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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Sunshine State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2022
Nassau County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Florida. And you might want to avoid Glades County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Florida, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Florida and the cheapest places to live in Florida.
The Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2022
1. Nassau County
Biggest Place: Yulee
Population: 85,762
Median Income: $72,998.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $243,700.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (18th best)
More on Nassau County: Photos | Data
2. St. Johns County
Biggest Place: Fruit Cove
Population: 255,410
Median Income: $83,803.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $326,300.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (24th best)
More on St. Johns County: Photos | Data
3. Martin County
Biggest Place: Palm City
Population: 160,420
Median Income: $65,821.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $293,000.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (15th best)
More on Martin County: Photos | Data
4. Wakulla County
Biggest Place: Crawfordville
Population: 32,855
Median Income: $67,480.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $171,200.0 (35th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (2nd best)
More on Wakulla County: Data
5. Seminole County
Biggest Place: Sanford
Population: 466,695
Median Income: $70,297.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $263,700.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (13th best)
More on Seminole County: Photos | Data
6. Santa Rosa County
Biggest Place: Navarre
Population: 179,587
Median Income: $70,663.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $214,900.0 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (38th best)
More on Santa Rosa County: Photos | Data
7. Sumter County
Biggest Place: The Villages
Population: 129,938
Median Income: $59,618.0 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $267,100.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (17th best)
More on Sumter County: Photos | Data
8. Collier County
Biggest Place: Golden Gate
Population: 379,345
Median Income: $70,217.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $366,600.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (11th best)
More on Collier County: Photos | Data
9. Okaloosa County
Biggest Place: Crestview
Population: 207,430
Median Income: $64,373.0 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $234,600.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (8th best)
More on Okaloosa County: Photos | Data
10. Clay County
Biggest Place: Lakeside
Population: 215,294
Median Income: $68,657.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $195,900.0 (29th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (35th best)
More on Clay County: Photos | 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 need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Sunshine State.
Read on to see why Nassau County is the best county, while Glades County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Florida.
Summary: The Best Counties In Florida To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Florida can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Florida according to the data:
- Glades County
- Liberty County
- Hamilton County
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Best Places To Retire In Florida
- Richest Cities In Florida
- Cheapest Places To Live In Florida
- Safest Places In Florida
