Best Places to Live in Florida

With so many great places to live in Florida, it can be difficult for future residents to narrow down their search. Every part of the Sunshine State has something special to offer. In this chapter, we highlight some of the best places to live in Florida according to your lifestyle, your family size, and your personal interests.

Best Places to Live in Florida for Seniors

Florida is known as the retirement capital of the world. Between the great weather and the amazing tax breaks, it’s no wonder that people from all over the country will decide to spend their golden years in Florida. There are thousands of retirement communities, 65+ communities, assisted living, and other developments that are entirely focused on creating a fabulous quality of life for seniors. Regardless if you’re looking for an active senior community with lots of recreational activities available or a specific type of assistance to make daily living more convenient, Palm Beach County has the right place for you.

Jupiter, Tequesta, and Juno Beach Rank as Best Places for Seniors

The towns of Jupiter, Tequesta, and Juno Beach all rate as the top places for seniors to live in Florida. It doesn’t matter what your hobbies or interests are, each of these towns has something for everyone. The Northern part of Palm Beach County has beautiful sprawling beaches, waterways, and plenty of untouched coastal nature, which means gorgeous views from any condo, townhome, or villa you choose. Jupiter, Tequesta, and Juno Beach are all considered small, cozy towns with the energy and vibrancy of growing cities.

Kids and grandkids of all ages will love to visit and experience all of the wonderful things that make Jupiter, Tequesta, and Juno Beach so special. Jupiter and Tequesta are both famous for their incredible dining and top-rated seafood. Juno Beach Pier is where you’ll find stunning beachside sunrises and a quiet place to sit and watch the swimmers and surfers play in the waves. Of course, all three of these towns are also close to theaters, golf courses, shopping centers, and other amenities. This is why out of all of the amazing places to live and retire in the Sunshine State, our Florida guide experts chose the towns of Jupiter, Juno Beach, and Tequesta of Northern Palm Beach County to be the best places for seniors. Contact a Florida real estate agent with experience in Palm Beach County to view a list of available properties in senior communities in Jupiter, Tequesta, and Juno Beach.

Pros and Cons of Choosing Jupiter, Tequesta, or Juno Beach

The key advantages of choosing one of these towns for retirement are:

They’re pedestrian-friendly close to beautiful beaches.
They have wonderful ocean views from many of the condo, townhome, and villa developments.
They’re affordable.
They have communities for active adults as well as those that may need living assistance.

A few disadvantages of choosing these towns for retirement include:

They can become somewhat crowded during the winter months.
Hurricane season can bring bad weather during the summer months, as well as hot weather.

Best Places to Live in Florida if You Have Kids

If you have kids, there’s no better place than Florida to raise a family! Kids who are raised in Florida get to play outside all year, swim in the ocean any day of the week and are more likely to be environmentally conscious adults. When the ocean, beaches, intercoastal waterways, and national parks are right in your backyard, it’s pretty easy to turn into a lover of nature! There’s fishing, surfing, diving, beach volleyball, and other activities that are specific to Florida’s outdoors. In addition, Florida is famous for its elite baseball, football, and basketball teams. Even for kids who aren’t exactly in love with the outdoors, there are science centers, history centers, museums, and theaters for those curious kids who prefer the indoors. It’s clear that Florida has anything and everything for even the most active kids, but the opportunities don’t end there. Florida is an excellent place to plant roots and watch your family grow.

Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, Jupiter Island Rank as Best Places for Families

Our Florida guide experts looked into various towns and cities around Florida to find what they call the “perfect family community” and Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, and Jupiter Island were all ranked at the top. Each area is well-loved by families because they have those traditional characteristics that every family desires. Friendly neighbors, holiday events, neighborhood celebrations, and a closeness with the community that makes you feel like you’ve lived there your entire life. For a list of available properties in Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, and Jupiter Island, contact a Florida real estate agent that specializes in the Jupiter area.

