Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Florida? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs in Florida, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Florida suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
$181,505 median income · $1,658,764 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Key Biscayne is an island town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,344 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$158,030 median income · $964,716 median home price
Located in
Sarasota County, Florida
Longboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located on and coterminous with the barrier island of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island, between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is almost equally divided between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The town of Longboat Key was incorporated in 1955 and is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$119,294 median income · $772,433 median home price
Located in
Duval County, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city east of Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of Duval County communities consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Baldwin remained quasi-independent. Like those other towns, it maintains its own municipal government but its residents vote in the Jacksonville mayoral election and are represented on the Jacksonville city council. The population was 7,037 at the 2010 census. Neptune Beach is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$120,698 median income · $632,971 median home price
Located in
Duval County, Florida
Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907 as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities collectively referred to as the Jacksonville Beaches. These communities include Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach. When the city of Jacksonville consolidated with Duval County in 1968, Jacksonville Beach, together with Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin, voted to retain their own municipal governments. As a result, citizens of Jacksonville Beach are also eligible to vote in mayoral election for the City of Jacksonville. As of the 2010 census, Jacksonville Beach had a total population of 21,362.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$106,830 median income · $495,956 median home price
Located in
Pinellas County, Florida
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$161,051 median income · $1,437,706 median home price
Located in
Broward County, Florida
Southwest Ranches is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located on the eastern edge of the Everglades, 15 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale. It became the county’s 30th incorporated place in 2000 to avoid annexation into Pembroke Pines and to preserve its semi-rural lifestyle. Because the area has many horse ranches and is located in the southwestern part of Broward County, residents chose “Southwest Ranches” over other potential town names.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,663 median income · $660,038 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Bay Harbor Islands is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,628 at the 2010 census. It is separated from the mainland by Biscayne Bay, over which the land masses are connected via the Broad Causeway. On the mainland side, BHI is bordered by the city of North Miami, while to the east it borders the villages of Bal Harbour and Surfside. To the south lies the exclusive village of Indian Creek. BHI is about 20 minutes’ driving distance away from Miami International Airport, and it is situated between the larger cities of Aventura and Miami Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$81,655 median income · $712,501 median home price
Located in
Broward County, Florida
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$198,669 median income · $1,058,618 median home price
Located in
Broward County, Florida
Parkland is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States.
Parkland is known for its zoning laws, which are designed to protect the “park-like” character of the city. Initially, there were no stores or traffic lights in Parkland, though this began to change in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with the additions of large neighborhood developments including Heron Bay and Parkland Isles.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$109,173 median income · $466,032 median home price
Located in
Seminole County, Florida
Lake Mary is a suburban city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 13,822 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Florida’s statewide median.
Florida statewide median: $74,568
Florida statewide median: $375,662
On the map
Where Florida’s best suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Sunshine State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Florida. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Florida, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Florida across these criteria from one to 103, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Florida.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Florida.
Read on to see why Key Biscayne is the ‘burb with the most, while Quincy is probably not the best place to live in Florida.
