Naples tops the U.S. News & World Report list for places to retire in 2025 at number 1 spot

If you could pick a place to retire, what city would you choose?

The latest study from the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Retire looks at several factors important to retirees like happiness, affordability, job market, retiree taxes, desirability and availability of quality healthcare.

Happiness took the top spot for what matters most to the people 45 years and older surveyed, and Naples is at the number 1 spot out of 150 U.S. major cities.

Steve Carey is a retiree in Naples and said he understands why it landed the top spot.

“Lost my house in Fort Myers Beach, so came down here, next closest place. It’s pretty good. It’s beautiful. Naples, bike ride, eats, drink, good friends. Doesn’t get better than that,” Carey said. “You know, there’s a little everything. The PJs flying overhead. That never gets old. Rooftop bars and restaurants, the food is great. Food and nightlife. I like it.”

Carey knows when it comes to affordability, though, Naples does not rank #1.

“I think it’s a little tight for people right now. Fortunately, you know, I came from New York, so, you know, I was on that standard of living up that way, which, yes, very different, very expensive,” Carey said.

Shelton Weeks is the Director of the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University. He said he knows why Naples would be a top pick for retirees but adds it’s not a place the average person may be able to retire comfortably.

“Might be challenging for the average person; it’s hard to describe an average Naples retiree, but I think the common element is that most of them have enjoyed at least a fair degree of success in their careers, and they are significantly more affluent than the typical retiree,” Weeks said. “When you look at the demographic that we attract in southwest Florida, they tend to be a bit more affluent, and those folks can still afford to retire to Naples.”

The study by U.S. News & World Report also said the median home price for Naples tops $577,000, more than twice the national average home value of $281,000. According to the Naples Board of Realtors May 2023 report, the median price is $600,000.