The Municipal Top 10: Best beach towns for retirement
Does a desire to feel the sun, sand and water ever go away in those who love the beach lifestyle? It doesn’t seem so.
Cities that offer options for coastal retirement continue to draw new, mature residents year after year.
A secluded cottage right on the beach is not always a well-thought-out choice for retirees, though. Older residents, in particular, need housing that’s affordable and as well as easy access to amenities including health care, transportation and food.
This spring, U.S. News and World Report investigated which coastal areas were drawing the most retirees and compared those cities to one another. All offered a community full of peers and a variety of leisure activities in addition to beautiful beaches, warm sunshine and cool breezes. Several were also pet-friendly, and they cool down just enough in the winter to evoke memories of the fall and winter seasons new residents might have experienced in their home states.
As might be expected, most of the cities that ranked the highest are in Florida. After all, the Sunshine State has a long history of welcoming and accommodating retirees.
The 10 best U.S. beach towns in which to retire are:
- Daytona Beach, Florida
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Melbourne, Florida
- Naples, Florida
- Pensacola, Florida
- Portland, Maine
- Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Sarasota, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
