Delray Beach has been given nicknames such as “Miami’s baby cousin”, “Palm Beach County’s hidden gem” and “Florida’s Village by the Sea”. Its best moniker, however, should simply be “A good place to retire”. Delray Beach gets 235 days of sun yearly, sees zero annual snowfall, and has an average temperature of 77 degrees. What makes retiring in Delray Beach, FL great is that nearly a quarter of the city’s population are seniors! Here are four excellent reasons why you should retire in Delray Beach, FL.
Good Location
Older active adults are attracted to Delray Beach for numerous reasons. Located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, Delray Beach has the characteristics of a larger city but does not come with the big-city disadvantages such as rush-hour beach traffic.
Residents enjoy the amicable and relaxed small-town feel of the place. They frequently extol Delray Beach’s excellent dining and vibrant nightlife, boutiques, and galleries on Atlantic Avenue, as well as the booming golfing scene. Do you know that the city is home to 18 golf courses, and within a 20-minute drive to 82 other golf courses?
Delray Beach’s prime location north of Boca Raton and south of Boynton Beach puts itself close to miles of beautiful beaches, arts and cultural scenes, and world-class shopping malls. It is also 25 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, 54 miles north of Miami, and 20 miles south of West Palm Beach, all of which are convenient spots to catch international and domestic flights.
Affordable Real Estate Market
Compared to nearby cities like Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton, Delray Beach’s real estate market is fairly affordable. In October 2020, the median list price of homes in the city was $275,000, trending up 10% year-over-year with a median sale price of $265,000, which is around 3.85% below the asking price. Delray Beach has also been identified as a balanced market, where the supply and demand for homes are about the same.
On the other hand, compared to Delray Beach, housing costs in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach in 2020 were 25% and 16% higher respectively. Boca Raton’s housing costs were nearly 70% higher than in Delray Beach!
Made It to Many “Best Places” Lists
Niche.com ranked Delray Beach 83rd out of 652 on its “2020 Best Places to Retire in Florida” list. It also gave Delray Beach the 6th spot on its list of “Best Places to Live in Palm Beach County”. Additionally, in 2020, Delray Beach was ranked 14th on the list of “25 Best Places in Florida to Retire” by floridaforboomers.com.
In 2019, the Palm Beach Post reported that Delray Beach was listed fourth on SmartAsset’s list of the “Best Cities for an Active Retirement.” And this was after SmartAsset had evaluated a whopping 544 cities for walk score, number of golf courses and fitness-related businesses, senior population percentage, average effective tax rate, and retirement communities and medical centers.
Great Amenities and All-Year-Round Events
If you love exploring museums, you’re in for a treat! The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens were founded by Japanese émigrés as a farming colony more than a century ago. The museum boasts six gardens inspired by popular gardens in Japan – perfect for an afternoon stroll with your loved ones! Another museum you should visit is the Cornell Art Museum, which is situated within a restored 1913 schoolhouse. It showcases works by nationally and internationally acclaimed modern artists.
In addition to the city’s shopping, nightlife, and golfing scene, Delray Beach is also renowned for its many arts and dining events happening all year round. Some of the popular events include First Friday art walks, the yearly Festival of the Arts and Restaurant Month. With so many activities and events, there is always something fun to do in Delray Beach, FL!