These 4 Florida cities rank among nation's best places to retire. Why they're special
That's because the state is home to four of the nation's best cities for retirees to call home, new rankings show. Here are the places that made it onto the list:
Clearwater at No. 2St. Petersburg at No. 4Cape Coral at No. 5Fort Lauderdale at No. 8
The list comes from Niche, a website that posts ratings and reviews for neighborhoods, schools and companies. To determine the top retirement destinations across the country, it studied data from the U.S. government and other sources, according to results published Monday, March 24.
Niche scored each place across multiple categories, including population trends, costs of living, winter temperatures, safety and access to entertainment options. For this list, the website focused on 230 cities, defined as places with at least 100,000 residents, public relations manager Zach Chatham told McClatchy News via email.
What makes the Florida retirement destinations special?
When it came to the highest-ranked places for older adults, Florida had more cities in the top 10 than any other state.
'Our Best Places to Retire rankings takes into account key factors such as weather, crime rates, residents 65 and older, housing costs, and access to amenities such as restaurants, golf courses, exercise facilities, and doctors, and those areas in Florida score very highly across those categories,' Chatham wrote.
The top-ranking Florida city was Clearwater, in the Tampa Bay area. On its Niche page, the city received 'A' grades for its outdoor activities, nightlife, weather and diversity. But it didn't fare as well when it came to safety and housing, earning 'C' grades in those categories.
'Living in Clearwater offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents own their homes,' Niche wrote. 'In Clearwater there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Clearwater and residents tend to have moderate political views.'
Also landing a spot on the list was nearby St. Petersburg, which received similar nods for its amenities and 'urban suburban' flair.
Rounding out the Florida cities in the rankings were Cape Coral — a roughly 130-mile drive south from Tampa — and the Atlantic Coast destination of Fort Lauderdale.
Nationwide, the top-ranked retirement spot was Scottsdale, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. The only other non-Florida city to land in the top five was Metairie, Louisiana, in the New Orleans area.
The retirement list was part of Niche's 'Best Places to Live in America' rankings, which also determined the nation's healthiest places and the top locations to buy homes. The results were divided into different areas, such as cities, towns, suburbs and neighborhoods, results show.
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Columbia, South Carolina Livability: 79 Population 65+: 11.0% Monthly cost of living with Social Security for homeowner: $886 Monthly cost of living with Social Security for renter: $1,065 One of the many perks of living in Columbia is the cost of living. It's 12.6% less than the national average — without housing about 42% cheaper. 22. Midland, Texas Livability: 78 Population 65+: 10.5% Monthly cost of living with Social Security for homeowner: $,1389 Monthly cost of living with Social Security for renter: $1,124 Midland has a slower pace of life but a growing arts scene and cheap. The cost of living in Midland is 7.8% below average, with housing coming in at about 10% under. Find More: 23. Atlanta Livability: 78 Population 65+: 12.3% Monthly cost of living with Social Security for homeowner: $2,085 Monthly cost of living with Social Security for renter: $1,342 Atlanta is a bustling city with endless things to do. 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Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed U.S. cities to find the best places where you can retire in great weather for $2,000 a month. GOBankingRates found cities with the best weather, sourced from 24/7 Wall St.'s 'U.S. Cities with Absolute Best Weather,' 'The 10 Best U.S. Weather Cities,' 'U.S. Cities with Best Weather,' 'Best Places to Live in the U.S. for the Weather' and 'Top U.S. Cities for Weather.' Other data was sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Sperling's BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, Zillow Observed Value Index, Zillow Home Value Index for May 2025, the Federal Reserve Economic Data and the Social Security Administration's Monthly Statistical Snapshot. Livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. The cities were sorted to show the highest livability location. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 14, 2025. 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