The 10 Best Small Towns In Florida For 2025


The best small towns in Florida are Wabasso Beach and Bay Hill for 2025 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: October 1, 2025

You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Florida. Best sururbs in Florida. Best counties in Florida.

Etc., etc., etc.

But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Sunshine State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.

Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Florida based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.

We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Florida ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Florida For 2025

  1. Wabasso Beach
  2. Bay Hill
  3. Cabana Colony
  4. St. George Island
  5. Vineyards
  6. Sewall’s Point
  7. Highland Beach
  8. Indian River Shores
  9. Belleair
  10. South Beach
  11. Plantation
  12. Tierra Verde
  13. Redington Shores
  14. Melbourne Beach
  15. El Portal

Best Small Towns To Live In Florida Map

What’s the best small town in Florida? Wabasso Beach is the best small town in Florida based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Wabasso Beach, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.

For more reading on the Sunshine State check out:

The 15 Best Small Towns In Florida For 2025

1. Wabasso Beach

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,966
Median Income: $119,901 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $614,100 (32nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

2. Bay Hill

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 4,214
Median Income: $141,170 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $653,900 (25th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%

3. Cabana Colony

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 1,930
Median Income: $100,469 (42nd Best)
Median Home Value: $349,700 (87th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.2%

4. St. George Island

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,218
Median Income: $96,250 (51st Best)
Median Home Value: $628,500 (30th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

5. Vineyards

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 3,484
Median Income: $138,042 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $613,600 (33rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%

6. Sewall’s Point

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 1,961
Median Income: $126,268 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,143,200 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%

7. Highland Beach

Highland Beach, FL

Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-SA-3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 4,264
Median Income: $142,363 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $825,200 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%

8. Indian River Shores

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 4,324
Median Income: $149,722 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,085,600 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%

9. Belleair

Belleair, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Mikereichold | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 4,350
Median Income: $117,500 (26th Best)
Median Home Value: $642,600 (27th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%

10. South Beach

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,081
Median Income: $188,095 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $860,000 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%

11. Plantation

Plantation, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Ebyabe | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 4,483
Median Income: $77,873 (92nd Best)
Median Home Value: $383,000 (73rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%

12. Tierra Verde

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 4,051
Median Income: $148,785 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $767,900 (12th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%

13. Redington Shores

Redington Shores, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Philipp Michel Reichold | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 2,057
Median Income: $101,518 (41st Best)
Median Home Value: $715,400 (16th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%

14. Melbourne Beach

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 3,237
Median Income: $86,563 (68th Best)
Median Home Value: $634,400 (28th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%

15. El Portal

El Portal, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Averette | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 1,979
Median Income: $105,662 (35th Best)
Median Home Value: $658,500 (23rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%

Best States In America

Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Florida

We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Florida possible.

Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Lowest Unemployment Rates
  • Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
  • Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
  • Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
  • Commute Times (Lower is better)

We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 269 to be exact.

We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 269, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Florida. Top of that list — Wabasso Beach.

This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Florida.

Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones

We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Florida are the best in which to live.

And who can argue with that?

The best small towns in Florida are Wabasso Beach, Bay Hill, Cabana Colony, St. George Island, Vineyards, Sewall’s Point, Highland Beach, Indian River Shores, Belleair, and South Beach.

If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Florida:

  1. Montura
  2. Moon Lake
  3. Fellsmere

For more Florida reading, check out:

