Here’s the 4 Best Islands To Retire To in Florida 2017 based on our research of safety (crime ratings and statistics), demographics (what’s the average age here), affordability (the real estate is affordable relative to other beach living) and just overall desirability.
Florida is by far the premiere place to retire, we could write for years about places to retire in Florida, it’s no wonder it’s the best state to retire to. However, there’s something special about living on an Island. While I think many of us dream about retiring to an Island, it’s sometimes feels like a dream. In some cases, it could be a bit of a nightmare (which is why Hawaii isn’t always the best place to retire to). It doesn’t have to be! . So without further ado, here’s our list.
#4 Best Island To Retire To In Florida: Key West
Key West, FL – Pretty much makes every retirement list so here it is again. It’s really cheating because Key Largo and Marathon are also popular islands to retire to that are all part of the Florida Keys.
Key West offers an entire island of walkability – that is to say traffic is horrendous. However, for that trade off you get quite possibly the closest thing to retiring to the carribean that you could hope for. Except the beaches. Many visitors are surprised that although the water is crystal clear the beaches are crushed coral and shells. We picked Key West over Key Largo and the others due to it’s high livability factor.
Key West Real Estate can be surprisingly affordable, a 1 bedroom condo will set you back $250K and go up from there, climbing into the mid $3 Million range.
#3 Best Island To Retire To In Florida: Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island, FL – Sanibel Island is one of the “shell” islands and is one of the hidden treasures of Florida. Although covered by Travel Channel, this island still retains it’s pristine beauty and solitude. For those looking for a less touristy destination , this may be it. Sanibel is a unique barrier island with an east-west orientation that differs from the typical north-south layout. Bowman’s Beach is the quietest and most remote stretch of sand in Sanibel, while a historic lighthouse beckons visitors to take a stroll on the rustic boardwalk at Lighthouse Beach.
Sanibel Real Estate varies from $500K Beachfront Condos to multi-million dollar beach front estates. With these prices it might be a choice between living on the island or in an official retirement community.
Like many popular retirement spots, you can bike many on pathways and streets and parts of the beach.
#2 Best Island To Retire To In Florida: Siesta Key Island
Siesta Key, FL – Siesta Key has world renowned beaches and is a great option to retire to due to it’s proximity to Sarasota (less than 15 minutes depending on where you live) for this reason it’s a great pick for families that want the convenience of a big city but still want that beach lifestyle. There’s 3 main sections of the Siesta Key Island, you have the village with your market and restaurants, you have Crescent Beach where you can find some great option of Siesta Key Condos For Sale and then you have Turtle Beach which has more shells and is often devoid of families due to the strong ocean current here.
Real Estate in Siesta Key Florida is surprising affordable relative to other places on our list. For as low as $300,000 you could get a condo that is walking distance to Crescent Beach. From there, to retire to the beach in Florida will cost you more.
#1 Best Island To Retire To In Florida: Marco Island
Marco Island, FL – With an average age of 60, there’s no wonder it makes the list. Similar to Siesta Key, Marco’s proximity to Naples (another popular retirement destination) makes it an easy choice. So often these often exotic locations are outside the reach of most retirees but like Siesta Key, you could opt to live in the city close by.
Don’t take our word for it, here’s a quote from TripAdvisor:
“The beaches covered in shells is incredible. I saw dolphins in the surf each morning while collecting shells. The restaurants – outstanding. I couldn’t believe that every restaurant we visited was just as superb as the last. Marco Island is truly paradise. I think I’ve talked my husband into retiring here!”
Marco Island is the largest of our list so searching for a retirement home for sale on Marco Island is going to be a bit easier. Prices can be well over the $1 Million dollar mark climbing as high as $12 Million. However, what surprised us was that for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo with about 500 SQFT you could buy this for only $150,000. While you won’t see the beach you could easily retire here.
Marco Island tops this list due to affordability, proximity to health care as well as just overall convenience factor of being close to everything via Naples or potentially being in Miami in under an hour.
