Gay retirement communities in Florida: what exists, and where to look

The Residences at Equality Park, Wilton Manors

This is the closest thing Florida has. It's a four-story building of 48 affordable apartments, from studios to two bedrooms, for people aged 55 and over who live with disabling conditions, with supportive services on site (Building Design + Construction, May 2021). It was built by the developer Carrfour with the Pride Center at Equality Park, on the Pride Center's campus. The same report covered its opening, calling it Florida's first LGBTQ+-focused affordable housing for seniors.

The apartments are income-restricted, with limits set against Broward County's median income, so they're meant for people on low incomes. Ask the property what the on-site services include today. Demand was huge: 1,500 people applied for the 48 apartments when applications opened in 2020 (Miami Herald). Call the property to ask about current openings and the waiting list before you plan around it.

Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale

Wilton Manors is a small city next to Fort Lauderdale. Using census data, the Williams Institute at UCLA ranked it second in the US for same-sex couples, behind Provincetown, Massachusetts (NBC News, 2018). In 2018 its voters also elected an all-LGBTQ city commission, only the second in the country after Palm Springs.

The Pride Center at Equality Park runs an Active Aging program with daily exercise classes and social events, among other things. It calls its Tuesday morning Coffee and Conversation "the largest weekly gathering of LGBTQ+ Active Agers in the nation." Fort Lauderdale itself is bigger and a little cheaper, and both cities scored a full 100 on the 2025 index.

St. Petersburg

St. Pete has the lowest typical home value of the four, at about $352,000, and also scored 100. Metro Inclusive Health, a SAGE partner, runs "50 and Better", with social, legal, health and wellness programs for LGBTQ+ older adults in St. Petersburg and Tampa.

Key West

Key West is the most expensive place on the list by far, at just over $1 million for a typical home. It also sits at the end of a long chain of islands, which matters in hurricane season. Queer Keys opened a community center on Truman Avenue in 2024, with a library and a lounge that's open on weekdays (Keys Weekly, August 2024).

Florida law today

Same-sex marriage is recognized in Florida, as it is in every US state. Beyond that, the state's laws score poorly. The Movement Advancement Project, which scores state laws, rates Florida's overall policy as Negative. Florida has no statewide law protecting people from housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Some cities and counties have their own, and MAP estimates these cover around 60% of Floridians, so your protection depends on where you live. Other state laws count against it, including a religious exemption for medical professionals. A 2023 law also requires restrooms and changing rooms in state and local government buildings, schools, colleges, prisons and jails to be used according to sex at birth, which affects trans people directly (Florida Senate bill summary, HB 1521).

MAP's scores look only at state laws. They don't measure what a city does, which is why Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg can score 100 on HRC's city index while the state scores so low. When you look at a place, check both.

Costs to plan for

Home insurance is the big one. Insurance.com puts Florida's average premium at $8,471 a year in 2026, the highest of any state, against a national average of $2,872. That's for a sample policy with $300,000 of dwelling coverage, $300,000 of liability, a $1,000 deductible and a 2% hurricane deductible, so it isn't a quote. Get quotes for the actual home before you make an offer, and ask about the hurricane deductible.

Mainstream senior living

Plenty of Florida's regular retirement and assisted living communities say they welcome LGBTQ+ residents. Ask what that means in practice before you sign. Have staff had LGBTQ+ training? How do they treat partners and chosen family? Do their forms say "spouse or partner"? And are there out residents you could talk to?

Finding your people

If you'd rather share a home or build something with others, start with the people. On Among Our People you can browse projects that are forming, or post your idea on the online notice board and see who in Florida answers. And if you're still choosing between Florida and somewhere else, our guide to the best gay retirement cities compares eight places.