Key Takeaways
- Englewood, Florida, is an affordable small town, home to about 20,000 year-round residents.
- Englewood’s cost of living is about 5% more than the national average, but that’s much better than other areas that offer Florida sunshine.
- Historic Dearborn Street offers numerous monthly events, top-notch shopping, a playhouse, and a farmers’ market.
- Englewood’s public transportation options are somewhat limited, but Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) does offer local bus service and Dial-a-Ride Services.
Images of young, frolicking beachgoers come to mind for many people at the mention of Florida, but then there’s the hidden gem of Englewood. Nestled in the southern part of Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast, Englewood offers waterfront retirement living that won’t drain your savings. It’s home to about 20,000 year-round residents, not including winter visitors, and is among Investopedia’s top 100 places to retire in the US.
Some of Englewood’s residents live in Sarasota County, and others live in Charlotte County. The town is unincorporated and uniquely stretches over two counties. The area was a lemon grove until 1894 and 1895, when the area succumbed to unusually cold winters that killed the trees. The area turned residential, and it’s now a quiet, friendly, laid-back community that you might want to consider calling your retirement home.
Englewood Is Financially Friendly
The median cost of a residential home in Englewood was $375,000 in 2025, according to one report. Zillow cites an average price of $317,485 through the end of December 2025. The median cost is more than $550,000 in Sarasota.
A one-bedroom apartment will run you about $1,673 a month if you choose to rent rather than purchase a residence. And that might be worth considering because most mortgage lenders require that Florida homeowners carry windstorm coverage on their home insurance policies, which can add to that expense…