Here are the 10 best places to live in Florida, per study

Melbourne ranked #9 safest place to live in U.S.: study

A new study is highlighting the safest places to live across the United States. U.S. News & World Report analyzed FBI crime data, focusing on murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, to determine the safest cities. Melbourne, Florida, ranked No. 9 on the list. We speak with Chief David Gillespie, the Melbourne Police Chief, and Mayor Paul Alfrey, the Mayor of Melbourne, about the new study,

ORLANDO, Fla. - Thinking of settling down in Florida or relocating within the Sunshine State? This report is for you.

U.S. News & World Report has just released its 2025–2026 list of the "Best Places to Live in Florida" – and here are the top 10 cities that made the cut.

Top 10 Best Places to Live in Florida, per study

Parkland
Palm Harbor
Weston
Jupiter
Alafaya
Palm Beach Gardens
Ormond Beach
Pensacola
The Villages
Naples

See the full list here.

How are cities ranked?

What we know:

The list was compiled based on information collected from both private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau for Economic Analysis.

That data was then broken down into five important factors Americans consider when choosing where to live:

Quality of life, which includes education, availability of health care and state economy
Value, such as housing affordability and cost of living
Desirability, including crime rates, weather, and culture
Job market, such as the median household income and the unemployment rate
Net migration, which measures whether people are moving to or away from each city

To rank at the top, a city must score highly in key factors such as desirability and quality of life.

Parkland ranks the best Florida city to live in

Parkland, located in South Florida, claimed the top spot on the list. Home to over 35,000 residents, the city boasts a median household income of $209,914 — significantly higher than the national median of $79,466. Its unemployment rate stands at just 2.82%.

How does Florida rank among other U.S. states?

Dig deeper:

Florida ranked No. 6 overall among all 50 U.S. states, thanks largely to its top rankings in economy (#1) and education (#2), according to U.S. News & World Report.

The state also performed well in areas like fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and the natural environment. However, it ranked near the bottom in opportunity (#47), signaling challenges in things like affordability, economic opportunity and equality.

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