Best Places to Retire in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Deerfield Beach ($219,900 median), Lauderdale Lakes ($119,250 median), Daytona Beach ($259,900 median), Delray Beach ($262,500 median), Lauderhill ($140,000 median), Margate ($161,000 median), Palm Springs ($167,500 median), Silver Springs ($186,950 median), Fort Pierce ($299,000 median), Crystal River ($328,400 median). 296 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	$1,603	$281	$1,561	8% pending	72	773
2. Lauderdale Lakes Broward · list-based	$119,250	$891	$115	$1,561	10% pending	122	320
3. Daytona Beach Volusia · list-based	$259,900	$1,895	$336	$1,807	8% pending	98	971
4. Delray Beach Palm Beach	$262,500	$1,900	$331	$1,753	8% pending	51	1,647
5. Lauderhill Broward · list-based	$140,000	$1,038	$149	$1,561	6% pending	119	609
6. Margate Broward · list-based	$161,000	$1,186	$184	$1,561	9% pending	88	445
7. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	$167,500	$1,237	$183	$1,753	4% pending	78	134
8. Silver Springs Marion · list-based	$186,950	$1,256	$138	$1,263	4% pending	60	64
9. Fort Pierce St. Lucie	$299,000	$2,210	$474	—	9% pending	65	936
10. Crystal River Citrus · list-based	$328,400	$2,244	$347	$1,410	10% pending	87	178
11. Tallahassee Leon · list-based	$199,999	$1,300	$190	$990	0% pending	37	329
12. Boynton Beach Palm Beach	$316,250	$2,275	$415	$1,753	9% pending	54	1,464
13. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	$198,450	$1,396	$209	$1,345	9% pending	90	72
14. Hallandale Beach Broward · list-based	$331,950	$2,395	$466	$1,561	5% pending	73	732
15. Ocklawaha Marion · list-based	$249,450	$1,658	$201	$1,263	5% pending	74	122
16. Sunrise Broward · list-based	$228,000	$1,660	$294	$1,561	6% pending	71	725
17. Coconut Creek Broward · list-based	$229,950	$1,674	$298	$1,561	8% pending	76	424
18. Ellenton Manatee · list-based	$230,000	$1,674	$259	$2,019	6% pending	81	103
19. Tamarac Broward · list-based	$234,950	$1,709	$306	$1,561	10% pending	73	700
20. South Daytona Volusia · list-based	$240,000	$1,755	$304	$1,807	11% pending	82	93
21. Avon Park Highlands · list-based	$249,900	$1,779	$278	$1,753	15% pending	79	63
22. Frostproof Polk · list-based	$244,987	$1,781	$263	$1,931	4% pending	90	65
23. Greenacres Palm Beach · list-based	$255,450	$1,851	$320	$1,753	7% pending	74	370
24. Holiday Pasco	$221,000	$1,566	$230	$1,659	5.2	40	329
25. Pompano Beach Broward	$393,750	$2,832	$568	$1,561	7% pending	58	1,145

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 2026-11-07; 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 $219,900 across 773 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 72 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,603 a month, 36% of the local median household income of $53,254; typical rent is $2,565. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +3.6% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

2. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Median asking price $119,250 across 320 current listings, 10% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 122 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $891 a month, 20% of the local median household income of $53,973; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +3.6% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

3. Daytona Beach, Volusia County

Median asking price $259,900 across 971 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 97 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,895 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $61,266; typical rent is $1,615. Prices compounded +2.9% a year over five years; the county grew +9.9% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Volusia County property tax

4. Delray Beach, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $262,500 across 1,647 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 51 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,900 a month, 29% of the local median household income of $78,163; typical rent is $2,700. Prices compounded -6.1% a year over five years; the county grew +6.1% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

5. Lauderhill, Broward County

Median asking price $140,000 across 609 current listings, 6% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 119 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,038 a month, 21% of the local median household income of $58,388; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +3.6% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

6. Margate, Broward County

Median asking price $161,000 across 445 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 88 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,186 a month, 23% of the local median household income of $62,918; typical rent is $2,095. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +3.6% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

7. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $167,500 across 134 current listings, 4% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 78 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +2.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,237 a month, 24% of the local median household income of $61,963; typical rent is $1,956. Prices compounded +4.7% a year over five years; the county grew +6.1% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

8. Silver Springs, Marion County

Median asking price $186,950 across 64 current listings, 4% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 59 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.2% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,256 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $43,438; typical rent is $1,290. Prices compounded +3.8% a year over five years; the county grew +14.8% in population over five years. Marion County property tax

9. Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County

Median asking price $299,000 across 936 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 65 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -4.5% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,210 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $63,122; typical rent is $2,100. Prices compounded -2.7% a year over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · St. Lucie County property tax

10. Crystal River, Citrus County

Median asking price $328,400 across 178 current listings, 10% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 87 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,244 a month, 49% of the local median household income of $55,395; typical rent is $1,838. Prices compounded +3.0% a year over five years; the county grew +13.5% 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 $1,603 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 2026-11-07 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.