Things to Do In Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, and Jupiter Island

Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, and Jupiter Island are all considered quintessential towns for families. Jupiter has some of the best-rated parks and beaches. Jupiter Farms is an excellent place for families who would prefer to have more land and enjoy rural activities, such as horseback riding, farming, and hunting. Jupiter Island is the perfect place for families who prefer to live on the water and take advantage of the incredible boating, diving, and fishing opportunities. Of course, there’s also incredible entertainment for kids around these areas that include theaters, shopping centers, and even things like laser tag and bowling.

Jupiter Schools

One of the key reasons why families choose Jupiter, Florida is because of its excellent private and public schools. Not every city in Florida can offer top-rated preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. While some families have to move from one end of a district to another for better schooling options, Jupiter residents can stay in one neighborhood while they watch their families flourish. We understand that parents don’t only want their kids to be able to go to top-rated schools, they also want them to love their teachers, build healthy relationships, and excel in learning. If you have children, the schools that are located in and around Jupiter, Jupiter Farms, and Jupiter Island are the best reasons to move to this incredible place.

Best Golf Communities to Live in Florida

Did you know that Florida has over 1,200 golf courses? If you’re not moving to Florida for the beaches, there’s a strong chance you’re headed to Florida to boost your golf game! Because of the year-round warm weather, you and your foursome can get together anytime for a round of golf. Florida residents take their golf very seriously. Retirees love it because it keeps them active. Young people love it because it’s fun! Florida has some of the best golf communities for residents. It doesn’t matter your age or if you’re looking for a townhome, condo, or single-family home, Florida has the right golf community for you.

Jupiter Ranks as Best Golf Community

The reason why Jupiter was picked as Florida’s top golf community is that it has 16 pristine courses available and many of them have become famous for their excellence. Courses such as The Loxahatchee Club, The Golf Club of Jupiter, The Bear’s Club, Jupiter Hills Club, Old Marsh Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Medalist Golf Club, PGA National Resort & Spa, Loblolly, Emerald Dunes Club, and Madison Green Country Club are all award-winning golf courses in Jupiter Florida.

Of course, many of these award-winning golf courses have fabulous housing developments nearby or built on the course. You can find single-family homes, condominiums, townhomes, or villas all within a short distance to your favorite golf course. Some of these homes have incredible golf course views and memberships available as well. People of all ages move to Jupiter Florida to enjoy an active golfing lifestyle and live in these beautiful communities. Contact a Florida real estate agent to learn more about properties available in one of the many Jupiter golf course communities.

Pros and Cons of Golf Club Memberships in Jupiter Florida

If you’re committed to purchasing real estate on or near one of Jupiter’s award winning golf courses, your next decision will involve purchasing a golf club membership. Some of the Jupiter golf communities will require membership to their clubs,and include rules of buying a membership as a condition for being able to buy a home in that community. If you plan on being an avid golfer and taking advantage of one of the beautiful courses that Jupiter has to offer, it’s highly recommended to purchase a membership to your chosen course. If you’re still unsure if you’d like to become a member of a Jupiter golf course, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider.

The first thing to know is that each course has different price ranges and most offer different levels of membership that will include or exclude a variety of amenities. For instance, The Golf Club of Jupiter, it costs $350 a month to become a basic club member, $750 a month for intermediate level membership, $1,100 a month for a full membership. It’s important to discuss what’s included with your membership when speaking with representatives from each golf club. Some basic memberships will only include access to the country club, and may not include golf access. In other instances, you may have access to tennis courts but not the golf course. That’s why it’s important to explore each fine line of golf club memberships contracts and/or country club memberships contracts when purchasing homes in golf course communities in Jupiter.

Another factor to consider when purchasing in a golf course community is if you prefer an equity based or non-equity based membership. This will determine what Jupiter golf course community you choose to belong to. An equity membership at a Jupiter golf course means that as a member, you own a portion of the golf club along with other community members. Member-owned golf clubs are typically the most expensive, exclusive, and they include amenities that aren’t commonly associated with non-equity golf clubs. The initiation fees to equity membership structured courses can run anywhere from $5,000 to over $150,000. Not all Jupiter golf courses have an equity membership structure, but many of them do.

