13 Florida Cities Among Best Places To Retire In 2020: U.S. News

SARASOTA, FL — Seven Florida cities — led by Sarasota — were among the top 10 best cities in the United States to retire to for 2020, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. This year’s lists evaluate the 150 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States based on affordability, job prospects and desirability.

Sarasota ranked No. 1 on the list of the best cities to retire to and also ranked 16th among the best cities to live in nationwide.

Other Florida cities ranked in the top 10 for best retirement destinations are:

• Fort Myers, No. 2
• Port St. Lucie, No. 3
• Naples, No. 4
• Ocala, No. 6
• Miami, No. 9
• Melbourne, No. 10

Sarasota was selected because of its warm temperatures year-round, award-winning beaches and a thriving arts and cultural scene, U.S. News said. Plus, it continues to attract new residents with great restaurants and plenty of shopping options.

"Living in Sarasota has elements of what many consider paradise, mixed with some hints of reality. As the population grows, the area struggles to keep up with infrastructure needs. Traffic congestion is becoming more common," the magazine said. "Those who live, work or visit downtown Sarasota will see their share of construction cranes as the region copes with an influx of residents and a record-breaking number of tourists.

"However, as the Sarasota community flourishes, so does its economy. Sarasota offers a sizeable job market for those working in health care, small business and tourism."

Seven other Florida cities made the rankings:

• Jacksonville, No. 13
• Daytona Beach, No. 15
• Orlando, No. 16
• Lakeland, No. 18
• Tampa, No. 20
• Pensacola, No. 25
• Tallahassee, No. 105

To provide a more broad and accurate reflection of where Americans want to live and retire, U.S. News increased the number of metropolitan areas evaluated for both sets of rankings from 125 to 150.

To determine the best places in the United States to retire, U.S. News looked at measures including happiness, housing affordability, health care quality, taxes, desirability and job market ratings.

These measures were also weighted by the results of a nationwide public survey of people nearing retirement age (ages 45-59) and those who are retirement age (60 or older) to find out what matters most when deciding where to retire.

U.S. News also used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as its Best Hospitals rankings.

This year's list of Best Places to Retire is dominated by Florida metro areas, largely due to affordable homes, low taxes and high ratings for happiness and desirability.

Increases in desirability and job market scores lifted Sarasota to No. 1 this year, overtaking Fort Myers, which fell to No. 2. Port. St. Lucie’s housing affordability score decreased slightly, but increases in desirability, job market and health care scores helped it jump two places to No. 3.

See the full list of Best Places To Retire.