Naples, Florida
What It Is Like to Retire in Naples
Naples represents the gold coast of southwest Florida. People who say they don’t like Florida might not have seen this upscale retirement community. Its downtown is as sophisticated as any in the world, but charming too – you can pull up to a 5 star hotel’s valet parking, and then walk 50 feet to a old-fashioned bar where you can listen to Irish singers. High end shops vie for your credit card. Surrounding the walk-able downtown are beautiful residential streets, conveniently situated next to the white coral beach that goes for miles, with condominiums and homes lining much of it. The average age in Naples is quite high, it is definitely a popular retirement spot. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area is one of the most popular parks in southwest Florida. The downtown neighborhoods are lovely and feature both private homes and small condominium associations. There is a plethora of active adults and 55+ communities to choose from. Some are expensive gated developments along various waterways, others more reasonable away from the water. Naples has every type of active adult community imaginable. Golf courses are just about everywhere, but tend to be more on the Bay side of town.
Where to Retire in Naples and Home Prices
There are many active adult communities in Naples of all types. In fact Topretirements has reviews of more than 50 in our Florida Directory. Zillow reports the median sale price of a home in Naples to be $$586,370 in early 2025. Homes near the beach and in waterfront developments will sell for much more than that.
What Is Special about Naples
• Naples Beach and adjacent neighborhoods • Charming and upscale downtown area • An upscale development for everybody • Active cultural life • an affluent and prosperous town • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a huge preserve • Naples claims it has more golf holes per capita than any other town in the country.
What Is Not Special about Naples
Oppressively hot, humid summers; traffic is intense and only going to get worse; really high prices, although they have fallen lately; everybody seems rich.
Who Will Like Retirement in Naples
Naples is a growing, vital community. The majority of the population seem to be in retirement, and they are extremely affluent.
Local Economy Is Driven by
Tourism, Finance, Retail, Healthcare, Real Estate
Climate and Physical Environment
Naples is the west coast of Florida, with many bays and waterways. It is on one of the best beaches in the world. The terrain is flat and tropical. Warm winters and hot humid summers.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
Naples has been listed as one of the top small art towns in America. The Naples Players, the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonic Center of Naples, and the Sugden Theater are just some of the cultural attractions in Naples. If that isn't enough it is less than an hour away from more theatres in Ft. Myers to the north. There are various community and dinner theatres. The libraries are first rate and artists thrive in the many art galleries.
Crime
Crime in Naples is a little less than two thirds the national average.
Medical facilities
In addition to Naples Community Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic has a facility in Naples. Sometimes it seems like every other building houses a medical practice or facility - there is no shortage of medical care here!
Transportation
The city is served by the Naples Municipal Airport and the Delta Connection, which flies to Atlanta. Southwest Florida International Airport, in South Fort Myers is just a short trip up the Interstate. Most of the low-cost carriers are there, offering convenient non-stop service to many destinations. Car traffic is intense in season. Downtown Naples is way above average in walkability when compared to other communities, but once out of the downtown that is not so.
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