13 FL Neighborhoods Ranked Among Best Places To Live In America

FLORIDA — Thirteen Florida communities are among the Best Places to Live in America in 2025, according to a new ranking from Niche released Monday.

Now in its 11th year, the ranking from the data-driven platform Niche helps everyone from young people just starting their careers or families to retirees decide where they want to live. The report analyzes places of various sizes, including cities with populations of 100,000 or more, suburbs and neighborhoods.

Tampa’s Harbour Island neighborhood, which has a population of about 4,400 people, ranked high on the list at No. 4.

“Living in Harbour Island offers residents an urban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Harbour Island there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks. Many young professionals live in Harbour Island and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Harbour Island are highly rated,” according to the listing for the neighborhood.

In Florida, the following neighborhoods were among the top 100 on the list:

• No. 4 - Harbour Island, Tampa
• No. 12 - Courier City/Oscawana, Tampa
• No. 15 - Downtown, Orlando
• No. 36 - Hyde Park - Spanishtown, Tampa
• No. 37 - Audubon Park, Orlando
• No. 52 - Palma Ceia West, Tampa
• No. 66 - Brickell, Miami
• No. 72 - Carver City/Lincoln Gardens, Tampa
• No. 73 - Lawsona/Fern Creek, Orlando
• No. 83 - Westchase, Tampa
• No. 84 - West Meadows, Tampa
• No. 96 - Baldwin Park, Tampa
• No. 100 - Riverside Heights, Tampa

The rankings are based on a wide range of public data sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Niche said it analyzed thousands of communities to compile this year’s ranking. Community attributes considered in developing the list included the health of the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools and walkability, among others. (More on methodology.)

According to the ranking, the five best places to live in the United States are: Colonial Village, VA; Atlantic Station, GA; Chesterbrook, PA; Harbour Island, FL; City Center, CA.