Lastly, it’s important to know that some golf memberships will not allow non-members to play. If you’re moving to Jupiter, Florida with the hopes of playing with friends or associates who are not members of your club, you may be forced to play on courses that you don’t belong to or be subjected to some difficult conversations with some of your golf buddies. Knowing who can or cannot join you at your golf club can be the deciding factor for those active golfers moving to Jupiter.

Overall, there are some general pros and cons to golf course membership in Jupiter.

Pros of Golf Memberships in Jupiter:

Play as much as you want.
Access to tournaments and competitions.
Access to the country club’s amenities.
Improve your golf game.
Meet new people and neighbors in your golf community.
Gain access to networking opportunities.
Gain the most out of your Jupiter golf course home purchase.

Cons of Golf Memberships in Jupiter:

Can be expensive or include non-refundable contracts.
Lack of course variety, since you’re committed to the membership at your club/community.
Not having the ability to play golf with non-members.

Gated Communities in Florida

Since Florida has so many growing towns and cities with a focus on safety and inclusion, gated communities have become a favorite amongst developers. Gated communities offer a lot of perks to families and individual homebuyers of every age. However, gated communities aren’t necessarily for everyone.

Benefits of Gated Communities

There are a lot of benefits that come along with living in a gated community. Here are some advantages of purchasing a Florida home in a gated community:

Privacy
Safety and security with many communities offering 24-hour surveillance, security guard, electronic fences, and video cameras
Amenities such as pools, parks, tennis courts, and basketball courts
No speeding cars cutting through your neighborhood
No traffic
No solicitors
Great for children and families
Sense of closeness in the community
High resale value

Drawbacks of Gated Communities

Despite all of its benefits, gated communities do have a few drawbacks and disadvantages for some Florida residents. Here are a few cons to purchasing a home in a gated community:

Restrictive rules with things like the number of vehicles you can own or personal home style.
Inconvenient gatehouse requirements or lack of privacy. For instance, some residents don’t like making visitors go through a security check.High listing prices.
Lack of diversity in home facade or architecture.

What You Need to Know About HOA’s

An HOA or Homeowners Association is an organization that manages how a community is run. They create rules, set maintenance routines, develop future plans, and decide what the community is collectively responsible for and what the individual homeowner is responsible for. Once you purchase a home in a community with a homeowner’s association, you automatically become a member of that association. Here are a few important things to remember if purchasing a home with an HOA:

Every HOA is Different

If you’ve already lived in a community that has an HOA, never automatically assume that they’re run the same way. Every HOA in Florida is different. They have different fees, rules, and requirements. Every HOA also includes a wide variety of different things. While some provide landscaping, insurance, gate maintenance, or pool services, others might only provide garbage pick-up and utilities. When viewing potential homes, it’s important to ask about the HOA fees, the annual budget, and a list of what’s included.

Ask About the Possibility of Additional Fees

A new listing may provide a monthly HOA fee, a list of what’s included, and very few details of what else to expect in the future. It’s crucial to ask about the possibility of extra fees or upcoming changes in the budget. For instance, you may be delighted by an inexpensive monthly HOA fee, then find out that a property assessment is coming up to replace the building’s windows, which will cost you thousands of dollars. Remember to ask the HOA board members about the amount of money that the HOA has in its reserves, any plans to upgrade the development or the possibility of extra costs.

Ask About How the HOA is Run

HOA’s are all managed in a variety of ways. Most are managed by board members that include a mix of residents that are voted in or volunteer for the position. You’ll want to know as much as possible about how the HOA is run. Ask to see the agenda or meeting minutes from board member meetings over the last year. Ask to see everything that’s included in the budget. Ask questions about potential conflicts of interest, previous issues they’ve faced with leadership, financial troubles, and anything else you can think of! Homeowner’s Associations can provide a lot of advantages to a community, but you want to make sure that the property you’re interested in has a strong and stable HOA with effective leadership.