Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Florida a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Florida.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Sunshine State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Florida, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 67 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2026
St. Johns County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Florida. And you should avoid Desoto County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Florida. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Florida and the cheapest places to live in Florida.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2026
1. St. Johns County
Biggest Place: Fruit Cove
Population: 306,934
Median Income: $109,839 (best)
Median Home Price: $511,904 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (5th best)
More on St. Johns County: Data
2. Nassau County
Biggest Place: Yulee
Population: 97,859
Median Income: $89,804 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $476,240 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (24th best)
More on Nassau County: Data
3. Sarasota County
Biggest Place: North Port
Population: 459,547
Median Income: $83,416 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $398,504 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (8th best)
More on Sarasota County: Data
4. Seminole County
Biggest Place: Sanford
Population: 481,470
Median Income: $85,761 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $402,788 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (16th best)
More on Seminole County: Data
5. Clay County
Biggest Place: Lakeside
Population: 227,584
Median Income: $87,820 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $333,593 (29th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (9th best)
More on Clay County: Data
6. Monroe County
Biggest Place: Key West
Population: 81,860
Median Income: $87,738 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $953,395 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (2nd best)
More on Monroe County: Data
7. Santa Rosa County
Biggest Place: Navarre
Population: 198,472
Median Income: $91,922 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $348,681 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (23rd best)
More on Santa Rosa County: Data
8. Okaloosa County
Biggest Place: Crestview
Population: 216,599
Median Income: $81,998 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $353,996 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (10th best)
More on Okaloosa County: Data
9. Collier County
Biggest Place: Golden Gate
Population: 398,291
Median Income: $90,045 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $559,052 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (12th best)
More on Collier County: Data
10. Wakulla County
Biggest Place: Crawfordville
Population: 35,387
Median Income: $81,895 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $283,504 (43rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (4th best)
More on Wakulla County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Florida county is the best?
To give you the best county in Florida, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Florida across each of the criteria from one to 67, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Florida.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Sunshine State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Florida.
Read on to see why St. Johns County is the best county, while Desoto County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Florida.
Summary: The Best Counties In Florida To Call Home For 2026
Living in Florida can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Florida are St. Johns County, Nassau County, Sarasota County, Seminole County, Clay County, Monroe County, Santa Rosa County, Okaloosa County, Collier County, and Wakulla County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Florida according to the data:
- Desoto County
- Calhoun County
- Putnam County
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Florida
- Cheapest Places To Live In Florida
- Safest Places In Florida
- Best Counties To Live In Florida
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Florida
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Johns County | 306,934 | $109,839 | $511,904 |
| 2 | Nassau County | 97,859 | $89,804 | $476,240 |
| 3 | Sarasota County | 459,547 | $83,416 | $398,504 |
| 4 | Seminole County | 481,470 | $85,761 | $402,788 |
| 5 | Clay County | 227,584 | $87,820 | $333,593 |
| 6 | Monroe County | 81,860 | $87,738 | $953,395 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa County | 198,472 | $91,922 | $348,681 |
| 8 | Okaloosa County | 216,599 | $81,998 | $353,996 |
| 9 | Collier County | 398,291 | $90,045 | $559,052 |
| 10 | Wakulla County | 35,387 | $81,895 | $283,504 |
| 11 | Flagler County | 126,528 | $77,363 | $348,504 |
| 12 | Sumter County | 143,408 | $76,508 | $391,380 |
| 13 | Martin County | 162,176 | $82,943 | $443,671 |
| 14 | Brevard County | 632,780 | $78,476 | $341,312 |
| 15 | Indian River County | 166,936 | $73,491 | $363,842 |
| 16 | Lake County | 412,924 | $73,161 | $362,902 |
| 17 | Pinellas County | 963,481 | $72,646 | $365,896 |
| 18 | Manatee County | 429,792 | $78,457 | $409,996 |
| 19 | Volusia County | 579,622 | $70,044 | $322,057 |
| 20 | Charlotte County | 201,064 | $69,952 | $297,782 |
| 21 | Hillsborough County | 1,522,748 | $79,540 | $377,185 |
| 22 | Pasco County | 611,444 | $70,492 | $331,105 |
| 23 | Gulf County | 15,131 | $61,179 | $400,898 |
| 24 | Walton County | 82,948 | $81,986 | $661,182 |
| 25 | Palm Beach County | 1,533,806 | $83,581 | $467,964 |
| 26 | Bay County | 186,393 | $73,533 | $342,262 |
| 27 | Alachua County | 285,492 | $61,949 | $305,454 |
| 28 | Lee County | 817,666 | $76,107 | $339,954 |
| 29 | Duval County | 1,023,153 | $71,277 | $292,595 |
| 30 | Orange County | 1,471,937 | $79,719 | $403,361 |
| 31 | Baker County | 28,430 | $79,836 | $314,797 |
| 32 | Broward County | 1,977,129 | $77,633 | $421,928 |
| 33 | Osceola County | 427,415 | $72,637 | $362,583 |
| 34 | Leon County | 297,542 | $66,287 | $291,300 |
| 35 | Hernando County | 207,018 | $66,058 | $309,724 |
| 36 | Gilchrist County | 19,040 | $63,523 | $302,519 |
| 37 | St. Lucie County | 360,500 | $71,457 | $363,418 |
| 38 | Miami-Dade County | 2,738,356 | $71,753 | $519,528 |
| 39 | Polk County | 790,694 | $65,978 | $298,009 |
| 40 | Escambia County | 325,923 | $67,500 | $280,285 |
| 41 | Marion County | 400,078 | $61,010 | $273,944 |
| 42 | Levy County | 45,391 | $56,750 | $287,195 |
| 43 | Citrus County | 162,472 | $56,546 | $271,923 |
| 44 | Union County | 15,701 | $64,146 | $267,830 |
| 45 | Jefferson County | 15,091 | $61,212 | $299,851 |
| 46 | Bradford County | 27,885 | $63,050 | $247,422 |
| 47 | Franklin County | 12,553 | $64,105 | $417,941 |
| 48 | Washington County | 25,529 | $58,210 | $218,024 |
| 49 | Jackson County | 48,250 | $49,149 | $178,955 |
| 50 | Holmes County | 19,513 | $49,343 | $194,604 |
| 51 | Suwannee County | 45,342 | $56,658 | $274,467 |
| 52 | Columbia County | 71,789 | $59,205 | $269,344 |
| 53 | Lafayette County | 8,161 | $62,757 | $260,333 |
| 54 | Dixie County | 17,058 | $50,110 | $215,908 |
| 55 | Okeechobee County | 40,816 | $57,984 | $288,704 |
| 56 | Liberty County | 7,687 | $58,671 | $198,045 |
| 57 | Taylor County | 21,503 | $49,073 | $191,154 |
| 58 | Highlands County | 105,702 | $54,897 | $233,149 |
| 59 | Hendry County | 42,382 | $56,393 | $277,539 |
| 60 | Madison County | 18,089 | $48,485 | $210,698 |
| 61 | Gadsden County | 43,710 | $48,801 | $199,100 |
| 62 | Hardee County | 25,675 | $60,489 | $238,804 |
| 63 | Hamilton County | 13,616 | $50,144 | $202,820 |
| 64 | Glades County | 12,563 | $45,870 | $260,557 |
| 65 | Putnam County | 75,164 | $47,934 | $215,206 |
| 66 | Calhoun County | 13,492 | $50,517 | $178,973 |
| 67 | Desoto County | 35,386 | $54,417 | $182,180 |