If you’re dreaming of retirement, you may find the ideal place to settle in Florida.
That’s because the state is home to four of the country’s best cities to call retirees home, the new rankings show. Here’s where it was listed:
* Clearwater number 2
*St. Petersburg, No. 4
* No. 5 Cape Coral
* Fort Lauderdale number 8
The list comes from Niche, a website that posts ratings and reviews of neighborhoods, schools and businesses. The results released Monday show that they studied data from the US government and other sources to determine the best retirement destinations in the country.
The niche has won each location in multiple categories, including population trends, cost of living, winter temperatures, safety and access to entertainment options. On the list, the website focused on 230 cities, defined as a location with at least 100,000 residents, told McClatchy News via email to public relations manager Zach Chatham.
Why does this make your retirement destination in Florida special?
When it comes to the highest place for seniors, Florida had more cities in the top 10 than any other state.
“The best locations in our retirement rankings take into account weather, crime rates, residents age 65 and above, housing costs, access to amenities such as restaurants, golf courses, athletic facilities, doctors and more, as well as access to areas in Florida, and key factors that score very highly in those categories,” Chatham wrote.
Clearwater was the top rank in Florida. On the niche page, the city received a “A” grade for outdoor activities, nightlife, weather and diversity. But when it came to safety and housing, it wasn’t the same when it got the “C” grade in these categories.
“Living in Clearwater offers residents a mix of urban suburban mix, with most residents owning their own homes,” Niche wrote. “Clearwater has lots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Clearwater, and residents tend to have moderate political views.”
There were also places that appeared on the list nearby, and received a similar nod for its amenities and “city suburbs” talent.
Finishing the Florida city with rankings was Cape Coral, a drive about 130 miles south of Tampa, and its Atlantic Coast destination in Fort Lauderdale.
Nationally, the top-ranked retirement spot was Scottsdale, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. Another non-Florida city that landed in the top five was Metaly, Louisiana, in the New Orleans area.
The retirement list is part of the niche’s “Best Places to Live in America” ranking, determining the top locations to buy the healthiest places and homes in the country. The results show that they were divided into different regions, such as cities, towns, suburbs and neighbours.
