Best Places to Retire in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Deerfield Beach ($219,900 median), Lauderdale Lakes ($119,000 median), Daytona Beach ($266,746 median), Lauderhill ($140,000 median), North Fort Myers ($150,000 median), Fort Mc Coy ($172,450 median), Margate ($162,000 median), Crystal River ($319,900 median), Palm Springs ($165,000 median), Tallahassee ($199,900 median). 300 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

Florida cities ranked for a fixed budget (cost to own 50%, beach access 20%, market balance 30%)

Place	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Property tax / mo	Citizens avg premium	Months supply	Days to contract	Homes for sale
1. Deerfield Beach Broward · list-based	$219,900	$1,576	$281	$1,561	8% pending	83	765
2. Lauderdale Lakes Broward · list-based	$119,000	$874	$114	$1,561	7% pending	121	341
3. Daytona Beach Volusia · list-based	$266,746	$1,910	$347	$1,807	9% pending	86	973
4. Lauderhill Broward · list-based	$140,000	$1,020	$149	$1,561	6% pending	118	620
5. North Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$150,000	$1,111	$133	$2,197	29% pending	69	354
6. Fort Mc Coy Marion · list-based	$172,450	$1,142	$123	$1,263	7% pending	30	64
7. Margate Broward · list-based	$162,000	$1,173	$185	$1,561	8% pending	79	475
8. Crystal River Citrus · list-based	$319,900	$2,148	$337	$1,410	14% pending	52	191
9. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	$165,000	$1,199	$179	$1,753	3% pending	70	139
10. Tallahassee Leon · list-based	$199,900	$1,299	$190	$990	0% pending	29	344
11. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	$189,000	$1,309	$196	$1,345	11% pending	70	85
12. Silver Springs Marion · list-based	$199,000	$1,309	$150	$1,263	4% pending	27	71
13. North Miami Miami-Dade · list-based	$199,000	$1,430	$218	$1,891	14% pending	70	243
14. Hallandale Beach Broward · list-based	$342,500	$2,427	$484	$1,561	6% pending	70	668
15. Panama City Beach Bay · list-based	$368,500	$2,438	$326	$1,928	24% pending	96	733
16. Englewood Charlotte · list-based	$350,000	$2,468	$423	$2,298	7% pending	52	510
17. Sunrise Broward · list-based	$225,000	$1,611	$289	$1,561	7% pending	77	709
18. Miami Gardens Miami-Dade · list-based	$229,500	$1,636	$263	$1,891	48% pending	38	86
19. DeFuniak Springs Walton · list-based	$248,976	$1,642	$162	$1,942	18% pending	88	210
20. Palm Coast Flagler · list-based	$390,000	$2,616	$415	$1,626	13% pending	54	1,213
21. Coconut Creek Broward · list-based	$235,000	$1,680	$306	$1,561	8% pending	70	429
22. Venice Sarasota · list-based	$395,000	$2,656	$387	$2,126	10% pending	36	925
23. Daytona Beach Shores Volusia · list-based	$375,000	$2,657	$520	$1,807	7% pending	96	264
24. Ocklawaha Marion · list-based	$259,900	$1,693	$211	$1,263	8% pending	41	135
25. Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$239,000	$1,700	$252	$2,197	28% pending	54	1,336

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change.

Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-10-15; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

55+ community guides

Florida's age-restricted communities are covered separately: Central Florida · Tampa Bay · Southwest Florida · Southeast Florida · Jacksonville.

The top 10, in detail

1. Deerfield Beach, Broward County

Median asking price $219,900 across 765 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 83 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,576 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $53,413; typical rent is $2,551. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

2. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Median asking price $119,000 across 341 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 121 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $874 a month, 20% of the local median household income of $51,918; typical rent is $1,942. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

3. Daytona Beach, Volusia County

Median asking price $266,746 across 973 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 86 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.9% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,910 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $60,418; typical rent is $1,652. Prices compounded +3.2% a year over five years; the county grew +7.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Volusia County property tax

4. Lauderhill, Broward County

Median asking price $140,000 across 620 current listings, 6% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 117 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,020 a month, 22% of the local median household income of $55,071; typical rent is $1,942. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

5. North Fort Myers, Lee County

Median asking price $150,000 across 354 current listings, 29% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 69 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -4.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,111 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $54,198; typical rent is $1,786. Prices compounded +1.6% a year over five years; the county grew +10.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Lee County property tax

6. Fort Mc Coy, Marion County

Median asking price $172,450 across 64 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 29 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,142 a month, 30% of the local median household income of $46,429. Prices compounded +4.2% a year over five years; the county grew +11.3% in population over five years. Marion County property tax

7. Margate, Broward County

Median asking price $162,000 across 475 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 79 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,173 a month, 22% of the local median household income of $62,930; typical rent is $2,155. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

8. Crystal River, Citrus County

Median asking price $319,900 across 191 current listings, 14% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 52 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,148 a month, 45% of the local median household income of $57,716; typical rent is $1,842. Prices compounded +3.4% a year over five years; the county grew +10.9% in population over five years. Citrus County property tax

9. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $165,000 across 139 current listings, 3% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 70 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +1.2% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,199 a month, 24% of the local median household income of $61,218; typical rent is $1,999. Prices compounded +5.0% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

10. Tallahassee, Leon County

Median asking price $199,900 across 344 current listings, 0% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 29 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,299 a month, 31% of the local median household income of $50,412; typical rent is $1,343. Leon County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to retire in Florida on a budget?

On cost to own, Deerfield Beach leads at about $1,576 a month for the $219,900 median home, with property tax around $3,371 a year after the homestead exemption and the county's average Citizens premium of $1,561. Florida has no state income tax and no tax on retirement income.

Does Florida tax retirement income?

No. Florida has no personal income tax, so Social Security, pensions and retirement-account withdrawals are untaxed at the state level. The carrying costs that matter are property tax (capped at 3% a year growth once you homestead) and insurance.

Should a retiree buy a condo in Florida?

Only after reading the building's milestone inspection and structural reserve study, which sellers must now provide; older coastal buildings carry the repair bills the 2022 to 2025 laws forced into the open. Our condo guide covers the documents and the 7-business-day cancellation right.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-10-15 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.