14 Florida Cities Among Best Places To Live: U.S. News

MIAMI, FL — With its beautiful beaches, theme parks and warm and sunny climate, it comes as no surprise that more than a dozen Florida cities rank among the nation's 150 Best Places to Live, U.S. News & World Report said with the release of the 2022-2023 ranking Tuesday.

Did your hometown make the list? Here are the Florida cities that earned a coveted spot along with some of the reasons why:

No. 9: Sarasota

Sarasota maintains its spot at No. 9 from 2021. Located on Florida's Gulf Coast, Sarasota is the 10th-most desirable place to live on the list. People are also acting on that desire, as Sarasota is the third-fastest growing metro area out of the 150 places ranked, behind only Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Lakeland, Florida. From 2016 to 2021, Sarasota saw a population increase of 12.01% due to net migration, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

No. 12: Naples

Nestled between the edges of the Everglades and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico sits Collier County, home to Naples, Immokalee and Marco Island, as well as a range of distinctly Florida flavors.

Although geared more toward the older demographic that tends to settle in the Naples and Marco Island area, the two beachside communities are located just more than a two-hour drive from bustling cities including Tampa and Miami.

No. 20: Melbourne

Troves of urbanites, families, professionals and retirees enjoy Melbourne, Florida, one of the Space Coast's most populated metro areas. It's no accident that residents here love anything that produces lift. On clear days, you can see sky-rumbling satellite launches and spacecrafts containing cargo en route to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral.

No. 24: Jacksonville

Jacksonville is the largest metro area by land mass in the continental U.S., and it offers a range of culturally and aesthetically diverse neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Sitting near the Atlantic shore in northeast Florida, Jacksonville is tied together by bridges, crossing rivers to unite residents in the downtown area with nearby beaches. Restaurants, shops and entertainment options fill all of Greater Jacksonville's neighborhoods. There are nature trails to hike and marshes to kayak.

No. 39: Tampa

Residents of the Tampa Bay area enjoy both a laid-back beach lifestyle and the amenities of a large metropolitan area, including professional sports teams, museums, and an array of entertainment and dining options.

The Tampa Bay metro area is a sprawling and diverse region that encompasses three cities – Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater – each with a distinct personality. Living in the Tampa Bay area is like being on vacation all year. Located north of the bay, Tampa has a hip social scene and a thriving Hispanic community and is notable for Ybor City, once known as "the Cigar Capital of the World."

No. 44: Pensacola

The region's warm climate and desirable setting isn't the only reason people choose to live in Pensacola. The military has a relatively small, though very significant, presence here. Naval Air Station Pensacola draws military families to the area. Residents also find employment in the health care, higher education and, of course, tourism sectors.

No. 68: Daytona Beach

Many things that make Daytona Beach a popular vacation spot also make it a good place to live. Fishing is a popular pastime, and residents can be seen casting from a pier or the deck of a yacht. Fishing's land-based recreational counterpart is golf, and the area offers multiple courses on which to play. And then, of course, there's racing: Home to the Daytona International Speedway, the area regularly welcomes NASCAR fans from around the country.

No. 78: Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie is nestled along Florida's Treasure Coast, on the state's southeast side, about halfway between Miami and Orlando. Port St. Lucie has a more relaxed atmosphere than its larger neighbors. Its clean streets and quiet neighborhoods are woven around scenic waterways and lush green golf courses. Homes in the area can be affordable to buy or rent, compared with other South Florida housing markets.

No. 91: Ocala

Known as the “Horse Capital of the World,” Ocala maintains deep equestrian roots even as the area evolves into a diverse metropolitan community.

The rolling hills and green pastures of surrounding horse farms meld into the urban center of the city, where a burgeoning logistics industry takes advantage of the centralized location in the heart of Florida.

No. 100: Fort Myers

The “City of Palms” has long lured vacationers with its year-round warmth, lush flora, waterways and proximity to white sand beaches. These qualities have attracted such notable seasonal visitors as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, and help lure new residents to the area, as well.

No. 110: Tallahassee

Located on the edge of the tree-covered Red Hills region near the border of Georgia, this state capital enjoys four distinct seasons. Founded in the 1820s as a stopover between St. Augustine and Pensacola, Tallahassee remains relatively remote. Still, locals are friendly and inviting, uniting every football season to cheer on their hometown heroes, the FSU Seminoles and FAMU Rattlers.

