Best Places to Retire in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Deerfield Beach ($216,000 median), Lauderdale Lakes ($119,000 median), Daytona Beach ($269,950 median), Lauderhill ($145,000 median), Delray Beach ($285,000 median), North Fort Myers ($158,000 median), Palm Springs ($170,000 median), Margate ($169,900 median), Fort Mc Coy ($179,900 median), Crystal River ($344,950 median). 284 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	$216,000	$1,514	$274	$1,561	8% pending	92	718
2. Lauderdale Lakes Broward · list-based	$119,000	$855	$114	$1,561	7% pending	127	347
3. Daytona Beach Volusia · list-based	$269,950	$1,889	$352	$1,807	13% pending	107	686
4. Lauderhill · list-based	$145,000	$1,079	$135	—	8% pending	108	618
5. Delray Beach Palm Beach · list-based	$285,000	$1,976	$367	$1,753	9% pending	73	1,463
6. North Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$158,000	$1,138	$144	$2,197	25% pending	64	351
7. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	$170,000	$1,206	$187	$1,753	5% pending	60	145
8. Margate · list-based	$169,900	$1,242	$170	—	6% pending	78	471
9. Fort Mc Coy · list-based	$179,900	$1,308	$184	—	12% pending	45	69
10. Crystal River Citrus · list-based	$344,950	$2,257	$368	$1,410	13% pending	41	138
11. Hallandale Beach · list-based	$325,000	$2,259	$390	—	6% pending	64	547
12. Englewood Sarasota · list-based	$350,000	$2,312	$337	$2,126	10% pending	60	491
13. Boynton Beach Palm Beach · list-based	$339,900	$2,344	$452	$1,753	10% pending	71	1,363
14. Fort Pierce St. Lucie · list-based	$320,000	$2,358	$514	—	10% pending	80	841
15. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	$220,000	$1,481	$239	$1,345	13% pending	59	67
16. Panama City Beach Bay · list-based	$374,909	$2,418	$332	$1,928	25% pending	88	805
17. Sunrise Broward · list-based	$222,500	$1,558	$285	$1,561	10% pending	86	672
18. Pompano Beach Broward · list-based	$363,000	$2,512	$518	$1,561	9% pending	88	1,097
19. Coconut Creek · list-based	$230,000	$1,636	$255	—	10% pending	72	432
20. DeFuniak Springs Walton · list-based	$254,900	$1,638	$167	$1,942	18% pending	74	217
21. Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$235,900	$1,642	$247	$2,197	30% pending	60	1,295
22. North Miami Miami-Dade · list-based	$239,750	$1,667	$278	$1,891	11% pending	68	268
23. Tamarac · list-based	$235,000	$1,669	$262	—	11% pending	75	645
24. Ocklawaha Marion · list-based	$262,950	$1,670	$214	$1,263	8% pending	41	148
25. Belleview Marion · list-based	$264,950	$1,682	$216	$1,263	15% pending	38	148

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 2026-09-07; 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 $216,000 across 718 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 92 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,514 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $53,413; typical rent is $2,581. Prices compounded +4.8% 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 347 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 127 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $855 a month, 19% of the local median household income of $55,071; typical rent is $1,877. Prices compounded +4.8% 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 $269,950 across 686 current listings, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 107 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,889 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $60,418; typical rent is $1,673. Prices compounded +3.5% 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, County

Median asking price $145,000 across 618 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 108 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,079 a month.

5. Delray Beach, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $285,000 across 1,463 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 73 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,976 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $70,748; typical rent is $2,723. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

6. North Fort Myers, Lee County

Median asking price $158,000 across 351 current listings, 25% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 64 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -5.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,138 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $54,198; typical rent is $1,668. Prices compounded +2.3% a year over five years; the county grew +10.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Lee County property tax

7. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $170,000 across 145 current listings, 5% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 60 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,206 a month, 24% of the local median household income of $61,218; typical rent is $2,060. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

8. Margate, County

Median asking price $169,900 across 471 current listings, 6% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 78 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,242 a month.

9. Fort Mc Coy, County

Median asking price $179,900 across 69 current listings, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 45 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,308 a month.

10. Crystal River, Citrus County

Median asking price $344,950 across 138 current listings, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 41 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.7% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,257 a month. Prices compounded +3.9% a year over five years; the county grew +10.9% in population over five years. Citrus 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 $1,514 a month for the $216,000 median home, with property tax around $3,294 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 2026-09-07 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.