Are you looking for the Best Places To Retire In Florida Without Hurricanes? Check out this list of some of the best cities you should explore when retiring to Florida!
Disclosure – I cannot predict hurricanes! This is just some information I have shared based on my experiences living in Florida and previous hurricane data.
My family moved to the state of Florida back in the 80s! So we have been residents of the Sunshine State for a long time! It’s a great place to raise a family and retire.
You may not know this but my husband and I are licensed real estate agents in Florida. We really love Florida and we want to help people find their starter home, dream home, or the home they will retire in!
If you are searching for a warm climate and a place to stretch your social security benefits – this is the place for you!
Florida is a very popular place to retire because we have so much to offer like easy access to beautiful beaches, theme parks, no state income tax, and so much more.
The scariest part about Florida is the threat of hurricanes and tropical storms. So many people want to retire to Florida but live in an area that doesn’t have hurricanes – so it can be a scary thing to experience.
We have been to many Florida cities – so here are some of the places you should consider if you want to retire in Florida!
Best Places to Retire in Florida Without Hurricanes
Since I have spent most of my life on the Gulf Coast, I can say that it’s a pretty great area to live in! Even though we are very close to the Gulf of Mexico, the Tampa Bay area has been shielded from a direct hit of a hurricane for many years.
They can get close but we usually just get some rain and wind from the outer bands of the hurricanes. And we may get rising water from the storm surge depending on how close the storm gets to this area.
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Where to Retire In West Central Florida
There are great areas around the Tampa Bay area that are perfect for retirees. Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties are to the north of Tampa and give you everything you want to enjoy about Florida.
You can find the perfect retirement community that will give you access to a pool or let you play golf on private golf courses any time you want. Plus some neighborhoods even have restaurants just for residents.
A very cool community in this Pasco County is called Hidden Lakes in New Port Richey, Florida – this is an airport community. All the houses include airplane hangers and some of the houses are on the runway.
So if you have your pilot’s license – this is a great community for you to live in.
These counties are a short drive to the white sand beaches like Clearwater beach but if you live in Gulf Harbors, you will pay a small yearly fee to access their private beach. It’s beautiful and never very crowded.
We lived in this community when I was in high school and it was so much fun to jump in the canal and swim with my sisters or load up the boat and spend the day at Anclote Island.
Gulf Harbors is a large community with condos and large and small houses. Many houses have a canal in the backyard that brings you right out to the Gulf of Mexico.
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We have a little beach in New Port Richey where we like to kayak. The picture above is from a trip to Green Key Beach.
In Hernando County, you can swim and kayak with manatees in the Springs of Weeki Wachee and even watch a real-life mermaid show!
Just a little further north you will hit Citrus County. This county is still tranquil and more affordable, but there is plenty to do!
If you want to spend your Golden Years playing golf on one of the most beautiful courses in Florida you must learn more about Black Diamond Golf Course.
It is rated the number one golf community in Florida, Black Diamond boasts 45 holes of award-winning golf designed by world-renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio.
In Citrus County you will find the cheapest places to live with all the perks of Florida life. The housing costs are lower and you still have easy access to downtown Tampa via the Suncoast Parkway.
If you go south of Tampa you can look into cities like St. Petersburg, Bayshore, Indian Rocks Beach, and Sun City.
The national average of home costs will vary depending on the area but the further you are from the downtown area, the more you will get for your money!
Info Eagle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Where to Retire in Central Florida without hurricanes?
Central Florida did have a year when they were in the path of many storms. But because it’s in the center of the state, the hurricanes usually lose their strength before they get to this area.
These storms can still have lots of wind and rain and even some tornados – but it is generally a good place to live when a hurricane has its eye on Florida.
Best Places To Retire In Florida Without Hurricanes
Central has access to big cities and small towns so you can enjoy your retirement.
If you are looking for that small-town feel in central Florida, you must check out St Cloud, Florida. It’s a cute little small town with easy access to theme parks like Universal Studios and Disney World. Downtown Orlando is also a short drive.
