Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Largo, Florida
Sandwiched Betweeen Old Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on Florida's Gulf Coast, Largo is a Pleasant City with a Bustling Downtown
Sandwiched betweeen Old Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Largo spent much of its history as a farming community. New residents and houses started arriving in large numbers after WWII.
The downtown stretches along busy West Bay Drive, which is lined with sidewalk sandwich shops, furniture stores, hair salons and more. The city is dotted with lakes, and its Central Park Nature Preserve has a five-mile kayak and canoe route. Bonner Park overlooks the water, and Largo's Highland Recreation Center has both aquatic and fitness elements. The community center offers writing, music and dance classes, and its public golf course has adult lessons, tournaments, and a cafe. Largo Cultural Center sponsors more than 100 performing arts events per year. Its resident theater company, Eight O'Clock Theater, produces Broadway shows. The local historical society has undertaken several preservation projects, including saving a feed store and a smokehouse.
Neighborhoods are generally tidy and primarily peppered with ranch ramblers. Nearby white sand oceanfront beaches include Indian Rocks Beach, about five miles to the west, Madeira Beach and Redington Beach, each about eight or nine miles to the southwest.
Population: 84,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 54%
Cost of Living: 16% below the national average
Median Home Price: $320,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and rainstorms are frequent. Winter temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. On average, the area receives 51 inches of rain per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? Yes, and it is award-winning.
Public Transit: Yes
Crime Rate: Slightly above the national average
Public Library: Yes, and it is known for its genealogy collection and lecture series.
Political Leanings: Liberal
College Educated: 22%
Is Florida Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: Traffic congestion is an issue. Some areas have seen better days.
Notes: The city has maintained its population within the last decade. Home prices have decreased 3% since last year.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes, although the higher than average crime rate is a concern.
Florida:
Sticking out into Hurricane Alley, Florida was a land no nation seemed to want. Ruled successively by Spain, France, England, and the Confederate States of America, the state had a backwater reputation. Other than St. Augustine and Pensacola, there were few cities. The area was rural and populated by frontier farmers.
In the late-1800s, changes came when railroads began chugging down both coasts. Industrialist Henry Flagler's Florida Easy Coast Railway even made it all the way to Key West. The Great Florida Land Boom, the build-up to World War II, and the space industry also helped turn Florida into one of the nation's most populous states. In 1900, there were about 500,000 residents. Today, there are more than 20 million, almost 351 people per square mile.
Why do people keep coming? Tourism marketing is one reason. Annually, millions visit Orlando's theme parks and the state's 663 miles of white sand beaches. Taxes generated by the billion dollar vacation industry allow Florida to prosper without a personal income tax. Budget-sensitive retirees have flocked to its cities and shorelines.
If you can ignore the hurricanes, the state's climate is relatively mild. Only five other states are sunnier. Florida's system of state universities and community colleges is sizable, and its big cities are meccas for culture and the arts. Sarasota is a good example. Its Ringling Museum Complex contains internationally known art museum, a circus museum, an historic theater, and a 66-acre garden. Museums near Orlando range from a Zora Neale Hurston gallery to a Madame Tussauds.
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