
Don't let a few shark bites and extra large alligators scare you; Florida is safe. The safest places in the Sunshine State are among the safest in America.
And, here at HomeSnacks, we wanted to know where the safest cities in the state that boast 315 days of sunshine a year are located. So, we consulted the numbers and analyzed 208 cities with over 5,000 residents based on crime statistics. We looked at important factors like property and violent crimes per capita for every place from Jacksonville to Miami.
If you live in any of Florida's safest places, you'll be front row to some of the tastiest seafood, many of the southeast's best beaches, and some of the country's friendliest people. There's a reason places like Clearwater and Orlando end up on safest places to live lists. These are not only some of the best places in the state, they are some of Florida's safest.
So, where can you live in Florida, where you don't have to worry about thieves stealing packages from your porch when you're not home? Keep reading.
With so many amazingly safe cities to choose from in Florida, deciding the safest city in Florida had to be left to the numbers.
What city is the safest place to live in Florida for 2023? According to the most recent FBI data, the safest place in Florida is Tequesta.
Check out the rest of the top ten safe Florida cities, or see how your city ranked.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Florida, check out:
Population: 6,193
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 435 (third safest)
More on Tequesta: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
With the snorkeling, paddle boarding, and other tempting beach activities at Coral Cove Park, you've got more to fear from sharks than criminals in Tequesta, Florida. The city gets top marks with the 4th and 5th lowest statewide rates of property and violent crime state respectively. And with only 2 violent crimes and 35 property crimes in the last year of available data, you can be pretty sure that those "Florida man" headline memes aren't anyone from Tequesta.
Tequesta is the northernmost municipality in the Miami metro area, and is just north of West Palm Beach.
Population: 71,815
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 50 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 427 (second safest)
More on Weston: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Weston ranks as the second safest city in Florida for 2023 based on a second safest ranking for property crime in the state.
Weston is a master planned suburban community in Broward County and it doesn't rank so shabby for violent crime either placing as the seventh safest in Florida.
Established as a city in 1996, much of the community was developed by Arvida/JMB Realty and is located near the western developmental boundary of Broward County. It is the most western city in Broward County, and its entire west side is next to the Everglades.
Population: 35,773
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 22 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 561 (seventh safest)
More on Parkland: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Well, if you paid any attention to the news the last couple of years, you've heard of Parkland because of the mass shooting at the local high school. So you're probably asking yourself, wtf? Why is this here?
The answer? School shootings don't really indicate how safe a place really is.
It's also a testament to how much of a surprise the shooting was here -- Parkland is a super safe community with little crime overall.
Parkland is a city in Broward County, Florida.
Population: 7,511
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 26 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 505 (fifth safest)
More on Sanibel: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Sanibel is a city in Lee County, Florida, on Sanibel Island -- go figure.
There's barely any property crime here, so no one will steal your daiquiri by the pool.
Additionally, it's good to that Sanibel is a barrier island - a collection of sand on the leeward side of the more solid coral-rock of Pine Island - or a barrier to crime.
Population: 16,345
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 55 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 293 (safest)
More on Niceville: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Population: 11,252
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 53 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 479 (fourth safest)
More on Satellite Beach: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Satellite Beach is a coastal city situated in Brevard County and the sixth place finisher on our list this year.
What the city lacks in property crime it makes up for in canals -- it has three for some reason.
It also scores a 9.5 on our SnackAbility Score -- a feet only accomplished by 10% of towns in America.
Population: 26,626
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 78 (19th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 582 (tenth safest)
More on Sebastian: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Population: 18,121
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 82 (21st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 568 (eighth safest)
More on Marco Island: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Marco Island has been a mainstay on our rankings for the last six iterations -- this place is just constantly safe.
Property crime isn't a concern here as it's the eighth safest and violent crime sneaks into the top ten.
It is a principal city of the Naples-Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Population: 7,342
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,021 (29th safest)
More on Longboat Key: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
Little Longboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of Florida.
It has the safest rate of violent crimes and has the 29th safest rate for property crime.
It's the kind of place where you can sleep safe and sound. on the beach.
Population: 5,449
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 91 (25th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 550 (sixth safest)
More on Valparaiso: Homes For Sale | Data | Detailed Crime Report
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Florida are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Florida.
