Best florida beach towns to live in

Pros and Cons:
+ Good value and standard of living
+ Quick access to the beach
– Limited work opportunities
– Isolated from larger cities

Location: West Central Florida – Check on Google Maps

Dunedin is a small beach city on Florida’s western coast and about 45 minutes from Tampa. It is known for its quiet and relaxed lifestyle while still offering many opportunities for entertainment in town and outdoors.

Residents enjoy the quaint and historic downtown district, which offers many shops, dining options, and bars. Meanwhile, there is also an abundance of good beaches to choose from. Clearwater Beach, which was named the 3rd best beach in Florida by U.S. News & World Report, is only 20 minutes away while Honeymoon Island State Park is just 15 minutes away across the Dunedin Causeway.

Affordability is one of Dunedin’s strong points – its home prices are 34% lower than the U.S. average.

5. Naples, Florida

Pros and Cons:
+ Excellent school system
+ Low crime
+ Top quality beaches and golf courses
– Expensive

Location: Southwestern Florida – Check on Google Maps

The wealthy city of Naples, Florida is the 5th best place to live on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is ideal for families and was ranked #1 by Wallethub as the best city for families based on education, safety, and health standards.

Naples, Florida is also well known for its upscale living with its world-class beaches and golf courses. In fact, the beaches of Naples that sit right on the Gulf Coast were ranked as the 4th best in Florida.

4. Fort Myers, Florida

Pros and Cons:
+ Great value
+ Growing downtown scene
+ Access to top beaches
– Tourists throughout the year

Location: Southwestern Florida – Check on Google Maps

Fort Myers has been constantly ranked as one of the best emerging cities in Florida. It is easy to see why, since it combines affordability with a vibrant, revitalized downtown area and access to many beaches and islands.

The historic downtown of Fort Myers contains numerous shops, restaurants, and bars, with outdoor gardens and patios that create a cozy atmosphere, which is great for singles and families alike. Fort Myers is also a perfect spot for retirees, as it was named as the 2nd best city to retire in through the whole U.S.

Living in Fort Myers would give you an abundance of world-class beaches to enjoy. There is Sanibel Island, which was ranked as the 2nd best beach in Florida. Additionally, there is Fort Myers Beach and its 7 miles of beachfront as well as Estero Island.

You can also reach Naples in less than 1 hour. If you are having trouble choosing between Fort Myers and Naples, then read this comparison guide that we recently published.

Check out our extensive review of the pros and cons of living in Fort Myers for more details.

Whats the point of living in Florida if you're not close to the water? Living seaside usually means forking out a lot of dough, but some beach towns are cheaper than others. Financial website SmartAsset, releases an annual rundown of the nation's most affordable beach towns, and this year quite a few Florida spots made the cut. Here are the most affordable beach towns in Florida at the moment. 

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Pensacola

Median Home Value: $165,700
The westernmost city on the Florida panhandle, Pensacola, is known for its gorgeous Gulf of Mexico beaches and historic Spanish and British forts in its downtown area. Its median monthly housing cost is $932 and its average room per house is 6.4. Fans of NASCAR will love Five Flags Speedway, which holds the December annual Snowball Derby.

Photo via Adobe Images

Vero Beach

Median Home Value: $256,300
Vero Beach is a small Florida city, with Atlantic-facing beaches on a barrier island across the Indian River Lagoon. South Beach Park is downtown and is a popular attraction for tourists and residents alike. The median monthly housing cost in Vero Beach is $909 and its median annual property tax amount is $2,031.

Photo via Adobe Images

Tarpon Springs

Median Home Value: $195,800
Tarpon Springs is a city on central Florida’s Gulf Coast. Greek eateries line waterfront Dodecanese Boulevard, a legacy of the Greek sponge divers who settled in the city in the early 1900s is evident in everything from the food to the architecture. The median monthly housing cost in Tarpon Springs is $928 and its median annual property tax amount is $1,843.

Photo via Adobe Images

St. Augustine

Median Home Value: $260,800
St. Augustine is a city on the northeast coast of Florida that is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is known for its Spanish colonial architecture as well as Atlantic Ocean beaches like St. Augustine Beach and Crescent Beach. The median monthly housing cost in St. Augustine is $1,013 and its median annual property tax amount is $2,167.

Photo via Adobe Images

Sarasota

Median Home Value: $239,600
Sarasota is a city south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast that is known for the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Siesta Key Beach, rated the No. 1 beach in the United States by TripAdvisor. The median monthly housing cost in Sarasota is $1,067 and its median annual property tax amount is $1,873.

Photo via Adobe Images

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