The average Social Security benefit leaves a single Villages retiree roughly $14,000 short of the $37,800 annual budget needed to live there.
Florida property insurance, rising far faster than Social Security COLA, can quietly double costs over a decade and break a Social Security-only plan.
Retirees falling short need a supplemental portfolio of $150,000 to $300,000 to absorb insurance spikes, roof replacements, and major home expenses over 25 years.
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We get a version of this question almost weekly: someone in their late fifties or early sixties eyeing The Villages wants to know if Social Security alone can carry them there. The pitch writes itself: golf carts, pickleball, live music on the square, a paid-off patio villa. The math is what we're here to work through, because the answer depends on details the sales office leaves out.
Florida overall runs about 3.4% above the national cost-of-living average, and The Villages sits in the middle of that range once you add the community's fee structure. A modest patio villa or courtyard villa today trades in the mid-$300s. National home prices remain elevated, with the Case-Shiller index at 332.7 in April 2026, meaning a buyer entering today is buying at a historically high basis.
Assume a paid-off villa. A workable single-person annual budget looks roughly like this:
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Property taxes and homeowners insurance: $5,500
CDD bond assessment and monthly amenity fee: $4,200
Utilities, internet, phone: $3,600
Food at home, USDA Low-Cost plan for one: $4,500
Medicare Part B, Medigap Plan G, Part D, dental: $4,800
Out-of-pocket medical, Rx, hearing, vision: $2,000
Gas, car insurance, registration, maintenance (gas at $3.85 nationally): $3,800
Golf cart, batteries, and cart insurance: $900
Home maintenance reserve, appliance replacement, pest and lawn: $3,500
Dining, entertainment, clubs, gifts, travel: $4,500
Federal tax on provisional income: $500
Source: Yahoo Finance Top News — This article was automatically imported from the source. Read full article at original source →
