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

1Calhoun County
62.6
baseline 61.3
2Gilchrist County
62.4
baseline 60.1
3Lafayette County
62.4
baseline 63.2
4Bradford County
60
baseline 58.9
5Union County
59.5
baseline 54.5

All 67 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Florida

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Calhoun County, FL62.661.3+1.3
2Gilchrist County, FL62.460.1+2.3
3Lafayette County, FL62.463.2-0.8
4Bradford County, FL6058.9+1.1
5Union County, FL59.554.5+5
6Jefferson County, FL5654.9+1.1
7Wakulla County, FL55.755.9-0.2
8Gadsden County, FL55.651+4.6
9Glades County, FL55.557-1.5
10Franklin County, FL5554.1+0.9
11Suwannee County, FL5555.8-0.8
12Washington County, FL54.955.2-0.3
13Dixie County, FL54.755-0.3
14Liberty County, FL54.554+0.5
15Gulf County, FL5452.8+1.2
16Okaloosa County, FL53.652.4+1.2
17Jackson County, FL53.554-0.5
18Walton County, FL52.752.2+0.5
19St. Johns County, FL52.650.7+1.9
20Sumter County, FL52.353.6-1.3
21Baker County, FL51.844.6+7.2
22Nassau County, FL51.648.3+3.3
23Taylor County, FL51.152.7-1.6
24Escambia County, FL50.948.5+2.4
25Santa Rosa County, FL50.748.1+2.6
26Holmes County, FL49.450.6-1.2
27Highlands County, FL48.747.4+1.3
28Hamilton County, FL47.845.5+2.3
29Levy County, FL47.847.4+0.4
30Madison County, FL47.849.7-1.9
31Flagler County, FL46.845.4+1.4
32Manatee County, FL46.345+1.3
33Lake County, FL45.845.9-0.1
34Citrus County, FL45.142.8+2.3
35Indian River County, FL44.245-0.8
36Pasco County, FL43.642.1+1.5
37Charlotte County, FL43.544.2-0.7
38Clay County, FL43.443.9-0.5
39Brevard County, FL42.340.9+1.4
40Collier County, FL42.145.9-3.8
41Martin County, FL41.841.5+0.3
42Sarasota County, FL41.443.4-2
43Seminole County, FL41.441.7-0.3
44Monroe County, FL41.146.2-5.1
45Broward County, FL40.941.6-0.7
46Columbia County, FL38.943.1-4.2
47Lee County, FL38.336.3+2
48Hernando County, FL38.138.2-0.1
49Bay County, FL36.636.9-0.3
50Polk County, FL36.237.3-1.1
51Hardee County, FL3637.7-1.7
52Volusia County, FL3634+2
53Hillsborough County, FL35.635.8-0.2
54Pinellas County, FL35.336.2-0.9
55Marion County, FL35.134.6+0.5
56Leon County, FL3534.4+0.6
57Alachua County, FL34.832+2.8
58Putnam County, FL34.737.9-3.2
59Palm Beach County, FL34.337.3-3
60St. Lucie County, FL34.136.2-2.1
61Hendry County, FL32.233.7-1.5
62Okeechobee County, FL32.231.5+0.7
63Orange County, FL31.931.90
64Osceola County, FL31.531.8-0.3
65DeSoto County, FL30.530.9-0.4
66Duval County, FL29.630.4-0.8
67Miami-Dade County, FL28.130.3-2.2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Florida?

Based on the Retiree lens, Calhoun County ranks as the top retirement county in Florida with a County Fit Score of 62.6. 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.