Thanks! I still have five years to retirement (groan), but I am getting my house ready for sale in a few years and want to start taking visits to my intended area over the next few years. I am a fitness trainer and an avid jogger, too, so I don’t want to live in a community where the seniors are just living to get older, but would enjoy being with folks who still enjoy an active life. A good Bible believing church is also very important to me. Thanks to everyone who is responding. I’ve done a lot of research, but am still confused. There seem to be a lot of nice Florida towns that also have a very high crime rate. Lake Mary seems nice, but much more expensive than other areas.
I liked Flemming Island, just a ways outside Jax.
There are many active people in The Villages, and the recreation complexes are very nice. My mother used to walk 3 miles every morning with a Battle of the Bulge survivor, but he had a fall last winter and hasn’t gotten back to regular exercise.
Maybe if you look at the crime stats in more detail, you can figure out how much they would affect you. For example, the Walmart in our county seat has a pretty steady record of events involving law enforcement ... but almost never in the daytime!
I prefer the east coast. I also recommend more south than you are talking.
I own a place in the Jupiter area and love it. The weather is more consistent and recreation and resturants are terrific.