Sarasota
Sarasota is an affordable city with a vibrant art and music culture, as well as sandy white beaches. For foodies, there are also countless restaurants with outdoor seating and craft beer breweries churning out new varieties. If you get lucky, you might even see a few celebrities, like Stephen King or Jerry Springer.
Naples
If you want to live in a quaint town near the Everglades with beautiful beaches and great schools, head to Naples. The housing market is surprisingly cheap ($1,100 to rent a house) for a city that’s known for luxury shopping and golf courses. In 2017, this city was named the Healthiest and Happiest city by Gallup-Healthways.
St Petersburg
This Florida city is great for retirees. It has affordable housing and excellent healthcare. There are also museums and theaters for those who enjoy art and culture. For the young and adventurous, St Petersburg also hosts many music festivals throughout the year.
Tampa
The upside of Tampa outweigh the down. This city has a great school system, affordable housing, over 150 parks to explore, and decent healthcare. Unfortunately, Tampa isn’t known for safety and low crime rates, but that might have more to do with the fact that crime in Florida in general, is higher.
Fort Myers
This city is known for being a quiet place for retirees. If you love the laid back life and doing things like hanging out on a boat or strolling through farmers’ markets, then you’ll love Fort Myers. Once again, the housing market here is extremely affordable and you’ll be surrounded by beaches, great restaurants, and shopping malls.
