CNN is another in a long line of media outlets to name St. Augustine one of the best places to retire.  In October, CNNMoney listed St. Augustine as one of “25 Best Places to Retire” in a list that also included Winston-Salem, NC, Austin, TX, Tucson, AZ, and Louisville, KY.  St. Augustine was the only Florida city to make the cut.

The article highlighted “St. Augustine’s fantastic weather, beautiful beaches, and world-class golf” as well as its “active year-round community,” housing options and Flagler Hospital.  In recent years, SmartMoney listed St. Augustine as one of nine “Best New Places to Retire,” Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch listed St. Augustine as one of the “10 Best Places to Retire in the U.S,” and Bloomberg Businessweek listed St. Augustine as one of “America’s Best Affordable Places to Retire.”

We asked Davidson Realty Agent Ron Savarese why boomers like him choose to make North Florida their home and he cited the following 10 reasons:

1. North Florida is less crowded and less congested than South Florida.
2. Cost of living:  Florida has no state income tax, and in general our cost of goods is on par or lower than many other metro areas, as is our property taxes.�
3. Real estate prices are affordable.  While the real estate market has improved and prices have increased, home prices are still very competitive throughout St. Augustine, Jacksonville and World Golf Village.
4. We are packed with recreational amenities, including numerous golf courses (the King & Bear at World Golf Village is a personal favorite, but the TPC at Sawgrass is another standout); boating and fishing opportunities thanks to one of the largest rivers in North America, the St. Johns River, several lakes, creeks and of course the Atlantic Ocean; and home to the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team.
5. Our top-notch medical facilities include the Mayo Clinic as well as teaching hospitals at UF Shands.  Some of the best & brightest are involved in the healthcare system in and around Jacksonville & St Augustine.
6. Several 55+ communities offer an active retired lifestyle here, whether you’re looking for a condo or single family home.  One well-located and affordably priced option is the Cascades in World Golf Village.
7. Close proximity to several major airports for easy access to domestic and international flights: Jacksonville International Aiport, Daytona International Aiport, Orlando International Airport.
8. In addition to the Jacksonville cruise terminal, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale and Miami offer cruise terminals within driving distance.
9. We’re convenient to goods and services that we all require on a daily basis – usually just a short drive. I have found that many areas that are developed for retirees are not convenient to these services.
10. And of course our weather.  Although in North Florida we do have frost and colder weather for short times during the year, our weather is a welcome change if you are moving from the northeast or midwest and there’s no snow to shovel. Our winter daytime temperatures are mainly above 50 degrees.  There’s a nice change of seasons but the majority of our days are filled with sunshine and warmth.