Population: 14,576
Cost of living: Not available
Median home price: $343,000
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
College perk: Low-cost continuing-education courses on everything from digital marketing to belly dancing.
St. Augustine and the surrounding St. John’s County offer more than just surf and sand wedges. But retirees looking for fun in the sun will find it here in spades, along with plenty of cultural activities, affordable luxury living, and first-class health care.
The 42 miles of sand on St. John’s Atlantic coast offer something for everyone. St. Augustine Beach, located 10 minutes from downtown, is backstopped by laid-back restaurants serving up the day’s catch to folks in flip-flops. If a peaceful hammock is more your vibe, chill with the local wildlife on the secluded beaches of 1,600-acre Anastasia Island State Park.
A short drive north will land you in Ponte Vedra Beach, replete with ritzy beach clubs and golf courses. Here you’ll find TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, one of the PGA’s most prestigious annual events. The area is also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame and the PGA Tour Academy—for golf legends both real and aspiring.
You can’t walk very far in St. Augustine without being reminded that it is the oldest European-established city in the U.S.—one that houses more than 60 historic sites and attractions, including a town square that dates to 1573. The city is still very much alive, however. Pedestrian-only St. George Street, lined with bistros, boutiques and bars, bustles all day and well into the night, with live music coming from practically every other open door.
Also keeping the city young: Flagler College, which operates as a center for educational and cultural enrichment for students and locals alike. Retirees can take in free lectures, plays, musicals, concerts and art exhibitions on campus.
Living costs in greater St. Augustine aren’t cheap by national standards, but retirees—especially those from the northeast—are snapping up its relatively affordable beachfront property, says real estate agent Carrie Reynolds. Oceanfront condos with pools in St. Augustine Beach run about $500,000, compared with $1 million or more in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, she says. She recently showed a 2,222-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath house in nearby South Ponte Vedra Beach for $520,000. Residents can walk through a tunnel under the adjacent highway straight onto the beach.
Florida has a plethora of health care providers. The Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus, a five-star hospital, is about an hour from St. Augustine.
Florida is among the tax-friendliest states in the country for retirees. There is no state income, estate or inheritance tax.
For population figures, we used the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Cost-of-living data comes from the Council for Community and Economic Research (100 represents the national median). Median home prices were provided by Redfin, Zillow and local associations of Realtors.
-
AI Goes To SchoolThe Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is rapidly heading to K-12 classrooms nationwide. Expect tech companies to cash in on the fast-emerging trend.
-
Where to Invest in an Uncertain MarketIn an uncertain market, you can still pocket juicy payouts ranging from 4% to 14%, depending on risk.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025. That's good news for state and local government employees.
-
Medicare Basics: 12 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, up from $69,000 in 2024.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2025simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2025retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2025 increased, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
