Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach Among Best Places to Retire

In its annual ranking of “best places to retire,” US News and World Report rated Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach at 13th.  The magazine annually compares the 125 largest metropolitan areas based on housing affordability, happiness, desirability, retiree taxes and access to quality health care.

Here’s what they had to say about Daytona/Ormond:

“You can retire on the beach with a modest retirement income in Daytona Beach.  The median home price among people age 60 and older is $185,000, according to Census Bureau data.  But this is not a sleepy beach town.  The headquarters for NASCAR is in Daytona Beach, and there are several large motorsports events each year.  Health care services are provided by Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach and Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center.  Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, which adds to the appeal for retirees looking for a low cost of living, especially if they aim to work part-time.

Many of the things that make Daytona Beach a popular vacation spot also make it a good place to live.  Fishing is a popular pastime, and residents can be seen casting from a pier or the deck of a yacht.  Fishing’s land-based recreational counterpart is golf, and the area’s affinity for the sport goes back more than a century.  Life in Daytona Beach is balanced by museums, theaters, performing arts centers, antique markets, restaurants, malls and colleges that combine to make Daytona Beach one of Florida’s most well-rounded metro area.”