Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
St. Augustine, Florida
Romantic, Historic St. Augustine Sits on the Northeastern Florida Coast and is Known for its Charming Downtown, Beautiful Beaches and Scenic Waterfront
On the northeastern shore of Florida, between the Intracoastal Waterway and Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine (population 15,000) is a charming 457-year-old town steeped in Old World character, romance and history. It was founded by the Spanish in 1565, 42 years before Jamestown, Virginia was settled, and it is the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States.
The town's history is a tumultuous one, with the Spanish, the British, the Confederate States and the United States all laying claim to it at one time or another. Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon visited St. Augustine while he searched for the "Fountain of Youth." English sea captain Sir Francis Drake attacked the town. Prates plundered it. Union soldiers invaded it. Finally, in the late 19th-century, things started to quiet down, and the town became a winter haven for wealthy families.
Today, St. Augustine is a lively tourist destination and popular with retirees. In fact, 45% of the population is age 45 or better. The cost of living is 15% above the national average, and the median home price is $480,000, reflecting a 1% increase from a year ago.
Most residents lean to the right politically, and the city has grown 10% during the last decade. The crime rate has been high for years, but it is down from 8 or 10 years ago, thanks to more strategic policing.
This is a place where the past always seems close at hand. Remnants of the First Spanish Colonial Period are visible in the four square mile Historic District where narrow streets are lined with beautifully restored (and reconstructed) balconied homes, clapboard homes and homes built with coquina (crushed shells).
The imposing landmark Castillo de San Marcos is a Spanish fort built in 1672 as a defense against the British who occupied nearby Charles Town (Charleston, South Carolina) and is a constant reminder of St. Augustine's colorful heritage. Nineteenth-century industrialist Henry Flagler's elegant hotels conjure up the Victorian era. And in quieter moments, cobblestone streets almost echo with the clip clop of horse hooves from days gone by.
Outside of the historic district, neighborhoods range from older and a little bedraggled to new and well-tended. Home styles include ranch ramblers, Mediterraneans, Cape Cods, Victorians and more. Condos and town houses are in decent supply, too. Waterfront homes along the Intracoastal Waterway or on Anastasia Island are large and beautiful. Many are in gated communities and have a boat dock.
Two million people come to visit St. Augustine each year, and there is plenty to keep them (and locals) busy. Downtown's charming, pedestrian-friendly St. George Street has a wonderful array of boutiques, restaurants, galleries, pubs, bookstores, small hotels and a few haunted buildings. First Friday Art Walks and historical reenactments attract sizeable crowds.
San Sebastian Winery has free wine tastings. Ripley's Believe It or Not showcases the strange and bizarre. Several living history museums, including Old St. Augustine Village and the Spanish Quarter Village, showcase early Florida life. The St. Augustine Community Orchestra mounts a full schedule. And, of course, visiting Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and tasting its magical waters is a must.
Anastasia Island, accessible via downtown's Bridge of Lions, is rife with wildlife, laced with nature trails and home to some of Florida's best oceanfront beaches.
St. John's Council on Aging is a non-profit organization that provides services such as prescription drug assistance and legal aid to people age 60 or better. It also operates the Coastal Community Center where congregate noon meals are served Monday through Friday. The local RSVP (Retired and Seniors Volunteer Program) is a way of staying involved and giving back to the community and has 750 volunteers. Flagler College, a four-year liberal arts college, offers adult education classes for those who enjoy higher learning. It is housed in the Ponce de Leon Hall, an 1888 luxury hotel considered a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture.
The Sunshine Bus Company provides public van transportation throughout town Monday through Saturday. A door-to-door para-transit service is also available to people age 60 or better.
Flagler Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and is recognized for its clinical excellence, patient safety, emergency medicine and more. Medicare patients are accepted. For military retirees, St. Augustine has a VA outpatient clinic, but the nearest VA hospital is in Gainesville, 65 miles away.
Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 40s, 50s and 60s. On average, the area receives 51 inches of rain per year.
Retirement in St. Augustine does have some drawbacks. Vacationers clog restaurants, shops and everything else. Low lying and surrounded by water, the city is prone to flooding, even during light rains, and hurricanes Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Dorian (2019) and Ian (2022) all caused significant water damage. Local leaders have, though, started installing valves, pipes, pumps and taller seawalls to keep seawater from reaching neighborhoods and downtown in the future.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, but... | Is Florida Tax-Friendly for Retirement? Yes
St. Augustine is a charming historic city, but its flooding problems, tourists crowds and higher than average crim rate should be weighed if considering retirement here.
Florida:
Named Pascua Florida by Juan Ponce De Leon, the Sunshine State did not enter the Union until March 3, 1845. Balmy mild winters began attracting snowbirds to the state in the late 19th century. Retirees continue to flock to the state. It's not hard to see why tourism has become the leading industry.
International trade and citrus are also major contributors to the state's economy. Eighty percent of the nation's oranges and grapefruits are grown here, and 40 percent of all U.S. exports to Latin America flow through Florida.
Florida's landscape includes uplands and coastal plains. It contains more than 11,000 miles of waterways and about 4,500 islands spread across 10 acres.
The state has 1,250 golf courses, more than any other state in the Union. The 47 mile Pinellas Trail is the longest urban trail on the east coast. Orlando theme parks attract more visitors than any other theme parks in the U.S. The only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist is in National Everglades Park.
Webwerxx, Inc. Copyright (c) 2006-2024. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc. Reproducing any original part of this publication without written permission from Webwerxx, Inc. is plagiarism. Numerous attempts were made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this website, but some information may have changed since each article and/or report went online, and Webwerxx, Inc. is not responsible for inaccurate information contained in its articles and/or reports.