-school taxes, a maximum of $51,411. It also brings the Save Our Homes cap on annual assessment increases. File with the county property appraiser by March 1. Details in our Florida property tax guide.

Extra exemption for homeowners 65 and older

Under section 196.075, Florida Statutes, a county or city may adopt an extra exemption of up to $50,000 for homeowners aged 65 or older with household income under a limit that started at $20,000 and is adjusted each year for inflation. It is local-option, so ask the county property appraiser whether it applies to the address.

Healthcare access

How to read the hospital ratings

CMS gives each hospital an overall rating of 1 to 5 stars, based on mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience and timely care measures. Of the 167 Florida acute care hospitals in the August 2026 file, 17 had 5 stars and 39 had 4.

Check your own doctors and plans

Star ratings don't tell you which Medicare Advantage or supplement plans local doctors accept. Before you buy, check that the specialists you need are in network and taking new patients.

Drive time to the nearest emergency room

Rural towns can be scenic and cheap but far from a full-service hospital. Map the drive from the address to the nearest emergency department at rush hour.

55+ communities and other housing options

What makes a community 55+

Under the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3607), a community can restrict ownership or residency by age if it is intended for people 55 and older, at least 80% of occupied units have at least one resident aged 55 or over, and it publishes and follows age-verification policies. Rules on younger residents and guests vary by community, so read the HOA documents.

The Villages and Sun City Center

Florida's two best-known 55+ areas are not in our top 17. The Villages had a Zillow typical value of $392,083 in August 2026 (-1.1% over the year) and Sun City Center $270,078 (-6.0%). The Villages Regional Hospital, listed by CMS in Lake County, holds 4 stars. Because that hospital is recorded in Lake County, The Villages' Sumter County score counts no rated hospitals, which shows the limit of a county-level measure.

55+ guides for the Bright cities

We cover age-restricted communities around Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Cape Coral, Boca Raton, Lakeland, Clermont and Winter Garden. A statewide Florida 55+ communities guide is also planned. If you are selling a larger home first, see downsizing in Florida.

Where the Bright cities rank for retirement

Out of 128 places scored:

City	Rank	Typical value	Typical rent	4-5 star hospitals in county	More
Jacksonville	2 of 128	$285,103	$1,601	5 of 7	55+ guide
Gainesville	17 of 128	$295,760	$1,618	1 of 2	cost of living
Plant City	27 of 128	$340,391	$1,803	2 of 9	cost of living
Tampa	41 of 128	$377,566	$1,957	2 of 9	55+ guide
Lakeland	46 of 128	$309,954	$1,722	0 of 5	55+ guide
Orlando	72 of 128	$371,120	$1,896	1 of 4	55+ guide
Cape Coral	78 of 128	$335,825	$1,949	2 of 4	55+ guide
Sarasota	97 of 128	$409,878	$2,175	3 of 4	55+ guide
Clermont	103 of 128	$428,604	$2,058	2 of 4	55+ guide
Boca Raton	113 of 128	$576,824	$2,949	1 of 12	55+ guide
Winter Garden	125 of 128	$566,535	$2,374	1 of 4	55+ guide

Retiring in Florida: $3,000 a month, crime, people leaving and the cheapest towns

Can you retire on $3,000 a month in Florida?

It is possible in the lower-cost places on this list, especially if you own your home outright. MIT's living wage budget for one adult in Florida comes to $42,711 a year after tax, about $3,560 a month, including $18,245 for housing and $3,054 for medical costs. Renting at Tallahassee's typical $1,470 or Lake City's $1,494 leaves about $1,500 for everything else on $3,000. At rents above $2,300, common in South Florida cities such as Fort Lauderdale ($2,736), $3,000 would not stretch.

What is the safest city in Florida for seniors?

We don't rate places as safe, and crime data is not broken down by the victim's age here. On FDLE's 2025 reported crime rates for all residents, Niceville, North Palm Beach, Safety Harbor, Fernandina Beach and Jupiter had the lowest rates among cities of 10,000 or more. Method and figures are in our Florida crime rates by city guide.

Why are retirees leaving Florida?

The Census Bureau doesn't publish moves by retirement status, but its state estimates show net domestic migration into Florida (people arriving from other states minus those leaving) fell from 310,892 in the year to July 2022 to 22,517 in the year to July 2025. Florida still gained people, just far fewer. If you are weighing a move, price insurance, HOA fees and recent value falls in parts of the Gulf coast (Punta Gorda -5.2% and Cape Coral -3.9% over the year to August 2026) before you commit.

What is the most affordable town in Florida to retire in?

On home value alone, Port Richey ($228,252) and Daytona Beach ($252,622) are the lowest in our top 10. Among all Florida cities of 10,000 or more, Avon Park, Palatka and Sebring are cheaper still; see the cheapest places to live in Florida.

Common questions

Where is the best place to retire in Florida?+

On our score, Pensacola ranks first of 128 Florida places. Its Zillow typical home value was $266,727 in August 2026, up 1.2% on the year, typical rent was $1,657, and Escambia County has two acute care hospitals rated 4 stars by CMS. A different priority, such as beach access, would change the answer.

Does Florida tax Social Security or pensions?+

No. Florida's constitution bars a state tax on residents' personal income, so Social Security, pensions, annuities and retirement account withdrawals are free of state income tax. You still owe federal income tax where it applies, and property and sales taxes are the main state and local taxes you pay.

Do seniors get a property tax break in Florida?+

Every homesteaded owner gets up to $51,411 off assessed value in 2026 plus the Save Our Homes cap. On top of that, counties and cities may offer an extra exemption of up to $50,000 for owners 65 or older with limited household income under section 196.075. Ask your county property appraiser whether it applies.

Which Florida county has the best hospitals?+

By count of acute care hospitals rated 4 or 5 stars in the August 2026 CMS file, Miami-Dade County had the most with seven, followed by Duval County (Jacksonville) and Broward County with five each. Duval's include Mayo Clinic, rated 5 stars. Ratings are one measure; check that the hospitals take your insurance.

How do 55+ communities work in Florida?+

Federal law lets a community limit residency to older adults if at least 80% of occupied units have a resident aged 55 or older and it publishes and verifies age policies. Each community sets its own rules on younger occupants, guests and rentals in its governing documents, so read them before you buy.

Is it cheaper to retire in north Florida?+

On Zillow data, generally yes. Pensacola ($266,727), Jacksonville ($285,103), Milton ($287,336) and Tallahassee ($294,444) all had typical values well under the Florida figure of $375,470 in August 2026, while Naples was $544,120 and Sarasota $409,878.

Best places to retire in Florida: costs, healthcare, taxes and 55+ options

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