countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in Florida 2026

67 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Florida

1Gilchrist County
63.3
baseline 61.1
2Calhoun County
63.2
baseline 62.2
3Lafayette County
61.6
baseline 62.9
4Union County
61.4
baseline 57.2
5Bradford County
61.3
baseline 60.2

All 67 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Florida

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Gilchrist County, FL63.361.1+2.2
2Calhoun County, FL63.262.2+1
3Lafayette County, FL61.662.9-1.3
4Union County, FL61.457.2+4.2
5Bradford County, FL61.360.2+1.1
6Jefferson County, FL57.757+0.7
7Gadsden County, FL56.251.7+4.5
8Franklin County, FL55.955+0.9
9Wakulla County, FL55.855.5+0.3
10Suwannee County, FL55.356.2-0.9
11Gulf County, FL55.254.7+0.5
12Liberty County, FL54.653.4+1.2
13Washington County, FL53.753.5+0.2
14Baker County, FL53.545.7+7.8
15Okaloosa County, FL53.552.3+1.2
16Jackson County, FL53.353.9-0.6
17Walton County, FL53.152.6+0.5
18St. Johns County, FL52.950.9+2
19Glades County, FL52.854.1-1.3
20Sumter County, FL52.253.5-1.3
21Nassau County, FL51.848.6+3.2
22Escambia County, FL51.248.9+2.3
23Taylor County, FL5152.9-1.9
24Dixie County, FL50.951-0.1
25Santa Rosa County, FL50.648+2.6
26Holmes County, FL50.351.4-1.1
27Highlands County, FL49.548.5+1
28Madison County, FL48.350.4-2.1
29Levy County, FL4847.6+0.4
30Flagler County, FL47.145.5+1.6
31Manatee County, FL46.745.3+1.4
32Hamilton County, FL46.443.3+3.1
33Lake County, FL46460
34Citrus County, FL45.543.3+2.2
35Indian River County, FL44.245-0.8
36Charlotte County, FL43.844.5-0.7
37Pasco County, FL43.842.4+1.4
38Clay County, FL43.544-0.5
39Brevard County, FL42.641.3+1.3
40Sarasota County, FL42.144-1.9
41Collier County, FL41.945.8-3.9
42Martin County, FL41.841.6+0.2
43Seminole County, FL41.541.8-0.3
44Broward County, FL41.341.8-0.5
45Monroe County, FL41.246.2-5
46Columbia County, FL40.144.2-4.1
47Lee County, FL38.436.4+2
48Hernando County, FL3838.1-0.1
49Polk County, FL36.938-1.1
50Bay County, FL36.836.9-0.1
51Volusia County, FL36.434.2+2.2
52Marion County, FL3635.4+0.6
53Hillsborough County, FL35.835.80
54Pinellas County, FL35.236.3-1.1
55Alachua County, FL3532.1+2.9
56Leon County, FL3534.5+0.5
57Palm Beach County, FL34.537.5-3
58St. Lucie County, FL34.436.6-2.2
59Putnam County, FL34.337.5-3.2
60Hendry County, FL33.434.9-1.5
61Hardee County, FL33.134.6-1.5
62Okeechobee County, FL32.731.6+1.1
63Orange County, FL32.232.1+0.1
64Osceola County, FL31.731.8-0.1
65DeSoto County, FL31.131.5-0.4
66Duval County, FL29.630.3-0.7
67Miami-Dade County, FL28.330.4-2.1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Florida?

Based on the Retiree lens, Gilchrist County ranks as the top retirement county in Florida with a County Fit Score of 63.3. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Florida are ranked for retirement?

We rank 67 counties in Florida with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse Florida Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.