Florida is a coastal state in the United States that is surrounded by Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico, and Alabama. Florida was named by Juan Ponce de Leon as La Florida means the Flowering states because at that time Florida was in bloom not only with flowers but also the fauna. It also known as the sunshine state due to its mostly sunny climate the whole year round. If you want for a sunshiny day every day, then go to Florida, and if you love the beach, then this is the place for you. It is a good place to just relax and unwind.
There are some arguments on what place is best for retirements. There is this rumor about the competition between Arizona and Florida. The argument is about the place to retire and what the places or the view to see, also the safety and security.
Let’s check the facts about the 2 states to have a better comparison
Climate: Arizona: the climate is hot in summer and mild winter during the spring the temperature is around 16?C and during the coldest months from November to February it ranges from 4?C-24?C. So if you want a milder winter and enjoys sunbathing during the summer, then it is most definite to go to Arizona.
Florida: has a humid subtropical climate in some part of it and tropical climate on most parts of it. The temperature ranges from 32?-34?C during the hot summer months like July and the as cold as 4?-7?C during the winter months. The climate in Florida is primary determined by the amount of rain that falls. This state is a hurricane prone state. In the history, it has been struck by 114 hurricanes even the dreadful hurricane Katrina passed through South Florida.
Tourist Spots: in Arizona, with its dessert like climate, it has some tourist spots for the people who love the great outdoors like; the organ pipe cactus national monument, this place where you can find 3 distinct desert vegetation zone and of course cactus. Another is the Petrified Forest national park with its colored sandstones that glistens in the sunlight. If you want adventure at high steeps then you can go to the Canyon de Chelly which is comprises of steep sided canyons.
There are a lot more tourist spots in Arizona that is waiting for you to be discovered. Now let’s go to the state of Florida, if you love the beach and water then this is the place for you. The sun and sand that really lures in tourists of all ages that will entice everybody. We begin with the Key West which is located at the tip of the state. It is considered as one of the best places to see the ocean and a place to relax and swim. You will also notice a more aged population in Florida than in Arizona.
Each state has much to offer the military retiree especially if you love to golf.
The best place to retire for the military is really not up to the people or surveys; it is really depending on the activities that you love to do the most. If you like the great outdoors, then retire in Arizona and if you like water that much or the whole summer all year round flare, then retire in Florida. These two places – Arizona and Florida are some of the best states to retire for military retirement.
Learn more about retiring to Florida and Arizona:
I am totally agree with you about best these states for retirement and it really depend on the activities also.
I like Arizona over Florida, but that’s just me. Phoenix is the more popular area, but there are more secluded parts of the state too. Marana is nice because it’s South of Phoenix and North of Tucson so close enough to both that you can do big city stuff 🙂 We visited the Ritz-Carlton in Marana and fell in love, so much that we looked at the Residences at Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain there too. We’d love to retire there and the homes were stunning and had all the amenities anyone could ask for. Also Arizona summers are hot, but they are dry and we prefer that much more, plus it’s close enough to Mexico and San Diego if we want to go to a beach.
I lean toward Florida over Arizona simply because of the beaches. Even though it gets hot in Florida in the Summer months you can go to the beach and catch those great ocean or gulf breezes.