This Florida Retirement Community Was Named Most 'Livable' (But It Comes At A Cost)

A suburban city about three miles north of Fort Lauderdale recently ranked as Florida's most livable. However, while it might be a great place to retire, it will come at a high cost. In June 2025, GOBankingRates, with help from neighborhood data analytics from AreaVibes and BestPlaces, listed Wilton Manors in its top 10 most livable destinations in Florida. Wilton Manors, a two-square-mile municipality of more than 11,000 people, was ranked at No. 1 based on A+ grades from AreaVibes for city amenities, commute time, low crime, high employment, and health & safety. Wilton Manors has long been acclaimed as a nice place to live, with a vibrant LGBTQ+ community and an abundance of restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and parks that many retirees enjoy. Plus, there are plenty of health facilities, police and fire stations, and pharmacies within and close to Wilton Manors.

With that said, Wilton Manors is also expensive — especially for retirees on a fixed income. In terms of home affordability, Wilton Manors received an F from AreaVibes. For cost of living, including housing as well as goods and services, Wilton Manors received a D-, which was actually 34% better than the rest of Florida, a state where the cost of owning a home has grown so high that retirees are actually leaving and heading to other parts of the U.S. instead.

Skyrocketing home insurance rates are a major reason why living in Florida can cost you. However, home prices and rents have also climbed dramatically in Florida since the pandemic, as more high-income households moved to the Sunshine State in order to enjoy good weather, and avoid state income taxes. That could be why the average income of a retiree in Florida is higher than the U.S. average, since more wealthy retired households have moved in, while low-to-moderate income retirees have been squeezed out.

In Wilton Manors specifically, houses and condos tend to come at a higher price than the state average. According to Zillow figures from June 30, 2025, the average value for a single-family home or condo in Wilton Manors was $582,857, versus $384,811 for Florida. Granted, Wilton Manors' home prices fell by 3.7% from the previous year, but they are not falling as fast as Florida, where home price averages have experienced a 4.3% year-over-year decline.

There is also the option of renting. According to BestPlaces, the average price for a one-bedroom in Wilton Manors is $1,300 a month, which is slightly more expensive than Florida's average of $1,290 but much cheaper than the $1,520 average monthly rate in the surrounding South Florida area. For a two-bedroom, the average monthly rent is $1,620, which is higher than the state average of $1,560, but lower than the average for the South Florida metro region.