Early bird special

Retirees get some serious bang for their Social Security buck in Charlotte and Collier counties, according to SmartAsset.com's third annual survey of U.S. pensioners' prospects.

The personal finance website found that Collier and Charlotte ranked third and fifth, respectively, among Florida's 67 counties in terms of cost of living and average amount of annual Social Security benefits.

In Collier County, the cost of living is $20,716 and retirees there enjoy $21,523, on average, in Social Security payments. Only Sumter (home of retiree mecca The Villages) and Flagler counties ranked higher than Collier, according to SmartAsset.