St. Cloud, FL 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities

Overview 

St. Cloud is a city in Central Florida located in the Orlando-Kissimmee metropolitan area. The city’s history of being founded as a retirement community for Civil War veterans gained the city its nickname of “The Friendly Soldier City”. Residents have plenty to do in the city with many museums, landmarks, and parks providing a variety of activities to indulge in. 

Climate & Geography 

The climate in St. Cloud is humid subtropical, with two main seasons: a hot and rainy season that goes through most of the year, and a warm, dry season during the winter and spring months. Residents can expect more rain the national average, no snowfall, and approximately 232 sunny days throughout each year.

Like most of Florida, St. Cloud is situated on flat land that is below sea level, which means the surrounding terrains is primarily made up of wetlands and lakes. East Lake Tohopekaliga runs along the northern border of the city, with Aliigator Lake just to the east and Lake Tohopekaliga to the west.  

Recreation, Culture, & Entertainment 

Residents can spend time shopping at the St. Cloud Main Street or visiting the various sights and landmarks, parks, zoos and aquariums like the popular attraction Reptile World Serpentarium. Other popular attractions include Deseret Ranch, Central Florida Animal Reserve, Dan Tarell Memorial Point, Mick Farms, Lake Runnymede Conservation Area, Premium Peach, Peghorn Nature Park, or the Crescent J Ranch. Residents can also enjoy a staycation in one of the various bed and breakfasts like the Lakeside Inn and Cafe or Day Zee Inn. 

There are several nature preserves and natural wildlife areas to the south where residents can get outside and enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, and viewing the local wildlife. Fishermen will appreciate the close proximity to East Lake Tohopekaliga, a popular spot for trophy bass fishing. 

Downton Orlando is about 40 minutes away, providing easy access to even more shopping, dining, and entertainment option in the major city.

Cost of Living & Taxes

The overall cost of living in St. Cloud is slightly higher than the state and national average. The highest individual index is the cost of transportation, while groceries, utilities, health care, and home costs are all close to average. 

Florida is considered very tax friendly to retirees, as the state does not collect any income tax, and that includes all forms of retirement income. Property taxes are just below the national average, and there is a homestead exemption available to all residents, with an additional exemption for residents who are 65+ which can raise the total exemption to a maximum of $50k. There is a 6 percent state sales tax but this does not apply to groceries or medicine. 

Health Care

Florida frequently ranks amongst the top states throughout the country on Gallup’s Well-Being Index. 

Local health care centers in St Cloud include Solaris HealthCare Osceola, Family Health Care of Central Florida. Hospitals in surrounding areas include high performing and nationally ranked Advent Health Orlando, Orlando Regional Medical Center which are less than 30 miles away. Additional options include Orlando VA Medical Center and Select Specialty Hospital-Orlando are also within an hour radius.