9 Of The Best Affordable Towns To Retire In Florida
For many retirees, Florida is the ultimate destination for living out their senior years. The state has everything: a warm climate, oceanfront beaches, golf courses galore, and plenty of other people their age. Florida’s small towns are surprisingly affordable, too, with home prices well below the state average home value of $369,996 (according to Zillow).
Whether retirement means taking racecar driving lessons and safely visiting alligators in Sebring, or celebrating the modest kumquat, feeding giraffes, and playing in actual snow in Dade City, these affordable cities in Florida are just right for spending the golden years.
Sebring
Located in Central Florida, Sebring has an average home value of $234,666, meaning it is wallet-friendly for retirees. It is also home to Sebring International Raceway, the oldest road-racing track in the US. Each year, the raceway hosts the 12 Hours of Sebring, a challenging race that has brought in world-class racers for more than 70 years. Seniors who crave a more active retirement will be thrilled with the track’s private track rentals and the Skip Barber Racing School, which offers classes on numerous types of racecar driving.
Off the track, Sebring residents invest in its art studios and museums. The Sebring Art Center is on Lake Jackson and offers classes in various art types. It is a part of the Highlands Art League and the Highlands Museum of the Arts, which sponsors the Annual Sebring Arts & Crafts Festival. In the spring, a different kind of craft earns a spotlight with the Sippin’ on the Circle Craft Beer Festival. Beer fans can celebrate the liquid with samples, live music, food trucks, vendors, and more.
For outdoor lovers, Highlands Hammock State Park offers nine trails, a 3-mile bike loop, and even an Alligator Tram Tour to explore the wildlife of Central Florida while seated. For birders, the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a great spot to find swamp and marsh species, as well as vultures and sandhill cranes, among others.
Bartow
History comes alive in Bartow, where the average home value is $269,685. Retirees can visit the Wonder House, an 18-room, four-story house built from concrete over stone and reinforced with steel rails. The home was built almost entirely from the land it sat on, except for the rails from nearby train tracks and imported tile. The house's floor plan is cross-shaped, with each room opening onto two porches to provide cross-ventilation. The L.B. Brown House is another historic home that invites seniors to see a restored Victorian-era house originally built and owned by a man born into slavery.
Getting outdoors in Bartow is easy, with Lake Hancock and the Circle B Bar Reserve nearby in Lakeland. The Bar Reserve is a 1,267-acre nature reserve with walking trails. Plants and animals are abundant in the reserve, including alligators. The Mosaic Peace River Park offers 7.5 miles of trails, a fishing pier, horse trails, and plans for a disc golf course. The Bartow Golf Course offers 18 holes, designed by Donald Ross.
To fuel up for all the activity in town, make sure to stop at Cookie Jar Bakeshop for scratch-made desserts, breakfast, and lunch. Enjoy dinner and drinks at Zest Bar and Grill or Blue Ridge Grill downtown.
Dade City
Dade City is an affordable town to retire in central Florida (average home value is $314,598). The town is inviting and historic, but it offers quirky perks that are not likely to be found elsewhere in the state. For example, the Annual Kumquat Festival, held every January, celebrates the tiny orange fruit with vendors, activities for kids, a car and truck show, and plenty of treats made from kumquats.
Not a fruit fan? Maybe a trip to the Giraffe Ranch is in order. The Ranch is a 47-acre wildlife preserve that features safaris by car, camel, Segway, or llama. All safari options include feeding the giraffes on the ranch, and optional excursions include viewing zebra, tapirs, otters, lemurs, monkeys, and more. Reservations are required for all tours.
Life in Florida is bereft of snow, but Snowcat Ridge makes up for it by making its own snow. The Alpine Snow Park features snow tubing on a 60-foot-tall tubing hill, ice skating, an Arctic Igloo indoor snow play area, and more fun in the snow. To take advantage of Dade City’s warm temps, venture to nearby Withlacoochee State Forest for miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails, as well as fishing and canoeing on the water. If all that activity causes an injury, the town is close enough to larger cities like Orlando and Tampa for specialty healthcare visits.
Titusville
A truly “far out” town, Titusville is the heart of the Space Coast, as it links to the Kennedy Space Center across the Indian River. Living here means an average home value of $263,427 and the chance to view rocket launches up close from Playalinda Beach, along the Canaveral National Seashore. It also means having the opportunity to meet astronauts and other space explorers, train to become an astronaut, watch exclusive IMAX movies, visit the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, and experience a simulated shuttle launch. On the seashore, take in the waves while fishing, swimming, or walking along the coast.
Away from the launchpad, Titusville’s downtown is a historic destination, home to the Titusville Playhouse. The theatre features national performances staged by local actors. The Dog House Art Studio & Tiny House Garden features a gallery, an instruction studio for aspiring artists, and a stained glass studio. The Tiny House Art Garden consists of several tiny houses decorated by the artists who live in them. Don’t miss out on the thirst-quenching beers at Playalinda Brewing Company after a day of exploring.
