Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Florida a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Florida.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Sunshine State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Florida, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 67 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2024
St. Johns County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Florida. And you should avoid Desoto County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Florida. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Florida and the cheapest places to live in Florida.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Florida For 2024
1. St. Johns County
Biggest Place: Fruit Cove
Population: 278,722
Median Income: $100,020 (best)
Median Home Price: $559,505 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (18th best)
More on St. Johns County: Data
2. Sarasota County
Biggest Place: North Port
Population: 439,392
Median Income: $77,213 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $458,632 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (4th best)
More on Sarasota County: Data
3. Nassau County
Biggest Place: Yulee
Population: 91,538
Median Income: $84,085 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $462,664 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (11th best)
More on Nassau County: Data
4. Seminole County
Biggest Place: Sanford
Population: 471,321
Median Income: $79,490 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $402,740 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (15th best)
More on Seminole County: Data
5. Clay County
Biggest Place: Lakeside
Population: 219,650
Median Income: $82,242 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $337,598 (3best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (17th best)
More on Clay County: Data
6. Martin County
Biggest Place: Palm City
Population: 159,399
Median Income: $77,894 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $468,696 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (19th best)
More on Martin County: Data
7. Sumter County
Biggest Place: The Villages
Population: 131,832
Median Income: $70,105 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $401,225 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (34th best)
More on Sumter County: Data
8. Okaloosa County
Biggest Place: Crestview
Population: 212,021
Median Income: $73,988 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $362,476 (25th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (3rd best)
More on Okaloosa County: Data
9. Wakulla County
Biggest Place: Crawfordville
Population: 33,732
Median Income: $72,035 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $289,330 (39th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on Wakulla County: Data
10. Collier County
Biggest Place: Golden Gate
Population: 380,221
Median Income: $82,011 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $605,195 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (14th best)
More on Collier County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Florida county is the best?
To give you the best county in Florida, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Florida across each of the criteria from one to 67, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Florida.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Sunshine State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Florida.
Read on to see why St. Johns County is the best county, while Desoto County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Florida.
Summary: The Best Counties In Florida To Call Home For 2024
Living in Florida can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Florida are St. Johns County, Sarasota County, Nassau County, Seminole County, Clay County, Martin County, Sumter County, Okaloosa County, Wakulla County, and Collier County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Florida according to the data:
- Desoto County
- Hamilton County
- Hardee County
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Florida
- Best Places To Buy A House In Florida
- Richest Cities In Florida
- Best Places To Retire In Florida
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Florida
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Johns County | 278,722 | $100,020 | $559,505 |
| 2 | Sarasota County | 439,392 | $77,213 | $458,632 |
| 3 | Nassau County | 91,538 | $84,085 | $462,664 |
| 4 | Seminole County | 471,321 | $79,490 | $402,740 |
| 5 | Clay County | 219,650 | $82,242 | $337,598 |
| 6 | Martin County | 159,399 | $77,894 | $468,696 |
| 7 | Sumter County | 131,832 | $70,105 | $401,225 |
| 8 | Okaloosa County | 212,021 | $73,988 | $362,476 |
| 9 | Wakulla County | 33,732 | $72,035 | $289,330 |
| 10 | Collier County | 380,221 | $82,011 | $605,195 |
| 11 | Flagler County | 117,515 | $69,251 | $368,447 |
| 12 | Santa Rosa County | 188,994 | $84,715 | $347,424 |
| 13 | Monroe County | 82,044 | $80,111 | $1,009,971 |
| 14 | Brevard County | 610,723 | $71,308 | $357,204 |
| 15 | Pinellas County | 959,918 | $66,406 | $397,720 |
| 16 | Walton County | 76,618 | $74,832 | $710,403 |
| 17 | Lake County | 386,829 | $66,239 | $362,849 |
| 18 | Charlotte County | 189,900 | $62,164 | $359,937 |
| 19 | Manatee County | 405,069 | $71,385 | $458,708 |
| 20 | Lee County | 772,902 | $69,368 | $401,076 |
| 21 | Gulf County | 15,002 | $56,250 | $406,823 |
| 22 | Volusia County | 558,520 | $63,075 | $335,939 |
| 23 | Palm Beach County | 1,494,805 | $76,066 | $475,749 |
| 24 | Indian River County | 160,986 | $67,543 | $375,295 |
| 25 | Bay County | 181,055 | $65,999 | $356,180 |
| 26 | Hillsborough County | 1,468,560 | $70,612 | $385,924 |
| 27 | Duval County | 995,708 | $65,579 | $303,709 |
| 28 | Pasco County | 569,211 | $63,187 | $347,602 |
| 29 | Alachua County | 279,729 | $57,566 | $295,314 |
| 30 | Orange County | 1,427,403 | $72,629 | $400,069 |
| 31 | Broward County | 1,940,907 | $70,331 | $431,619 |
| 32 | Osceola County | 393,745 | $64,312 | $377,515 |
| 33 | Leon County | 294,128 | $61,317 | $278,798 |
| 34 | Baker County | 27,969 | $67,872 | $298,497 |
| 35 | Gilchrist County | 18,070 | $56,823 | $291,144 |
| 36 | Miami-Dade County | 2,688,237 | $64,215 | $503,572 |
| 37 | St. Lucie County | 334,682 | $66,154 | $370,986 |
| 38 | Polk County | 736,229 | $60,901 | $310,566 |
| 39 | Hernando County | 196,621 | $59,202 | $314,002 |
| 40 | Union County | 15,524 | $64,043 | $249,072 |
| 41 | Escambia County | 321,296 | $61,642 | $270,916 |
| 42 | Citrus County | 155,173 | $52,569 | $281,534 |
| 43 | Marion County | 378,225 | $55,265 | $276,867 |
| 44 | Levy County | 43,268 | $49,933 | $288,691 |
| 45 | Jefferson County | 14,458 | $51,573 | $285,584 |
| 46 | Jackson County | 47,704 | $46,144 | $174,540 |
| 47 | Taylor County | 21,421 | $46,239 | $194,241 |
| 48 | Suwannee County | 43,881 | $49,729 | $258,898 |
| 49 | Bradford County | 27,816 | $54,759 | $230,304 |
| 50 | Highlands County | 102,339 | $53,679 | $238,010 |
| 51 | Madison County | 17,986 | $43,386 | $198,840 |
| 52 | Columbia County | 69,832 | $53,501 | $248,377 |
| 53 | Franklin County | 12,276 | $58,107 | $440,208 |
| 54 | Gadsden County | 43,746 | $45,721 | $184,317 |
| 55 | Holmes County | 19,529 | $46,063 | $178,979 |
| 56 | Washington County | 25,014 | $47,536 | $208,982 |
| 57 | Liberty County | 7,704 | $51,723 | $175,344 |
| 58 | Dixie County | 16,737 | $45,057 | $203,702 |
| 59 | Calhoun County | 13,753 | $41,526 | $168,927 |
| 60 | Lafayette County | 8,107 | $57,852 | $246,690 |
| 61 | Okeechobee County | 39,870 | $50,476 | $262,415 |
| 62 | Hendry County | 39,902 | $49,259 | $269,237 |
| 63 | Glades County | 12,179 | $37,221 | $250,558 |
| 64 | Putnam County | 73,604 | $44,852 | $205,073 |
| 65 | Hardee County | 25,528 | $44,665 | $206,060 |
| 66 | Hamilton County | 13,492 | $47,668 | $185,117 |
| 67 | Desoto County | 34,258 | $45,000 | $187,577 |