The Fantasy
The best place to retire in the USA is not just a pipe dream. It is a real place, and you can afford to live there. Imagine a palm tree wafting gently in a warm ocean breeze, the sound of seagulls as they make their way along the shoreline, and the feel of the sun as it warms your face and hands.
Walk along the beach, pick up a few shells, and head back through the seaweed-covered sand pathway toward your car.
Stop for a cup of coffee at an outdoor café, pick up fresh fruits and vegetables from the weekend farmers’ market, and buy fresh catch from the local seafood market.
Forget the expensive homes and neon signs in South Florida and the wintry blizzards up North. You are living in the best retirement place in the USA. No, you are not dreaming. You are in Flagler County, one of the last beach-side sanctuaries to hold its own against the high rises and crowded parking lots along Florida’s East Coast.
Conveniently located halfway between the ancient historic city of Saint Augustine and the NASCAR mecca in Dayton Beach, Flagler County, the city of Palm Coast was recently listed by CNN and Fortune Magazine as one of the best places to retire in the USA.
The Reality
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. However, this time may just be an exception to the rule. The city of Palm Coast reached its peak in 2005 and was one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. With the fall of the housing market, however, the median price of housing has fallen 48% in the past few years. You may be wondering now how it could be one of the top places to retire in the USA.
In 2009, the median price of a home in Palm Coast was $143,970. With 230 “blue-sky days per year”, the city is home to 10 golf courses, quiet beaches, lush tropical state parks, saltwater canals, and newly built walking and biking trails. Boasting a retirement population of 38%, this city of approximately 75,000 people not only has affordable homes; it, also, has the added advantage of having no state taxes and low vehicle registration fees.
In 2005, Palm Coast broke ground on Town Center, a still-growing area incorporating businesses, entertainment, shopping, and restaurants.
Flagler County is home to ruins of old sugar mills, brick roads from Old King’s Highway, and towering moss-laden oak trees reminiscent of Old Florida. In addition to Palm Coast, the county, also, prides itself on Flagler Beach, a quaint little beachfront town with its timeless fishing pier, quirky, village feel, and local surfers and fishermen.
The county that time passed by is conveniently located only an hour from the big city of Jacksonville and approximately two hours away from Orlando, the worldwide vacation destination and Home of the Big Mouse. It is the best place to retire in the USA, and it is actually affordable.
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