Specifically, we analyzed the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
For example, there were 27 crimes committed in Tequesta, with a reported population of 6,193. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0044, which translates into a 1 in 229 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Florida cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 208 of the biggest cities in Florida to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 208 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score "The Safest Place In Florida," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Florida, based on our criteria, is Tequesta. The most dangerous city in Florida? Florida City, where residents had a 1 in 11 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2023. This report marks our sixth time ranking the safest places to live in Florida. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2021 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Tequesta is as safe as they come in Florida, according to science and data.
But as most Florida residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Florida according to the data:
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tequesta, FL | 6,193 | 0 | 435 |
| 2 | Weston, FL | 71,815 | 50 | 427 |
| 3 | Parkland, FL | 35,773 | 22 | 561 |
| 4 | Sanibel, FL | 7,511 | 26 | 505 |
| 5 | Niceville, FL | 16,345 | 55 | 293 |
| 6 | Satellite Beach, FL | 11,252 | 53 | 479 |
| 7 | Sebastian, FL | 26,626 | 78 | 582 |
| 8 | Marco Island, FL | 18,121 | 82 | 568 |
| 9 | Longboat Key, FL | 7,342 | 0 | 1,021 |
| 10 | Valparaiso, FL | 5,449 | 91 | 550 |
| 11 | Sweetwater, FL | 21,747 | 73 | 864 |
| 12 | North Palm Beach, FL | 13,255 | 90 | 671 |
| 13 | Bay Harbor Islands, FL | 5,821 | 68 | 944 |
| 14 | Wellington, FL | 66,429 | 100 | 736 |
| 15 | Lake Alfred, FL | 6,425 | 108 | 607 |
| 16 | Cooper City, FL | 36,714 | 95 | 882 |
| 17 | Oviedo, FL | 42,903 | 121 | 575 |
| 18 | Lady Lake, FL | 16,255 | 110 | 867 |
| 19 | Lynn Haven, FL | 20,733 | 106 | 930 |
| 20 | Flagler Beach, FL | 5,195 | 115 | 808 |
| 21 | Minneola, FL | 13,001 | 123 | 707 |
| 22 | Sunny Isles Beach, FL | 21,907 | 109 | 967 |
| 23 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 206,450 | 127 | 806 |
| 24 | St. Augustine Beach, FL | 7,101 | 112 | 1,013 |
| 25 | Punta Gorda, FL | 20,766 | 67 | 1,309 |
| 26 | Milton, FL | 10,728 | 83 | 1,183 |
| 27 | Palm Beach, FL | 8,891 | 33 | 1,439 |
| 28 | Fernandina Beach, FL | 13,383 | 127 | 904 |
| 29 | Indian Harbour Beach, FL | 8,602 | 81 | 1,255 |
| 30 | South Pasadena, FL | 5,111 | 78 | 1,310 |
| 31 | Fellsmere, FL | 5,757 | 138 | 903 |
| 32 | Venice, FL | 24,366 | 65 | 1,420 |
| 33 | Naples, FL | 22,388 | 93 | 1,232 |
| 34 | Key Biscayne, FL | 12,898 | 23 | 1,519 |
| 35 | Davenport, FL | 6,516 | 61 | 1,457 |
| 36 | Jupiter, FL | 67,054 | 123 | 1,045 |
| 37 | Winter Springs, FL | 37,788 | 174 | 754 |
| 38 | Port Orange, FL | 65,828 | 75 | 1,447 |
| 39 | Gulf Breeze, FL | 7,037 | 113 | 1,165 |
| 40 | Miami Lakes, FL | 31,584 | 98 | 1,345 |
| 41 | Dunedin, FL | 36,675 | 144 | 1,025 |
