2018 Best Places to Retire
Naples Florida is the number one place to retire!
Today’s retirees want (and deserve) so much more than shuffleboard and early bird specials. This dynamic phase of life is the perfect time to discover trendy bars and restaurants, museums and art, outdoor hiking and biking trails, golf courses and meaningful ways to get involved with the community.
The truth of the matter? Retirement looks different for everyone, which is why Livability’s list of the 10 Best Places to Retire represents a wide variety of lifestyles, cultures, climates and geographic locations.
We examined more than 2,000 cities across the country and factored in more than 20 data points to determine this year’s list of the best places to retire. Sure, we looked at the number of golf courses and assisted living facilities in each city, but we also considered other important metrics, like crime rates, natural disaster risks, the quality of local hospitals, housing affordability, climate, air quality and the number of people over the age of 65 (which we think is a good barometer for how easy it will be to make new friends).
If you or someone you love is preparing to make a move to start this exciting new chapter, we’ve got you covered. Here are our top 10 cities to live in during retirement — read on for some inspiration. Some of them might surprise you!
Looking for the absolute best place to retire in 2018? Look no further than Naples, Florida, which earned the top spot on our 2018 list. Naples is already a happening hotspot for retirees — in fact, 51 percent of the city’s population is over the age of 65.
And why shouldn’t it be? This city on the southwestern tip of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico has incredible weather, high-end shopping, sandy beaches and so much more to offer seniors enjoying their golden years. Plus, there’s no question your friends and family members will want to come visit you in sunny Florida, which makes it all the more appealing. The city is small, with a little more than 20,000 residents, which makes for a tight-knit community that feels more like a small town.
The temperature in Naples hovers between 75 and 90 degrees all year long, which makes it the perfect environment for golfing (or really any type of outdoor adventure). Whether you choose to join a private club like the Naples Grande Golf Club or hit up impressive public courses like Hibiscus Golf Club, you really can’t go wrong with the more than 60 golf courses in Naples.
If you’d love to immerse yourself in nature, check out the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which offers visitors a deep dive into the Everglades ecosystem. It’s home to the largest old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America and other exotic plants, as well as dozens of species of wildlife — turtles, deer, otters, alligators and birds are easy to spot here.
Learn a new skill or attend an arts-related event or exhibition through the Naples Art Association, which offers classes in mosaics, watercolor, photography and tons of other subjects. The association also organizes excursions and day trips, if you’ve got the travel itch and want to meet new people