Florida had the second-highest population growth of any state in 2023, with 365,205 people moving to the Sunshine State that year, according to Consumer Reports. It added that a whopping 1,200 people moved to Florida every single day between July 2021 and July 2022. And really, it’s easy to see why the state is so attractive: it’s sunny, warm, and a state with no income tax.
Although the entire state can make for a great new home, some places offer an easier way of life than others. And a new list from GOBankingRates is sharing exactly where those locations are.
In late June, the website revealed its list of the 10 most livable destinations in Florida, describing them as places with “low crime rates, easy access to health care, clean air, green spaces, good schools and other desirable traits.” And it named Wilton Manors the No. 1 most livable destination in the state.
According to the team, the annual cost of living in the community just north of Fort Lauderdale is just a touch over $76,000, with a monthly cost of living at $6,337. Here, the median value of a single-family home is $720,629, while the median household income is $79,390. But most importantly, it also has a livability score of 91.
According to AreaVibes, the community scored an A+ almost across the board, including for its amenities, commute, crime, employment, housing, health and safety, and user ratings. Its only areas of improvement are schools, which still scored an impressive B+, and, surprisingly, a D- in the cost of living. Still, all this added up to a winning score for the community.
Other top spots to make the list include Doctor Phillips, Florida, at the No. 2 spot, a city just outside of Orlando, which nabbed a livability score of 89, and Seminole, located outside of Tampa, which came in third place with its own score of 89 but had a slightly lower median household income.
To find these places, GOBankingRates analyzed data via AreaVibes.com, creating a seed list of spots with a livability index of at least 80. Then, it factored in each location’s total population, the population aged 65 and over, total number of households, and the household median income, sourced via the U.S. Census American Community Survey. It also factored in the cost of living via Sperling’s BestPlaces, which included the grocery, health care, housing, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses, along with the average single-family home value. It sorted the cities to highlight the places with the highest livability paired with the most affordable cost of living.
See the full list and what you can expect in each community at gobankingrates.com.