Florida Shines for Retirement Living

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — An annual survey measuring confidence about retirement reveals two-thirds of workers and nearly one-quarter of retirees aren’t sure they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement.

At the same time, 79% of workers and 71% of retirees are concerned about the U.S. government making significant changes to the American retirement system.

Their concern is understandable since Social Security remains the top source of actual and expected income for Americans in retirement, according to the 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research.

Financial security may be the biggest factor in planning when and where to retire, but it isn’t the only consideration. Retirement experts say many retirees face challenges like rising costs and community support.

The AARP suggests a holistic approach. That means considering a lot of factors that go beyond weather, proximity to grandchildren and cheap real estate. Think 10 years down the line and where you see yourself in terms of mobility and budget and take social connections into consideration.

Retirement coaches say taking a short-term rental to check out a spot is a great idea.

The number of people who relocate upon retirement fluctuates, based on such factors as politics, home affordability and cost-of-living rates. More than 3 million people age 65 and older relocated within the U.S. in the five years before the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Retirees want to live in a place where they enjoy safety and access to good health care, especially in light of significant inflation and economic uncertainty. The ideal city will also have lots of ways to spend leisure time, along with good weather,” according to a new WalletHub report.

Some people may want to move close to family or somewhere with opportunities to continue working part-time.

WalletHub compared the retiree-friendliness of more than 180 U.S. cities across 45 key metrics in four categories affordability, activities, quality of life and health care to compile its 2025 list of best retirement cities.

Living up to its reputation as a haven for seniors, Florida has four of the top seven ranked cities. One reason is Florida does not have an estate or inheritance tax, or even income tax.

Orlando is ranked No. 1. In addition to being one of the most tax-friendly cities, it is the ninth-cheapest city for homemaker services and the 20th-cheapest for adult day health care. It also ranks high when it comes to gerontologists, home health care facilities per capita and hospitals for geriatrics.

“Orlando provides a plethora of recreational activities for retirees, ranking as the third-best city for recreation overall. It has an especially high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities,” the study notes.

Other high-ranking Florida cities are Miami, fourth; Tampa, fifth; and Fort Lauderdale, seventh.

Rounding out the top 10 cities are Scottsdale, Arizona, second; Minneapolis, Minnesota, third; Atlanta, Georgia, sixth; Cincinnati, Ohio, eighth; Madison, Wisconsin, ninth; and Casper, Wyoming, 10th.

• Scottsdale is first for quality of life, and Casper is first for affordability. San Francisco is first for activities, and Missoula, Montana, is first for health care.

• Oklahoma City and Tulsa are ranked 112th and 114th, respectively. Both rank very high for adjusted cost of living, but low for theaters and public golf courses per capita.

• Tulsa ranks 39th for the annual cost of in-home services ($57,200), while Oklahoma City ranks 142nd ($80,080). When it comes to quality of life, OKC is 118th and Tulsa is 155th.

While most U.S. retirees stay in their existing homes and locales, those who want to age in place face mounting challenges, said AARP Vice President Rodney Harrell, who focuses on housing and livable communities.

Challenges include rising rents or mortgages, costs for home modifications and a lack of community support services like adequate health care, reliable utilities and safe environments.

“One of the biggest challenges that we have is making sure that we take the future us into account, and not just look at our needs today,” Harrell said. Income, transportation and health needs all can change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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