Is Boca Raton a Good Place to Retire?

How many retirees already live here

The median age in Boca Raton is 46.0, about a quarter of the population of roughly 100,234 is 65 or older, and 9.5% of homes are seasonal. In practice that means doctors, clubs, clinics, restaurants and community programs are already set up around older residents. You won't be the only retiree in the building, and many newcomers find a social life faster here than in a younger suburb.

The seasonal share has a flip side. In summer, some condo buildings and clubs feel half empty, and activities shrink until the winter residents return.

What retirees actually buy, and what it costs

Most retirees I talk with want one of three things: a low-maintenance condo, a villa or small house in a gated community, or a single-family home with room for visiting family. Zillow's numbers for each:

• 1-bedroom condo: about $117,837. These are mostly older garden-style buildings. Low price, often high fees relative to value.
• 2-bedroom: about $294,724. The most common retiree purchase, in condos and some villas.
• 3-bedroom: about $644,995, mostly houses and larger villas.
• Single-family overall: about $766,524, up 6.8% over the year.

Condo values rose only 1.3% over the past year, while single-family values rose 6.8%. That gap is worth weighing if you plan to sell in ten years and want the home to hold its value.

Country clubs and 55+ options

Much of Boca's retirement housing sits in gated golf and country club communities, most of them west of I-95 and many outside city limits. Some are age-restricted under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, which requires at least 80% of occupied units to have a resident 55 or older. Many others are not age-restricted at all but have a mostly older population.

The biggest cost question is membership. Some clubs are optional. Others make membership mandatory for every owner, with an initiation or capital contribution at purchase and annual dues and food minimums after. Boca West, one of the largest, is a mandatory-membership club with four golf courses. Before you compare two villas at the same price, add the club's total yearly cost to each. The cheaper house can be the more expensive home.

Healthcare access

Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, is in the city, and the area has a large base of specialists and outpatient clinics. For many retirees that matters more than any amenity list. If you need a particular specialist or a specific Medicare plan network, check that the doctors you want are accepting new patients before you choose a neighborhood, because driving across Glades Road twice a week gets old quickly.

Fees on a fixed income

The median Boca home was built in 1983, and 42.5% of homes are in buildings of 10 or more units. Many of those condos are 40 to 50 years old. Under Florida's condo safety laws, buildings of three or more habitable stories need milestone inspections, and associations must fully fund structural reserves based on a SIRS, with no option to waive them for budgets adopted since the end of 2024.

For a retiree, that means the monthly fee you see today may not be the fee you pay in three years. Ask for:

• the current budget and the reserve study,
• the milestone inspection report if the building needs one,
• any special assessments already approved or under discussion,
• the master policy renewal date and last premium increase.

You get 7 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, after receiving the documents to cancel a resale condo contract. A good agent reads them with you during that window.

Homestead, the 3% cap and insurance

If Boca becomes your permanent home, file for homestead. In 2026 it can reduce assessed value by up to $51,411, and the Save Our Homes cap holds increases in the homestead assessment to 3% a year or CPI, whichever is lower. Over a long retirement that cap is one of the best protections a Florida owner has. Seasonal owners keeping a home elsewhere don't qualify, and Florida has no state income tax on pensions or investment income for residents.

For houses, insurance depends on roof age, wind mitigation and the flood zone. Your hurricane deductible will be 2%, 5% or 10% of the dwelling limit, charged once per calendar year, so keep that amount in savings. Plan where you go during a storm, keep shutters or impact protection in working order, and, if you live in a condo, learn the building's hurricane procedure before your first season.

Who Boca fits, and who it doesn't

Boca fits retirees who want a large, established community of peers, strong healthcare, golf or tennis, and access to beaches and rail, and who have room in the budget for rising fees. It fits less well if you need the lowest possible monthly cost. Delray Beach, at about $345,071 on Zillow's all-homes index, Boynton Beach at about $404,476 and Greenacres at about $280,329 are nearby options with lower entry prices. A shortlist that compares two or three communities by total monthly cost, including dues, is the right way to make this decision.