Only 1 Florida City Made The Top 10 In US News ‘Best Places to Retire’ List

Florida has always been seen as the retirement destination. Jerry Seinfeld said it best “My parents didn’t want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty and that’s the law.” So when US News came out with their '2024 Best Places to Retire' list, it was a bit startling to only see one Florida city in the top 10. Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral - none of them even made the top 25. The only Southwest Florida city on the list at all is Sarasota.

Well, according to US News, it's Pennsylvania. Apparently the warm weather of Florida is no longer a draw. Number one on this list is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, on average, gets 33.2 inches of snow per year. And the cold? According to rssweather, "Harrisburg's coldest month is January when the average temperature overnight is 23.1°F." Retirees seem to be drawn to the parks, state forests, and accessibility to major metropolitan areas. After Harrisburg at 1, Reading, PA is number 2. Lancaster PA is third, and Scranton is fourth. It's actually a top 5 sweep as Allentown, PA is fifth on the list. Personally, I love February weather in Florida. Wouldn't trade it for any other month. So where does Florida rank on the list?

8. Daytona Beach, Florida.  Daytona has a lot going on, including 23 miles of beaches.

12. Tampa, Florida  I never really thought of Tampa as a retirement hotspot, but 19.6% of it's residents are 65+.

18. Sarasota, Florida Sarasota I definitely see as a retirement haven. But escalating housing costs have moved them down the list.

22. Lakeland, Florida  Lakeland is all the way down at 22 on the list, but I'd have it higher. Lakeland offers a lot of what other Florida cities do, at a fraction of the cost. Ever been jet skiing on a lake? It's kinda awesome.

23. Melbourne, Florida  Up the Space Coast. Beautiful place. Side note - Toledo Ohio is number 19 on this list. Hooooow is that possible?

24. Orlando, Florida  There's so much more to Orlando than the big theme parks. Did you know you can rent a tank and crush cars there?

Christmas is a time to visit family and friends and get away from the daily grind. The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also be very expensive. From buying lots of Christmas gifts for family and friends to having to pay for plane tickets and travel, holiday expenses can really add up. But, the good news is that there are some affordable holiday vacations, and Florida has one of America's cheapest Christmas vacations.

One good thing about traveling during the winter months is that it's often the off-season for popular vacation destinations. Of course, the holidays are a busy travel time. That makes late December a difficult time to find a deal for travel. But, if you don't mind the cold and snow, some northern areas of the U.S. offer very good deals. That's true even during the Christmas season.

Some tips for finding a good deal for holiday vacationing include searching a lot of booking websites, comparing different hotel dates to find the most reasonable ones and finding bundle deals. Also, keep your eyes open for special deals on resorts and hotels that are just opening. That's because sometimes, during those opening months, new vacation spots try to attract a loyal clientele by offering special deals. One more tip is to search for airfare rates individually even if you are traveling as a couple or a group. If you put in a search for a group of tickets, the algorithms will often leave out information on one or two cheaper tickets being available. They'll just send you a group of tickets, sitting together, all at the same price. So, you might get a deal if you search for one ticket, instead.

So, what are the best affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S.? Here are some popular spots that won't break the bank.

Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the self-proclaimed Christmas capital city of the world. Okay, so many argue that Strasbourg, France, takes that honor, but Frankenmuth is close, and it's a lot cheaper to get there. No passport needed. The villiage's Franconian-style architecture has given it the loving name "Little Bavaria." Frankenmuth is also home to the world's biggest Christmas store.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and it offers a beautiful view of snowy hills and Amish country. It's a very old-fashioned type of town, making it a charming winter getaway. There are plenty of fun, holiday-type things to do in Lancaster that won't break the bank.

You might never guess, but Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great spot for an affordable holiday trip. Think about it. Most people wouldn't think to go to "Sin City" for Christmas. Of course, it's much less the "sin" part these days, as Las Vegas offers fun activities for the whole family.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a great spot to visit in the holiday season, because it's not as crowded as other times during the year. It's also less expensive to visit during the holidays and offers beautiful decorations during Christmas. Don't forget the many holiday markets.

Fort Myers, Florida, is a popular destination for snow birds. But, that's doesn't mean to skip it during the holidays. If you want to get away from the snow and ice, Fort Myers offers a great escape over Christmas and for prices that are more reasonable than in many other areas of Florida.

Boston, Massachusetts, gets cold in the winter, but it also has that classic Christmas charm. It's a big city with a smaller city feel during the holidays. What's more, it's a more affordable winter vacation destination than many other areas, and you won't have the fight the crowds.