St Augustine Lighthouse

There are a number of attractive pre-retirement and retirement destinations along the East Coast of Florida. We have profiled five which we believe are the most desirable. It should be pointed out at the outset that the beaches on the East Coast of Florida are very different from those on Florida’s West Coast. People from the Northeast will find the beaches on the East Coast of Florida to be similar to what they are used to…..pounding surf and a fairly sharp drop off once you enter the water. The West Coast is much different. The bottom drops off very gradually; and unless there is a storm brewing, there is normally little wave action.

ORMOND BEACH is just north of Daytona Beach on the Halifax River in Volusia County. It is not as well known as Daytona Beach, but is an understated town with 40,000 residents and excellent services. Ormond Beach is recognized for it weather, lush vegetation, and proximity to the beach. Temperatures in the middle of winter range from the low 50s to the low 70s. In the summer, average lows are in the mid-70s and highs in the low 90s. Its attributes were recognized by the rich and famous in years past including the Rockefellers. Sometimes called the "city of parks", 145-acre Central Park is in the middle of town and provides residents with a place for boating and hiking. Tomoka State Park is just north of downtown and is popular as a place to picnic and bird watch. Tennis enthusiasts are pleased with the quality of the tennis courts available within the park system. Florida Hospital has two campuses in Ormond Beach that provide a full range of services. The cost of living is below average, with a median housing cost in the low $200s. The residents of Ormond Beach are also able to partake of the offerings of Daytona Beach without residing in that more high profile city. One of those popular venues is Daytona Beach’s community playhouse. There are also concerts and art exhibits at Daytona Beach Community College. The nearby location of Daytona Beach airport is very convenient for air travel. Ormond Beach has its own personality; it is probably advantageous to take a short vacation in town initially to see if it provides the type of lifestyle that you are seeking.

VERO BEACH is a very popular retirement destination located about half way down Florida’s East Coast. It is known for its small town feel but has substantial resources. Forward-thinking city planners were successful in developing safeguards to retain the city’s ambiance. This has resulted in a city with parks and beach access instead of high-rises and abundant signage. They do not have the traffic congestion that many other coastal cities have. The city has 18,000 residents and covers 12 square miles. It is split by the Intracoastal Waterway with part on the mainland and part on a barrier island. As we will discuss later, this has a dramatic affect on the cost of housing. Cultural offerings include The Riverside Theatre, The Vero Beach Theatre Guild, The Indian River County Historical Society, and the McClarty Treasure Museum. The Los Angeles Dodgers hold Spring Training in Vero Beach, and the Tampa Bay Rays Class A minor league entry in the Florida State League plays here from April to August. The Vero Beach Polo and Saddle Club puts on matches from January to April.

Indian River Community College has a satellite campus in Vero Beach which offers a range of degreed and non-degreed programs. Webster University, Barry University, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida Institute of Technology are nearby. Indian River Memorial Hospital is the local community hospital; they offer a full range of medical services. Vero Beach Municipal Airport is a small airport for private and corporate aircraft. The major carriers utilize Melbourne International Airport which is 35 miles away. The climate is certainly one of the draws of Vero Beach with winter lows averaging 50 degrees, and summer highs averaging in the high 80s. As referenced previously, there is a significant difference in the cost of housing between the island portion and the mainland. The overall average is about $250,000 but that blends costs on the mainland in the $200,000 to $300,000 range, and in the $300,000 to $500,000 range on the island. Particularly if you would consider a condo as opposed to a single-family home, Vero Beach is one the East Coast’s leading retirement destinations.

STUART is a town of about 17,000 year-round residents in Martin County on the banks of the St. Lucie River. The St. Lucie leads to the Intracoastal Waterway and on to the Atlantic Ocean. The weather is beautiful...low to mid-70’s in the winter, and low 90s in the summer. It seldom gets below 50 degrees in the winter months. Martin County has managed its growth well resulting in low density. For example no buildings can be over four stories high. The medical needs of the community are met by Martin Memorial Medical Center and Martin Memorial Hospital South. The many activities in the area, including Port St. Lucie to the north and Hobe Sound to the south, attract a sizable number of younger retirees. Boating, tennis and golf are popular recreational activities, but there is much, much more. Local venues include the Barn Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Court House Cultural Center, and the Maritime and Yachting Museum. For those who want to commune with nature, there is Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. New York Mets fans can drive up the road to Port St. Lucie in March to see a Spring Training game. For those wanting to take college courses, Indian River Community College has a campus in Stuart. Air travelers need to drive to Palm Beach International Airport which is 40 miles to the south. All of this comes at a price. The overall cost of living is above average, and housing costs average in excess of $250,000. Second home buyers and active retirees who can afford Stuart are encouraged to give it serious consideration.

JUPITER is an attractive coastal city of about 45,000 just north of Palm Beach. It sits on the Intracoastal Waterway so water sports are prominent. That is not to suggest that other recreational activities such as golf and tennis are not very accessible as well. Somewhat unique to this area is the presence of horse boarding facilities which attracts another group of sports enthusiasts. John D. MacArthur Beach State Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park are nearby with excellent facilities for swimming, camping, fishing and boating. The prominent Jupiter Lighthouse houses a museum of local artifacts and memorabilia. Baseball fans are attracted by the abundance of baseball played in the area. Both the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals hold Spring Training in Jupiter in March, and each team has an entry in the Class A Florida State League. The minor league teams play from April thru August. All of these outdoor activities are supported by warm, sunny weather. With the Gulf Stream off the coast, Jupiter has warm winters with average highs in the mid-70s and hot summers with highs averaging close to 90 degrees.

When it comes to theater and the arts, residents take advantage of the offerings of nearby Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. These include the Norton Museum of Art, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and the Royal Poinciana Playhouse. The same is true for the pursuit of college level courses; there is Palm Beach Community College and the North Palm Beach campus of Florida Atlantic University. Palm Beach International Airport, which is about 20 minutes away, is the airport of choice. Jupiter does have its own excellent medical center with comprehensive medical facilities. The cost-of-living including housing is above average and reflects the high standard of living in the greater Palm Beach area. The median cost of housing is slightly over $600,000. Jupiter appeals to active pre-retirees who value the slower pace and open space of Jupiter, but want access to the upscale venues of nearby Palm Beach.