| 42 | Cape Coral, FL | 199,503 | 127 | 1,067 |
| 43 | North Port, FL | 72,389 | 161 | 1,026 |
| 44 | West Miami, FL | 9,154 | 131 | 1,070 |
| 45 | Coconut Creek, FL | 62,220 | 141 | 1,063 |
| 46 | Coral Springs, FL | 135,027 | 121 | 1,232 |
| 47 | St. Cloud, FL | 56,828 | 174 | 1,054 |
| 48 | Lake Mary, FL | 17,947 | 167 | 1,108 |
| 49 | Fruitland Park, FL | 12,021 | 183 | 1,048 |
| 50 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 175,757 | 118 | 1,419 |
| 51 | Lighthouse Point, FL | 11,373 | 61 | 1,767 |
| 52 | Safety Harbor, FL | 18,144 | 170 | 1,162 |
| 53 | Oldsmar, FL | 15,218 | 144 | 1,241 |
| 54 | Margate, FL | 59,449 | 176 | 1,135 |
| 55 | Groveland, FL | 17,622 | 221 | 981 |
| 56 | Doral, FL | 68,425 | 92 | 1,809 |
| 57 | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 58,629 | 110 | 1,703 |
| 58 | Miramar, FL | 143,470 | 243 | 1,045 |
| 59 | Rockledge, FL | 28,614 | 209 | 1,198 |
| 60 | South Daytona, FL | 13,176 | 151 | 1,510 |
| 61 | Belle Isle, FL | 7,392 | 202 | 1,244 |
| 62 | Edgewater, FL | 24,166 | 132 | 1,555 |
| 63 | Haines City, FL | 26,719 | 168 | 1,508 |
| 64 | Tavares, FL | 18,221 | 241 | 1,130 |
| 65 | Vero Beach, FL | 17,776 | 191 | 1,406 |
| 66 | Sunrise, FL | 96,428 | 202 | 1,373 |
| 67 | North Bay Village, FL | 8,165 | 195 | 1,396 |
| 68 | Surfside, FL | 5,659 | 53 | 2,279 |
| 69 | High Springs, FL | 6,285 | 350 | 938 |
| 70 | Hialeah Gardens, FL | 23,667 | 118 | 1,956 |
| 71 | Maitland, FL | 17,863 | 162 | 1,662 |
| 72 | West Melbourne, FL | 25,020 | 191 | 1,538 |
| 73 | Tamarac, FL | 67,399 | 216 | 1,497 |
| 74 | Hialeah, FL | 234,235 | 190 | 1,644 |
| 75 | Royal Palm Beach, FL | 41,142 | 206 | 1,548 |
| 76 | Village Of Pinecrest, FL | 19,255 | 88 | 2,290 |
| 77 | Palmetto Bay, FL | 24,641 | 121 | 2,069 |
| 78 | Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL | 6,719 | 208 | 1,607 |
| 79 | Clermont, FL | 39,932 | 232 | 1,532 |
| 80 | Lake Wales, FL | 17,075 | 251 | 1,469 |
| 81 | Coral Gables, FL | 50,017 | 101 | 2,333 |
| 82 | Neptune Beach, FL | 7,285 | 233 | 1,606 |
| 83 | Palm Bay, FL | 116,897 | 280 | 1,514 |
| 84 | Eustis, FL | 21,642 | 231 | 1,751 |
| 85 | Longwood, FL | 15,793 | 253 | 1,639 |
| 86 | Boca Raton, FL | 101,583 | 202 | 1,964 |
| 87 | New Smyrna Beach, FL | 28,380 | 264 | 1,613 |
| 88 | Seminole, FL | 19,017 | 252 | 1,740 |
| 89 | Kenneth City, FL | 5,131 | 292 | 1,598 |
| 90 | Plantation, FL | 95,669 | 208 | 2,029 |
| 91 | Plantation, FL | 95,669 | 208 | 2,029 |
| 92 | Tarpon Springs, FL | 25,818 | 422 | 1,347 |
| 93 | St. Pete Beach, FL | 9,616 | 228 | 1,975 |
| 94 | Cutler Bay, FL | 44,098 | 258 | 1,845 |
| 95 | Greenacres City, FL | 41,518 | 286 | 1,712 |
| 96 | Temple Terrace, FL | 26,890 | 267 | 1,796 |
| 97 | Bartow, FL | 20,507 | 229 | 2,043 |
| 98 | Winter Garden, FL | 47,484 | 322 | 1,705 |
| 99 | North Lauderdale, FL | 44,618 | 430 | 1,447 |
| 100 | Arcadia, FL | 8,392 | 583 | 1,155 |
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.

HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.
We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.
We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.