Is Florida Still An Affordable Retirement Option?

That's the question that was asked in a recent article in the Tampa Bay Times. Is Florida still an affordable place to retire? Amid rising costs, some seniors are reconsidering. Let me set the stage with this excerpt:

Cheaper than Miami or Naples, with destination beaches and a city once nicknamed “God’s Waiting Room,” Tampa Bay has long been hailed as an affordable place to retire in The Sunshine State.

But it’s becoming untenable for many seniors to survive in the area.

While costs are climbing everywhere, Tampa Bay’s prices have outpaced the national average. Area prices rose by roughly 11% in the last year, according  to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared to just 9% nationally.

Retirees, who depend largely on fixed incomes, are feeling it.

Read the article and draw your own conclusions. I have.