Best Small Towns In Florida

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Value Unemployment Rate
1 Wabasso Beach, FL 1,966 $119,901 0.0%
2 Bay Hill, FL 4,214 $141,170 2.1%
3 Cabana Colony, FL 1,930 $100,469 0.2%
4 St. George Island, FL 1,218 $96,250 0.0%
5 Vineyards, FL 3,484 $138,042 1.3%
6 Sewall’s Point, FL 1,961 $126,268 3.0%
7 Highland Beach, FL 4,264 $142,363 4.9%
8 Indian River Shores, FL 4,324 $149,722 0.8%
9 Belleair, FL 4,350 $117,500 3.7%
10 South Beach, FL 3,081 $188,095 5.0%
11 Plantation, FL 4,483 $77,873 1.3%
12 Tierra Verde, FL 4,051 $148,785 5.0%
13 Redington Shores, FL 2,057 $101,518 1.1%
14 Melbourne Beach, FL 3,237 $86,563 3.6%
15 El Portal, FL 1,979 $105,662 3.1%
16 Sawgrass, FL 4,734 $121,519 2.9%
17 Harbor Bluffs, FL 3,020 $129,569 5.8%
18 Manasota Key, FL 1,741 $125,119 6.0%
19 Atlantis, FL 1,940 $111,750 1.8%
20 Vamo, FL 2,845 $85,094 3.5%
21 Windermere, FL 3,034 $156,042 4.4%
22 Redington Beach, FL 1,309 $112,250 2.4%
23 Gotha, FL 1,179 $181,645 2.3%
24 Tiger Point, FL 3,453 $122,308 6.0%
25 Belleair Beach, FL 1,506 $137,045 4.9%
26 Naples Park, FL 4,995 $74,462 2.4%
27 Hillsboro Beach, FL 2,020 $96,176 5.1%
28 Feather Sound, FL 3,309 $100,070 2.9%
29 Oakland, FL 3,566 $142,917 0.8%
30 Indian Shores, FL 1,204 $102,250 0.0%
31 Indialantic, FL 3,033 $90,991 5.5%
32 Oriole Beach, FL 2,146 $87,056 1.5%
33 Holmes Beach, FL 3,042 $99,063 3.0%
34 Pretty Bayou, FL 2,405 $83,250 3.5%
35 St. Augustine South, FL 4,864 $74,873 2.8%
36 Montverde, FL 1,780 $103,250 1.9%
37 Ocean Ridge, FL 1,461 $111,023 2.6%
38 Laguna Beach, FL 4,367 $75,194 3.4%
39 Ponce Inlet, FL 3,392 $100,313 2.3%
40 South Sarasota, FL 4,905 $93,958 4.5%
41 Wabasso, FL 1,648 $66,771 1.4%
42 Malabar, FL 3,017 $123,345 0.0%
43 Palm Shores, FL 1,479 $86,563 1.7%
44 Lake Clarke Shores, FL 3,550 $150,393 6.2%
45 Greenbriar, FL 2,344 $70,690 4.2%
46 West Bradenton, FL 4,017 $110,072 2.1%
47 Edgewood, FL 2,710 $79,345 1.3%
48 Navarre Beach, FL 1,583 $125,545 2.1%
49 Juno Beach, FL 3,835 $65,203 11.4%
50 Burnt Store Marina, FL 2,201 $99,214 11.9%
51 Island Walk, FL 2,724 $78,857 12.9%
52 Valparaiso, FL 4,910 $81,938 3.5%
53 Palm Beach Shores, FL 1,290 $82,083 8.2%
54 Key Vista, FL 1,503 $67,316 0.0%
55 South Palm Beach, FL 1,667 $79,583 2.2%
56 Lake Belvedere Estates, FL 2,532 $76,125 4.7%
57 Bear Creek, FL 2,091 $66,780 1.1%
58 North Redington Beach, FL 1,381 $94,044 12.3%
59 Woodlawn Beach, FL 3,328 $108,333 4.6%
60 Indian Rocks Beach, FL 3,667 $98,279 6.6%
61 Yalaha, FL 1,343 $116,544 0.0%
62 Roseland, FL 2,080 $68,551 0.0%
63 Howey-In-The-Hills, FL 2,279 $93,403 2.4%
64 Juno Ridge, FL 1,260 $125,556 0.0%
65 June Park, FL 4,852 $80,575 2.6%
66 Stock Island, FL 4,724 $67,005 1.6%
67 Big Coppitt Key, FL 3,333 $104,306 3.5%
68 Virginia Gardens, FL 2,306 $72,569 3.5%
69 Geneva, FL 3,520 $142,188 0.5%
70 Winter Beach, FL 4,995 $99,886 7.1%
71 Biscayne Park, FL 3,056 $84,750 1.6%
72 Venice Gardens, FL 3,246 $71,000 4.3%
73 Heritage Pines, FL 1,520 $66,771 16.5%
74 Verona Walk, FL 2,931 $54,039 9.9%
75 North River Shores, FL 3,655 $73,635 2.3%
76 San Antonio, FL 1,352 $89,079 3.7%
77 Lake Sarasota, FL 3,802 $98,689 3.1%
78 Lely, FL 3,770 $65,029 2.5%
79 Belleair Bluffs, FL 2,394 $55,688 4.5%
80 Wallace, FL 3,965 $115,216 0.1%
81 Lake Mary Jane, FL 2,323 $146,094 3.6%
82 Holley, FL 2,595 $121,494 0.0%
83 Butler Beach, FL 4,723 $76,776 9.3%
84 Alva, FL 3,279 $83,551 0.0%
85 Grant-Valkaria, FL 4,655 $120,500 0.2%
86 Charlotte Park, FL 1,803 $63,929 4.3%
87 Madeira Beach, FL 3,937 $79,798 3.9%
88 Mary Esther, FL 4,034 $76,510 5.9%
89 Boulevard Gardens, FL 1,426 $65,515 0.0%
90 Rio, FL 1,265 $95,865 26.4%
91 Lower Grand Lagoon, FL 4,305 $77,639 4.1%
92 Molino, FL 1,607 $89,326 0.0%
93 Cudjoe Key, FL 2,478 $84,890 4.3%
94 Tangerine, FL 3,967 $104,730 3.3%
95 Bal Harbour, FL 3,021 $91,061 8.7%
96 North Key Largo, FL 1,630 $146,389 7.3%
97 Homosassa, FL 2,072 $60,889 1.5%
98 Kensington Park, FL 3,561 $80,139 2.7%
99 Haverhill, FL 2,687 $74,808 5.6%
100 Big Pine Key, FL 4,584 $92,452 2.1%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Small Towns, Rankings