No surprise here: Florida cities top 'best places to retire'

Fort Myers ranks No.1, Sarasota No. 2

You are never going to believe this. OK, maybe you will. The U.S. News & World Report unveiled its 2020 Best Places to Retire list this week and Florida cities are at the top of the pack.

While this is no surprise to Florida locals and snowbirds alike, the ranking and consumer authority list confirms Florida's reign as "best place to retire."

The list was compiled after evaluating the country's 125 largest metropolitan areas based on several factors, including housing affordability, desirability, health care and overall happiness.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Fort Myers is the No. 1 city this year, up from No. 2 last year,  "due to increases in desirability, health care quality, job market strength and happiness."

Sarasota made the jump from No. 3 to No. 2 this year, due to increases in desirability, health care and job market scores, despite falling in the areas of happiness and housing affordability.

Also no surprise, several Central Florida cities made it into the top 25, including Orlando, Lakeland and Melbourne.

Here is the top 10 list. There are a lot more Florida cities on the full list here.

  • Fort Myers, Florida
  • Sarasota, Florida
  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Asheville, North Carolina 
  • Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

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