{"id":157888,"date":"2026-02-17T01:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/157888\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T01:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:07:10","slug":"thinking-about-a-sunny-retirement-this-florida-beach-city-checks-more-boxes-than-youd-expect-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/157888\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking About a Sunny Retirement? This Florida Beach City Checks More Boxes Than You&#8217;d Expect."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points<\/p>\n<p>St. Petersburg, Florida has held on to it&#8217;s historic charm while adding a multitude of ways to have fun.<\/p>\n<p>The city has managed to dramatically lower its crime rate over the past five years.<\/p>\n<p>St. Pete is the kind of city that allows you to do as much as you&#8217;d like, or as little as you prefer.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re nearing retirement and hope to relocate to a city that fits your wish list, take a closer look at St. Petersburg, Florida. Looking to live on or near the water? Check. What about a subtropical climate with year-round sunshine, a low crime rate, and plenty to do? Check, check, and check.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does St. Petersburg earn the top spot on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/research\/best-places-to-retire\/?utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Motley Fool&#039;s 2026 Best Places to Retire;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">The Motley Fool&#8217;s 2026 Best Places to Retire<\/a> list, but St. Pete manages to represent some of the most attractive features of living in The Sunshine State.<\/p>\n<p>Will AI create the world&#8217;s first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#8220;Indispensable Monopoly&#8221; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. <a href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=9e536e8b-7c31-4483-9622-1ee48efd73b4&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fa-sa-ai-boom-nvidias%3Faid%3D10891%26source%3Disaediica0000068%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-ai-boom%26ftm_veh%3Dtop_incontent_pitch_feed_partner%26ftm_pit%3D18906&amp;utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Continue \u00bb;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Continue \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a brief look at what makes St. Petersburg so attractive to older people looking to spend their retirement years in paradise.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Older couple, resting in the middle of moving boxes.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img w-full w-full h-auto\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/10f10b7ed57e9fa66b7d5f6807c925e5.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Older couple, resting in the middle of moving boxes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Image source: Getty Images.<\/p>\n<p>Safety<\/p>\n<p>Whatever officials are doing to make the city safer, it appears to be working. In 2025, St. Petersburg recorded 10 homicides, a 44% decrease from 2024, and 44% lower than the five-year average. In addition, auto thefts and fatal crashes decreased by 31% over the same five-year period.<\/p>\n<p>Community<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for a safe and supportive community, St. Petersburg may be the ideal place. The city focuses on community building, and since there&#8217;s a high concentration of seniors (roughly 21% of the total population), you&#8217;ll have plenty of social opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Prefer to live in a 55+ community? There are many choices. Unless you prefer solitude, there&#8217;s no reason you can&#8217;t make friends in such a thriving town.<\/p>\n<p>Cost of living<\/p>\n<p>The overall cost of living in St. Petersburg is 4% lower than the national average. It&#8217;s also important to note that Florida does not tax Social Security benefits, and there&#8217;s no state income tax. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/retirement\/relocation\/?utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Relocating to St. Petersburg;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Relocating to St. Petersburg<\/a> also means finding a housing market that&#8217;s 16% below the national average. However, you can expect to pay 5% more for utilities, 6% more for groceries, and 1% more for transportation.<\/p>\n<p>Things to do<\/p>\n<p>Sunny weather makes it easy to get out and enjoy yourself. Whether that means visiting the miles of beaches, looking for fossils, or fishing is up to you. Here&#8217;s a (very small) sample of what St. Petersburg has to offer young-at-heart retirees. In St. Petersburg, you can:<\/p>\n<p>Stroll through the Saturday morning market<\/p>\n<p>Visit one of the many art galleries, including the Morean Arts Center, where you can marvel at the glass and clay works<\/p>\n<p>Feel like you&#8217;re stepping back in time at the Weedon Island Reserve<\/p>\n<p>Explore the unique (highly historical) Grand Central District<\/p>\n<p>Treat yourself to a visit to the Salvador Dali Museum (if Dali isn&#8217;t your artist of choice, try The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art)<\/p>\n<p>Enjoy the sun while walking, biking, or kayaking<\/p>\n<p>While St. Petersburg is one of the top cities mentioned in The Motley Fool&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/research\/best-places-to-retire-south\/?utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Best Places to Retire in the South in 2026;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">Best Places to Retire in the South in 2026<\/a>, it&#8217;s not the only contender. If St. Pete isn&#8217;t your cup of tea, there are other cities that just might fit the bill.<\/p>\n<p>The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re like most Americans, you&#8217;re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known <a href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=9d02953b-bf23-4783-9972-d267c454b2b0&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-sa-social-security%2F%3Faid%3D10953%26source%3Disaeditxt0010931%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-retirement%26ftm_veh%3Darticle_pitch_feed_partners%26ftm_pit%3D15161&amp;utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:&quot;Social Security secrets&quot;;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">&#8220;Social Security secrets&#8221;<\/a> could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.<\/p>\n<p>One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more&#8230; each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we&#8217;re all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/api.fool.com\/infotron\/infotrack\/click?apikey=35527423-a535-4519-a07f-20014582e03e&amp;impression=9d02953b-bf23-4783-9972-d267c454b2b0&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-sa-social-security%2F%3Faid%3D10953%26source%3Disaeditxt0010931%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-retirement%26ryr-ss-intro-report%26ftm_veh%3Darticle_pitch_feed_partners%26ftm_pit%3D15161&amp;utm_source=AolDailyFinance&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;referring_guid=7d77bd0f-7d57-4be9-9063-eedcfb5c9ed5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:View the &quot;Social Security secrets&quot; \u00bb;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">View the &#8220;Social Security secrets&#8221; \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/legal\/fool-disclosure-policy\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:disclosure policy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Points St. Petersburg, Florida has held on to it&#8217;s historic charm while adding a multitude of ways&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68422,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[28,75709,202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-157888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-florida","9":"tag-motley-fool","10":"tag-st-pete","11":"tag-st-pete-headlines","12":"tag-st-pete-news","13":"tag-st-petersburg","14":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","15":"tag-st-petersburg-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}