Inverness
The Inverness Grand Prix and Motorsports Festival may not be the real Grand Prix, but it is unique in that street karts are permitted to race through downtown every fall. If that’s a little too exciting, the town also hosts its Inverness Festival of the Arts every year, a juried art show featuring artists and crafters from around the country, with two days of demos, interactive pieces, music, and more. Another artistic celebration in the city is Cootertober, a month-long celebration of the community’s arts. And for retirees looking for affordable housing, the average home value is around $234,004.
The Liberty Park & Depot District is within walking distance of downtown Inverness, and the park is on Lake Henderson. Sidewalks, a gazebo, and benches make for a serene spot to ride on its bike trails. Withlacoochee State Forest is a great place for birding, and its State Trail is 46 miles of converted train tracks now paved for bikers, hikers, and horseback riders.
Downtown is also home to numerous eateries and shops, including Nine State Brewery, which features a number of craft-brewed taps, and Salty Dogs Steamer and Bar, which serves fresh seafood, including ocean-caught shrimp, lobster, and crab.
Crystal River
Considered “The Manatee Capital of the World,” Crystal River is an affordable riverfront town with an average home value of $264,924. Kings Bay is part of a freshwater springs system that is vital to the survival and breeding of manatees. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is the only manatee-only refuge in the country. Three Sisters Springs is a crystal-clear spring internationally known for the number of manatees that call it home. Retirees can even swim with the gentle sea creatures.
Hunter Springs Park offers swimming, a beach, a playground, and a boardwalk for viewing manatees, as well as a kayak launch. Adventures away from the water include a round at Crystal River Mini Golf and hitting the pins at Bowlero Crystal River. Crystal River Town Square features shops, restaurants, and a fountain with seating. Cool off at Guyer’s Ice Cream and Doughnuts, with more than 20 homemade ice cream flavors and cake doughnuts.
Dunnellon
Home to the Rainbow River, Dunnellon is a budget-friendly town for retirees with an average home value of $267,289. Tubing is an especially popular pastime on the river and offers a relaxing way to see the clear water and enjoy the sunshine. Rainbow Springs State Park offers camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, and even snorkeling. The Ross Prairie Trailhead and Campground is home to wetland prairies and sandhills that provide homes to birds, alligators, bobcats, and wild turkey.
Juliette Falls Golf Course has been lauded as one of the best courses in Florida, and in addition to the course, is home to the Restaurant at Juliette Falls. Catch an airboat ride or rent a fishing boat at The Blue Gator restaurant, and fish for bass on the river. Swampy’s Bar & Grille is another choice for river dining on the Rainbow River, and offers live music in addition to fresh seafood. Get there early, before the river is filled with tubers and kayakers, to see a family of otters who live on the riverbank.
Milton
Milton, with an average home cost of $275,753, is ideal for retirement. It is home to Blackwater River State Park, which provides access to the Blackwater River, which, despite its ominous name, is just a regular colored river. The river is a popular destination for fishing, paddling, tubing, swimming, and relaxing. The park’s 590 acres feature white beaches and sandbars, forests, wetlands, and hiking trails. For golfers, Tanglewood Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 public course.
The Milton Riverwalk in downtown Milton extends along the river and serves as a special occasion venue. The Panhandle Butterfly House is a native butterfly vivarium with the mission of raising awareness of butterflies. Train enthusiasts will enjoy the West Florida Railroad Museum, an interactive museum that tells the history of the railroad. Explore the depot, an L&N Caboose, and bring the kids for a mini train ride. For the best in fresh catfish and Gulf seafood, try a meal at David’s Catfish House, or enjoy comfort food at Ace’s Restaurant.
Apalachicola
There was a time when more than 90 percent of the oysters harvested in Florida came from Apalachicola Bay. Although that is no longer the case, the town still hosts the annual Florida Seafood Festival over two days every fall. The festival features both oyster-eating and oyster-shucking contests to celebrate its oyster-fishing past. To experience the bay and the Apalachicola River, launch a boat from the Battery Park Marina.
Stay land-locked and take self-guided tours through the historic downtown, with its 900 homes and buildings dating back to the 19th century. One of those homes, the Orman House, sits in the Orman House Historic State Park. The house once belonged to a cotton merchant who grew the city’s cotton export business, and is now open for tours. Next to the home is the Chapman Botanical Gardens, which features paved walkways, a butterfly garden, and open spaces for relaxing.
It’s hard to escape seafood on the coast, but in Apalachicola, where the average home cost is $283,919, oysters are abundant at nearly every restaurant. For raw oysters, check out Up the Creek Raw Bar or The Station Raw Bar. For a change of pace, enjoy an upscale dining experience at Franklin Cafe & Parlor Bar at the Gibson Inn. They serve fresh-caught seafood, as well as seafood-free entrees.
The opportunity to check off bucket list items abounds in the small towns of Florida. Watch rocket launches and hear world-class astronauts speak in Titusville, swim with manatees in Crystal River, or just take leisurely walks through marshes and swamplands in Bartow or Dunnellon. Whatever retirement looks like, it is sure to look even better in an affordable town soaking up the sun on the beach or near a lake in Florida.
