The best retirement communities in Florida aren’t necessarily the most expensive. Active adults moving from other states often find that it’s easy to spend less while living in Florida, where there’s no state income tax, a lower cost of living, and real estate that’s well within most budgets.
Buyers looking for homes for sale in Florida need not give up amenities, location, or space when searching for a place to settle. These affordable 55+ communities from all over the state are excellent options and attractively priced.
Here are the top 10 most affordable retirement communities in Florida.
Scottish Highlands - Leesburg
Below $100k - Mid $100s
A true sense of community is in the Central Florida city of Leesburg, particularly at Scottish Highlands, where single-family homes have between 1,050 and 2,000 square feet and two or three bedrooms. Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, shuffleboard, and tennis. It’s close to the historic downtown Leesburg neighborhood, known for hosting festivals and fairs and close to the scenic and stroll-worth Venetian Gardens Park.
Riviera Golf Estates - Naples
Below $100k - Mid $200s
Homes for sale in Naples range from swanky to subtle, and at Riviera Golf Estates, active adults can enjoy golf privileges that don’t come with a costly membership. Condos are the most affordable properties, and a selection of resale single-family homes can also be found. In addition to 18 holes of golf, there’s pickleball, shuffleboard, tennis, and swimming pools. Naples is known for its shopping, dining, and cultural activities.
Lakes of Carriage Hills - Tamarac
Below $100k - Low $100s
For many people, low-maintenance condo living is the best and most affordable way to enjoy a Florida retirement, and Lakes of Carriage Hills delivers that. This 55+ community is in Broward County, close to shopping, golf, and beaches. Condos are between 990 and 1,450 square feet and feature two bedrooms and assigned parking. Fort Lauderdale is less than half an hour away.
Summertree - New Port Richey
Below $100k - High $100s
Just outside of Tampa and close to the Gulf of Mexico is Summertree, an active adult community in New Port Richey that blends comfort and amenities with affordability. Single-family homes and attached villas are divided into six neighborhoods that come in dozens of floor plans and models.
Summertree Golf Club is a public, nine-hole course that residents can play for a fee, without memberships. The Summertree Recreation Facility includes lots of other amenities like a fitness center, activity rooms, pools, and garden plots.
Palm Cay - Ocala
Below $100k - Low $100s
Ocala is a thriving retirement destination thanks to its natural beauty, spacious horse farms, and thriving arts scene. At Palm Cay, buyers looking for an affordable 55+ lifestyle can choose single-family homes with between one and three bedrooms, open floor plans, and attached two-car garages. There’s R.V. parking, a pool, shuffleboard courts, and a fitness center.
Palm Cay residents are also close to the Ocala National Forest, a unique and sprawling park with acres of hiking trails as well as opportunities for camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife watching.
Solivita - Kissimmee, FL
Mid $100s - Low $400s
There are lots of good reasons to live close to Orlando, and at Solivita in Kissimmee, residents enjoy an ideal location and comfortable housing. New and resale homes are available in this growing 55+ neighborhood and several collections have properties that are well below $200,000. The amenities include pools, spas, fitness centers, and The Waterfront Galleries, a creative space that includes art studios and outdoor recreation. Residents also have the opportunity to golf at Stonegate Golf Club.
Sea Towers - Saint Petersburg, FL
Below $100k - Mid $200s
High-rise condo living has its benefits, especially when it comes with a view of the Gulf of Mexico, the St. Pete skyline, or peaceful Boca Ciega Bay. All of this is available and affordable at Sea Towers in St. Petersburg. With amenities such as a boat dock and a fishing pier, residents enjoy waterfront living without the hefty price tag. Condos are 485 square feet for a studio to 1,140 square feet for a two-bedroom unit. There’s lawn bowling, shuffleboard, and a beach patio near the pool.
Fiddlesticks Country Club - Fort Myers, FL
Below $100k - Mid $2Ms
It’s not all million-dollar Fort Myers real estate at Fiddlesticks Country Club. While there are some sprawling homes that cost seven figures, the 55+ community also offers reasonably priced condos and attached villas that begin at 1,100 square feet and have two bedrooms. Buyers become equity members of the Fiddlesticks Country Club, which includes golf privileges and access to restaurants. Other amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and a clubhouse. Fort Myers has beautiful beaches and is right off Interstate 75, making travel throughout the state a breeze.
Rainberry Bay - Delray Beach, FL
Below $100k - Mid $300s
Palm Beach County is a desirable place to buy property, and Rainberry Bay makes it affordable. This 55+ community in Delray Beach is packed with amenities and activities like a fitness center, sauna, fishing lakes, and outdoor pools. Attached and single-family homes have two or three bedrooms.
Delray Beach is a thriving town that has more than swimming, surfing, and other ocean activities. Downtown Delray Beach also has art, restaurants, and lots of shopping and nightlife.
Bridge Bay at Bannon Lakes - Saint Augustine, FL
Low $200s - Low $300s
Real estate in Northeast Florida is typically more expensive than in the rest of the state, but the new 55+ community of Bridge Bay at Bannon Lakes in historic St. Augustine offers some deals. Attached homes are especially affordable, and buyers can choose layouts with two or three bedrooms and just over 1,500 square feet. The clubhouse, once complete, will include a fitness center, a resort-style pool, pickleball, and a dog park. There is a kayak launch and lots of paths for walking, biking, or jogging.
Just outside of St. Augustine, residents can enjoy all the history and culture the city has to offer as well as the nightlife and the recreation in nearby Jacksonville.
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