Exciting news from Forbes with Jacksonville Named a 2023 Top 25 Place to retire this month. This award comes as they released their report on the Best Places to Retire in 2023. After assessing 800 locations across America, 25 cities and towns were named to the list. Per Forbes, the goal is to identify top locations throughout the U.S. for high quality retirement living at affordable prices. Reviewing the criteria for inclusion, understanding the methodology leveraged along with assessing the findings help underscore the importance of this honor for Jacksonville.
Criteria for Inclusion
In the quest to balance quality and affordability Forbes delves into a number of topics. The selection process includes analyzing costs and taxes, air quality, crime stats, availability of physicians and encouragement of active lifestyle. Additional topics considered include climate change and natural hazard risks. The latter being the very reason Jacksonville is the only Florida city to make the list. All aforementioned criteria are important to consider when relocating (whether retired or not).
Methodology for how Jacksonville Named a 2023 Top 25 Place to Retire
For methodology – Forbes compiled their data set from 800 places with population over 10,000 in all states and Washington D.C. Primary factors included an analysis of topics of critical importance to retirees (money, taxes, median home price and overall cost of living) which was compared against national measures. Communities with “very high” risk rating from FEMA National Risk Index for Natural Hazards were automatically excluded from consideration.
So Why Retire to Jacksonville?
Jacksonville holds the distinction of being the sole Florida community named a 2023 Top 25 Place to Retire. Coming in at 16 out of 25 is an impressive feat. However, the selection criteria help demonstrate to others what we already know – namely, the Jacksonville Metro area is a wonderful place to call home. Forbes indicates the median home price of $259,000 is 22% lower than the national median. Pros include strong ratios of doctors per capita, good air quality, some bikeability (which is improving with things like the recent opening of the Fuller Warren shared use path linking the Riverside and San Marco neighborhoods) and moderate vulnerability to natural hazards. Detractors include the lack of walkability and crime rates above the national average.
If a move to Jacksonville is something you are considering there are plenty of options. From beachfront living, to townhouses and 55+ communities you will find choices abound. The breadth of options can be overwhelming, I always suggest the list approach. Take time to mark down what matters most to you and your loved ones. This might include proximity to family, recreational activities, arts and culture, restaurants, sporting events, doctors or the airport (if you like to travel or have guests). I find articles such as the 2023 Top 25 Places to Retire is a good way to get an unbiased analytical overview of what you might be looking to accomplish. That said – nothing can or should replace a visit to see if Jacksonville would make a good home for your golden years.