No. 113: Lakeland

Lakeland is infused with Old Florida history and natural beauty. Its location gives residents easy access to attractions and locations that other people travel from far and wide to see. To the northeast, Lakeland residents find Orlando – home to famed attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

No. 118: Orlando

But when you get right down to it, every facet of Orlando combines to create one of Florida's most appealing areas for business, living and recreation. For many residents, the theme parks are a point of pride.

No. 137: Miami

Dubbed "The Magic City," Miami is one of the most vibrant metro areas in the U.S., and it's well on its way to becoming one of the largest international business hubs in the world. Miami residents can be found taking advantage of their coveted weather by relaxing on the beach or enjoying nearby natural areas, including Biscayne National Park and the Everglades.

Nationally, Huntsville, Alabama, moved up two spots to top this year’s list, knocking out Boulder, Colorado, as the best place to live in America. New in the Top 10 is San Jose, California, which moved up from No. 36 last year. This year, the 10 best places to live in America are:

1. Huntsville, Alabama (No. 3 last year)
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 6 last year)
3. Green Bay, Wisconsin (No. 21 last year)
4. Boulder, Colorado (No. 1 last year)
5. San Jose, California (No. 36 last year)
6. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (No. 2 last year)
7. Fayetteville, Arkansas (No. 4 last year)
8. Portland, Maine (No. 8 last year)
9. Sarasota, Florida (No. 9 last year)
10. San Francisco, California (No. 15 last year)

Cities knocked out of the Top 10 were Austin, Texas (No. 5 last year and No. 13 this year); Naples, Florida (No. 7 last year and No. 12 this year); and Portland, Oregon (No. 10 last year and No. 22 this year).

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Americans to re-evaluate where they live, U.S. News said last year with its Best Places to Live ranking. This year, affordability and desirability and quality of life — the latter two being given more weight by a new index in the ranking, air quality — were the main drivers, the publication said.

“Much of the shakeup we see at the top of this year’s ranking is a result of changing preferences,” Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News, said in a news release. “People moving across the country today are putting more emphasis on affordability and quality of life than on the job market, which in many ways takes a back seat as remote work options have become more standard.”

This year, U.S. News added air quality as a measurement in its Quality of Life index, noting that environmental factors are among those Americans consider before moving to a new place. Huntsville and Albany, New York, topped this measure, though Albany ranks 21st overall.

With the addition of an environmental index, three Colorado metro areas affected by catastrophic wildfires saw their rankings drop. Boulder slipped three places to No. 4. But Denver plummeted to No. 55 from No. 14 last year, and Fort Collins fell to No. 54 from No. 17.

All three metro areas ranked in the bottom 15 on air quality scores among the 150 on the list, U.S. News said.

Huntsville also moved up in the rankings because of strong scores in housing and quality of life, though its desirability ranking was at the lower end of the 150 metro areas, U.S. News noted.

Green Bay, which moved up 18 positions to No. 3 this year, ranked high for housing affordability, and San Jose’s meteoric rise to No. 5 from No. 36 the year prior was “due in part to its strong quality of life,” U.S. News said.

In New York, Syracuse moved to 38, up from 63 in 2021-2022, because of its strong value and quality of life scores; Rochester climbed 30 positions to No. 42, and Buffalo moved 25 positions to 45. Those values, along with its high air quality score, also fueled Albany’s move of 24 positions to No. 21.

Two metro areas in Pennsylvania saw significant moves due to strong value and quality of life scores: Pittsburgh, up 45 positions to No. 26, and Harrisburg, up 26 positions to No. 35.

Florida joined Colorado among states whose metro areas' stature as a great place to live declined last year. In Colorado, wildfires were mainly responsible. In Florida, desirability was cited among survey respondents for the 31-position drop of St. Lucie to No. 78 and Fort Myers’ 57-position drop to No. 100. In Oregon, Eugene plummeted 54 spots to No. 119, while Salem fell 61 spots to No. 123.

To come up with the ranking, U.S. News looked at the job market, value, quality of life, desirability and net migration ratings determined in part by a public survey of thousands of Americans on the qualities they consider important when deciding where to live. As part of the methodology, U.S. News also looked at federal data from the Census Bureau, FBI, Labor Department, the digital health app Sharecare, and its own rankings on the Best High Schools and Best Hospitals.