“We made a list of what we wanted in a retirement area, and Tallahassee had everything plus more, including college sports, which I love, along with plays and musicals and lifelong learning for people over 50,” Mrs. Nelson said. In the semifinals, the couple submitted a brief video about why they wanted to move to Tallahassee, and later had a Skype interview with volunteer judges, who selected the winners.

The four couples who were finalists received a free weeklong visit to Tallahassee, which included tickets to a Florida State football game. The Nelsons — she is 70, and he is 71 — received the housing money and other perks, like tickets to musical and other events. They applied $24,000 of their prize money to the down payment on a single-family home with a yard where they can entertain their eight grandchildren during visits, and moved in last year.

Retirees in Florida add to the economy in varied ways. They contribute less in sales taxes than the average Florida adults, but they own more valuable homes and pay more property tax, according to a University of Florida study. (Florida has no income tax, a draw for retired people.) And, while older residents rely on more health and hospital services, that is offset by their use of fewer services like public education, prisons or even roads because they usually travel at off-peak times, the study found.

Tallahassee, though, is not at the top of most retirement destination rankings despite its affordable homes and two major hospitals, Capital Regional Medical Center and Tallahassee Memorial, which is part of a nonprofit community health care system that operates in 16 counties.

And the city has begun to fix what some see as a serious drawback — a relatively sparse stock of retirement complexes that are common in established retirement locales. About 10 communities catering to those 50 and over who want amenities like swimming pools and golf courses are underway or planned in the area. One is operated by Brookdale Senior Living, which runs hundreds of communities around the country.