Two Southwest Florida metropolitan areas are among the top 10 retirement destinations nationally.
According to StorageCafe, the metropolitan Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island areas rank among those in New York, New Jersey Virginia and North Carolina.
And they are not the only Florida destination. The list includes North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton and Port St. Lucie.
With more than 4 million Americans reaching “Peak 65” in 2026, retirement priorities have shifted well beyond beaches and leisure, Aura Michelle Mogosanu, spokesperson for StorageCafe wrote in a news release.
Out of the top 10 destinations, Cape Coral–Fort Myers takes the top spot overall as the U.S. metro “best equipped to support thriving throughout the golden years.”
According to the release, almost 29% of residents are older than 65, and 49% of seniors (49%) report retirement income, creating a deeply established retiree ecosystem.
The report states that retirees earn an average of $42,094 per year, ranking seventh nationally, and life expectancy is 80.6 in the area, only surpassed by the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island area, which reports an average life expectancy of 84 years.
The Cape Coral–Fort Myers area also offers strong access to healthcare and social support and boasts more than 100 golf courses.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers-Cape Coral area leads in retirement nationwide