This city has a cute little downtown area and many lakes if you like to go out on a boat, jet skis, or go fishing. My grandma lived here for many years and we would visit her all the time to enjoy this quaint little city.
If you go a little further east you will enjoy neighborhoods like Harmony. This is a mixed community with single-family homes, very large homes on the golf course, and townhomes. You will also find lots of outdoor activities like a community pool, lots of lakes, parks, and so much more so that you can spend lots of time enjoying the sunny weather in Florida!
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Lake Nona is a newer community with access to trails and state of the art medical facilities. This community is all about wellness. It’s likely that the community your pick to live in will help you have an active lifestyle with access to large pools, tennis courts, dog walking areas and so much more.
It’s a more expensive community. The median home value of a single-family home is around $655,000 and has seen rapid growth over the past 10 years. It’s an excellent place to live if you are in need of specialized medical care.
If you want to be closer to the Tampa Bay area, Winter Haven is a great community for retirees. You will be in close proximity to major cities like Orlando and Tampa. Plus it is close to Legoland – which your grandkids will love when they come to visit!
Central Florida is large and is usually known for the Orlando area. But you can also find great places to live in North Central Florida in Ocala, Florida.
According to a new survey released by U.S. News and World Report, Ocala is the 16th best place in the United States to retire.
The survey cited the expansive horse country and vibrant, historic downtown setting as to why Ocala is ranked so high.
Ocala is just off I-75 so it’s easy to hop on the interstate and get to your next destination. It’s about 45 minutes from the college town of the University of Florida and if you like to explore you have easy access to Ocala National Forest!
Best Cities To Live In On The East Coast Of Florida
The Atlantic ocean produces more hurricanes during hurricane season. Cities like Vero Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and the Florida Keys get a lot more hurricane threats.
But if you go further north to cities like St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, and Ormond Beach, you can find nice little retirement communities.
You can check out this map that shows all the hurricanes that have been around Florida. You can see more in South Florida on the Atlantic Coast vs other coasts. But with the constant changing of the weather – you never know where the next big hurricane will hit!
So move to your favorite city like Fort Myers or Cape Coral if that is the area you know and love! You moved down here for the warm weather and the quality of life.
Pick your favorite coastal town and enjoy it. And one of my favorite parts about living in Florida is that I can vacation where I live! I can take a trip to Kennedy Space Center or enjoy all the miles of beaches.
Fun Facts About Florida:
Cost of living – this number will vary greatly all over the state. The pandemic has caused many people to move to Florida which has caused home purchase and rental prices to get really high.
If you are planning to move to Florida – start as early as possible and work with a Realtor that can give you good advice and watch for exactly what you want.
If you need a Realtor, you can contact my husband if you are looking for a home in central Florida. Or if you are going to move to another part of Florida – he can help you find the best agent!
According to Statista, the median home price in the state of Florida was $348,000 U.S. dollars, up from 145,000 U.S. dollars in 2012. Despite this consistent growth in home prices, the volume of single-family homes sold in the state stagnated between 2015 and 2018.
(Check out this article about prices in Florida.)
If you are moving from the United Kingdom to the United States – you can calculate your payment with this mortgage calculator to help you know how much it would cost to move to Florida! Or this will help you estimate your mortgage affordability.
Florida has a city called Niceville and it’s one of the safest places in Florida. Check out this list to see where your favorite city is listed. Satellite Beach is known for its low crime rate.
Florida is the 26th largest state. 65,758 square miles, The largest city in Florida based on population is Jacksonville, Florida.
Now that you have a better idea about the best places to retire in Florida without hurricanes, you can grab your golf clubs or pack your bathing suits and enjoy the white-sand beaches Florida has to offer!
Make sure you follow Denis Phillips. He’s the weather guy in Florida that will give you facts and not scare you!
Need some ideas? Check out this list of 10 things we like to do in Florida!
Have you retired in Florida? What’s your favorite city?
Best Places To Retire In Florida Without Hurricanes Disclosure – There is no place in Florida that is 100% hurricane proof. Each city has been hit by a hurricane or tropical storm in the past. New houses are built better to withstand strong winds. And it’s important to have a plan in place no matter what part of Florida you live in!