Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Boca Raton, Florida
Stylish Boca Raton is Known for its Shopping Venues, Gated Neighborhoods, Pastel-Colored Buildings, Lush Parks and Beautiful Beaches
Stylish Boca Raton sits along Florida's southeastern coast, about 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. It is known for its beautiful beaches, elegant shopping venues and gated, master-planned neighborhoods.
This is a well-maintained city with lush parks and manicured lawns. Strict building codes do not allow new billboards or flashy commercial advertising. Downtown's Mizner Park is an upscale "lifestyle center" with an art museum, fashionable restaurants, pricey offices and exclusive, pastel-colored shops. Residents enjoy the Boca Ballet Theatre, the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphony and a professional theater group. Two dozen golf courses have a Boca address, and the South Florida Educational Center houses a number of university satellite campuses. The two miles of clean, lifeguard-protected, white sand beaches are perfect for sunning, swimming, viewing marine life, fishing and birdwatching. Bark Park Dog Beach is the place for well-behaved dogs and their humans.
Lower-priced neighborhoods have mobile/manufactured homes and condos, while more expensive areas feature large residences with acreage and horses. Mediterranean and Spanish architectural themes and tropical landscaping are popular.
Population: 98,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 45%
Cost of Living: 36% above the national average
Median Home Price: $610,000
Climate: This area has a tropical rainforest climate (hot and humid). During the rainy season (summer), temperatures are in the 80s and 90s. During the dry season (winter), temperatures are in the 50s and 60s. On average, the area receives 60 inches of rain per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients: Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission: Yes
Public Transit: Yes, provided by Palm Tran
Crime Rate: Below the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Liberal
College Educated: 53%
Is Florida Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: Boca Raton was brushed by hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017, but damage was not extensive. Future hurricanes are always a possibility.
Notes: The city has a reputation for bad drivers and was once a favorite hangout for organized crime bosses. It is sometimes called the "sixth borough," a reference to the sizable number of New Yorkers here. Tourists decend in summer. Boca Raton has grown 12% during the last decade, and home prices have increased 1% since a year ago.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
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.
Florida, particularly the Keys and the Gulf Coast, were struck by Category 4 Hurricane Irma in early September, 2017.
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