The full plate
The Best Suburbs In Florida
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Key Biscayne | 14,791 | $181,505 | $1,658,764 |
| 2 | Longboat Key | 7,539 | $158,030 | $964,716 |
| 3 | Neptune Beach | 7,168 | $119,294 | $772,433 |
| 4 | Jacksonville Beach | 23,654 | $120,698 | $632,971 |
| 5 | Safety Harbor | 17,033 | $106,830 | $495,956 |
| 6 | Southwest Ranches | 7,656 | $161,051 | $1,437,706 |
| 7 | Bay Harbor Islands | 5,847 | $89,663 | $660,038 |
| 8 | Lauderdale-by-the-Sea | 6,232 | $81,655 | $712,501 |
| 9 | Parkland | 37,178 | $198,669 | $1,058,618 |
| 10 | Lake Mary | 16,860 | $109,173 | $466,032 |
| 11 | Weston | 68,837 | $139,825 | $730,059 |
| 12 | Pinecrest | 18,462 | $206,417 | $2,172,519 |
| 13 | Atlantic Beach | 13,363 | $118,935 | $704,117 |
| 14 | Coral Gables | 49,802 | $134,216 | $1,516,825 |
| 15 | Miami Lakes | 31,553 | $101,557 | $653,606 |
| 16 | Fort Myers Beach | 5,513 | $91,291 | $494,794 |
| 17 | Oviedo | 40,599 | $117,070 | $506,154 |
| 18 | St. Pete Beach | 8,805 | $114,583 | $600,935 |
| 19 | Tequesta | 6,193 | $98,271 | $636,088 |
| 20 | Maitland | 19,469 | $97,150 | $480,711 |
| 21 | Palmetto Bay | 24,639 | $142,447 | $920,528 |
| 22 | South Pasadena | 5,320 | $53,075 | $304,627 |
| 23 | Miami Shores | 11,752 | $144,050 | $735,780 |
| 24 | Winter Park | 30,274 | $105,724 | $464,211 |
| 25 | Wilton Manors | 11,511 | $85,392 | $576,125 |
| 26 | Coral Springs | 136,103 | $93,602 | $520,102 |
| 27 | Treasure Island | 6,553 | $87,107 | $523,698 |
| 28 | Pembroke Pines | 173,194 | $85,104 | $487,422 |
| 29 | Dunedin | 36,062 | $74,477 | $405,386 |
| 30 | Sanibel | 6,418 | $108,644 | $808,687 |
| 31 | Surfside | 5,631 | $100,208 | $1,276,757 |
| 32 | Fernandina Beach | 13,420 | $97,903 | $600,245 |
| 33 | Oldsmar | 14,904 | $88,333 | $365,724 |
| 34 | Miramar | 138,600 | $89,125 | $518,019 |
| 35 | Miami Springs | 13,726 | $87,099 | $729,504 |
| 36 | Vero Beach | 17,042 | $69,758 | $362,131 |
| 37 | Sunny Isles Beach | 22,437 | $61,921 | $649,891 |
| 38 | Seminole | 19,396 | $75,774 | $380,864 |
| 39 | Jupiter | 61,883 | $110,240 | $693,656 |
| 40 | South Miami | 12,277 | $94,507 | $867,893 |
| 41 | Winter Springs | 38,951 | $92,574 | $424,494 |
| 42 | Doral | 79,216 | $94,164 | $549,014 |
| 42 | Davie | 108,346 | $87,250 | $515,020 |
| 44 | Sunrise | 97,918 | $77,652 | $360,656 |
| 45 | Fort Lauderdale | 185,604 | $83,130 | $508,474 |
| 46 | Bonita Springs | 55,904 | $95,210 | $511,964 |
| 47 | Aventura | 39,885 | $89,274 | $425,757 |
| 48 | Cutler Bay | 45,070 | $89,244 | $564,584 |
| 49 | Minneola | 16,598 | $110,902 | $440,330 |
| 50 | Punta Gorda | 20,278 | $85,779 | $335,129 |
| 51 | Hialeah Gardens | 22,915 | $65,439 | $416,365 |
| 52 | Coconut Creek | 58,330 | $75,014 | $283,669 |
| 53 | West Miami | 7,162 | $61,274 | $662,496 |
| 54 | Tarpon Springs | 25,791 | $79,529 | $388,386 |
| 55 | Oakland Park | 44,682 | $72,708 | $366,517 |
| 56 | Margate | 59,198 | $62,450 | $318,811 |
| 57 | Gulfport | 11,734 | $71,203 | $349,949 |
| 58 | Temple Terrace | 27,275 | $69,252 | $325,256 |
| 59 | Clermont | 46,853 | $82,306 | $429,095 |
| 60 | Belle Isle | 7,444 | $104,559 | $533,137 |
| 61 | Longwood | 16,337 | $78,548 | $455,599 |
| 62 | Miami Beach | 82,031 | $72,856 | $515,965 |
| 63 | Hollywood | 155,082 | $67,203 | $439,400 |
| 64 | St. Cloud | 65,130 | $83,174 | $394,011 |
| 65 | Sarasota | 56,970 | $72,105 | $412,112 |
| 66 | Tamarac | 73,019 | $61,718 | $295,512 |
