ORLANDO, Fla. – There are plenty of people who want to live in the Sunshine State. But according to a new study, there’s one city that’s better than the rest.
In its latest ranking, U.S. News & World Report has listed out the best places to live in Florida, using the following metrics:
- Quality of Life Index: This includes factors like education, healthcare availability and state infrastructure
- Value Index: This includes factors like housing affordability and the cost of living
- Desirability Index: This includes factors like crime rates, weather and transit times
- Job Market Index: This includes factors like unemployment and median household income
Statewide, the top-ranked city can be found in South Florida: Parkland, with an overall score of 6.4.
But the highest-ranked city in Central Florida can be found not too far from Orlando. That’s the community of Alafaya in Orange County, sitting at No. 5.
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According to the report, Alafaya is primarily made up of working-age adults, and that’s reflected by the roughly 30-minute commute time — higher than the national average.
Meanwhile, the median household income is just under six figures, and the area boasts a median home value of around $410,000. Renters can expect a median rent of roughly $1,741.
It’s not the only Central Florida city to make the top 10, though. Ormond Beach in Flagler County placed at No. 7, and The Villages eked its way into No. 9.
The ranking of the top 50 Florida cities can be found below:
| Rank | City | County | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parkland | Broward | 6.4 |
| 2 | Palm Harbor | Pinellas | 6.4 |
| 3 | Weston | Broward | 6.3 |
| 4 | Jupiter | Palm Beach | 6.1 |
| 5 | Alafaya | Orange | 6.1 |
| 6 | Palm Beach Gardens | Palm Beach | 6.1 |
| 7 | Ormond Beach | Flagler | 6.0 |
| 8 | Pensacola | Escambia | 6.0 |
| 9 | The Villages | Lake | 6.0 |
| 10 | Naples | Collier | 6.0 |
| 11 | Riverview | Hillsborough | 5.9 |
| 12 | Bonita Springs | Lee | 5.9 |
| 13 | Pinellas Park | Pinellas | 5.9 |
| 14 | Kendall | Miami-Dade | 5.8 |
| 15 | Apopka | Orange | 5.8 |
| 16 | Doral | Miami-Dade | 5.8 |
| 17 | Clermont | Lake | 5.8 |
| 18 | North Port | Sarasota | 5.8 |
| 19 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 5.8 |
| 20 | Brandon | Hillsborough | 5.8 |
| 21 | Largo | Pinellas | 5.8 |
| 22 | Wellington | Palm Beach | 5.8 |
| 23 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 5.7 |
| 24 | Punta Gorda | Charlotte | 5.7 |
| 25 | Spring Hill | Hernando | 5.7 |
| 26 | Jacksonville | Duval | 5.7 |
| 27 | DeLand | Volusia | 5.7 |
| 28 | Davie | Broward | 5.7 |
| 29 | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | 5.7 |
| 30 | Port Orange | Volusia | 5.7 |
| 31 | Cape Coral | Lee | 5.7 |
| 32 | Homosassa Springs | Citrus | 5.7 |
| 33 | Clearwater | Hillsborough | 5.6 |
| 34 | Miramar | Broward | 5.6 |
| 35 | Pembroke Pines | Broward | 5.6 |
| 36 | Lakeland | Polk | 5.6 |
| 37 | Tamarac | Broward | 5.6 |
| 38 | Zephyrhills | Orange | 5.5 |
| 39 | Crestview | Okaloosa | 5.5 |
| 40 | Miami Beach | Miami-Dade | 5.5 |
| 41 | Port St. Lucie | St. Lucie | 5.5 |
| 42 | Palm Bay | Brevard | 5.4 |
| 43 | Port Charlotte | Charlotte | 5.4 |
| 44 | Deltona | Volusia | 5.4 |
| 45 | Melbourne | Brevard | 5.4 |
| 46 | Coral Springs | Broward | 5.4 |
| 47 | Plantation | Broward | 5.4 |
| 48 | Hialeah | Miami-Dade | 5.3 |
| 49 | Palm Coast | Flagler | 5.3 |
| 50 | Winter Haven | Polk | 5.2 |