| 67 | Casselberry | 30,135 | $62,447 | $346,839 |
| 68 | Winter Garden | 47,872 | $106,495 | $567,352 |
| 69 | North Lauderdale | 45,234 | $63,326 | $348,539 |
| 70 | Pompano Beach | 114,147 | $67,195 | $351,517 |
| 71 | Davenport | 13,238 | $73,685 | $341,898 |
| 72 | Hallandale Beach | 41,854 | $52,340 | $292,053 |
| 73 | Sweetwater | 20,085 | $54,967 | $438,052 |
| 74 | Apopka | 58,232 | $96,884 | $394,963 |
| 75 | Altamonte Springs | 46,116 | $64,070 | $294,423 |
| 76 | Palmetto | 13,588 | $62,621 | $350,685 |
| 76 | Pinellas Park | 53,560 | $63,432 | $298,643 |
| 78 | West Park | 15,249 | $65,952 | $422,622 |
| 79 | New Port Richey | 17,425 | $47,606 | $289,102 |
| 80 | Largo | 82,617 | $62,096 | $332,210 |
| 81 | Clearwater | 117,247 | $66,381 | $339,488 |
| 82 | Sanford | 63,730 | $66,891 | $342,584 |
| 83 | Pembroke Park | 6,360 | $52,928 | $246,080 |
| 84 | Stuart | 18,520 | $60,225 | $378,041 |
| 85 | Macclenny | 7,748 | $73,942 | $304,597 |
| 86 | Green Cove Springs | 10,044 | $75,142 | $336,932 |
| 87 | Lauderdale Lakes | 36,404 | $50,006 | $140,910 |
| 87 | Dania Beach | 32,180 | $52,748 | $326,898 |
| 89 | Zephyrhills | 19,668 | $52,108 | $304,732 |
| 89 | Lauderhill | 74,896 | $51,165 | $213,844 |
| 91 | Orange Park | 9,055 | $77,106 | $309,406 |
| 92 | Ocoee | 49,033 | $98,911 | $414,464 |
| 93 | Okeechobee | 5,479 | $57,044 | $287,583 |
| 94 | Bradenton | 57,014 | $60,822 | $353,218 |
| 95 | North Miami Beach | 43,898 | $63,280 | $447,840 |
| 96 | Fort Myers | 95,051 | $63,732 | $308,876 |
| 97 | Homestead | 82,807 | $65,423 | $436,669 |
| 98 | Miami Gardens | 113,177 | $63,627 | $469,434 |
| 99 | North Miami | 60,344 | $57,188 | $416,688 |
| 100 | Opa-locka | 16,282 | $37,532 | $468,451 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS via Saturday Night Science. 103 Florida suburbs within 30 miles of a city over 200,000.
Summary
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Florida
If you’re measuring the locations in Florida where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Florida are Key Biscayne, Longboat Key, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Safety Harbor, Southwest Ranches, Bay Harbor Islands, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Parkland, and Lake Mary. Not sold on Florida? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs In Florida FAQs
What is the best suburb in Florida?
Key Biscayne is the best suburb to live in Florida for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. It pairs a $181,505 median household income with a $1,658,764 median home value.
What are the best suburbs in Florida?
The best suburbs in Florida are Key Biscayne, Longboat Key, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Safety Harbor, Southwest Ranches, Bay Harbor Islands, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Parkland, and Lake Mary. We ranked all 103 qualifying Florida suburbs.
What counts as a suburb?
For this ranking, a suburb is a town within 30 miles of a city with more than 200,000 people. 103 Florida places fit that definition this year.
How do you rank the best suburbs?
Suburbs are scored on home values, income, density, unemployment, commute times, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best average across all eight wins.
Which Florida suburb ranked last?
Quincy came in last of the 103 Florida suburbs we scored. Somebody has to, and the full ordering is in the table above.
