Best Beach Towns in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Fernandina Beach ($530,000 median), Naples ($429,000 median), Delray Beach ($285,000 median), St. Augustine ($453,314 median), Gulf Breeze ($421,450 median), Pensacola ($330,500 median), Sarasota ($550,000 median), Boynton Beach ($339,900 median), Bonita Springs ($410,000 median), Deerfield Beach ($216,000 median). 67 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

67 Florida beach towns, ranked

Place	Score	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Share of income	Citizens avg premium	Condos for sale	5-yr appreciation / yr	Homes for sale
1. Fernandina Beach Nassau	55.6	$530,000	$3,350	41%	$1,159	50	+5.4%	236
2. Naples Collier · list-based	55.2	$429,000	$2,731	35%	$2,147	1,648	+4.8%	1,853
3. Delray Beach Palm Beach · list-based	54.6	$285,000	$1,976	34%	$1,753	820	+5.3%	1,463
4. St. Augustine St. Johns	54.5	$453,314	$2,981	29%	—	121	+4.5%	1,069
5. Gulf Breeze Santa Rosa	53.8	$421,450	$2,765	34%	$2,444	20	+4.4%	209
6. Pensacola Escambia	53.4	$330,500	$2,304	40%	$2,364	103	+5.9%	839
7. Sarasota Sarasota · list-based	53.2	$550,000	$3,563	38%	$2,126	855	+2.3%	2,548
8. Boynton Beach Palm Beach · list-based	53.2	$339,900	$2,344	37%	$1,753	525	+5.3%	1,363
9. Bonita Springs Lee · list-based	52.8	$410,000	$2,768	38%	$2,197	353	+2.3%	399
10. Deerfield Beach Broward · list-based	52.5	$216,000	$1,514	34%	$1,561	464	+4.8%	718
11. Tarpon Springs Pinellas	52.5	$407,500	$2,830	51%	$1,911	73	+9.6%	287
12. Navarre Santa Rosa · list-based	52.2	$537,000	$3,481	42%	$2,444	0	+3.7%	100
13. Daytona Beach Volusia · list-based	51.8	$269,950	$1,889	38%	$1,807	355	+3.5%	686
14. Boca Raton Palm Beach · list-based	51.7	$550,000	$3,751	48%	$1,753	852	+5.3%	1,703
15. Miramar Beach Walton · list-based	51.6	$680,000	$4,166	52%	$1,942	492	+2.9%	802
16. Marco Island Collier · list-based	51.5	$643,500	$4,030	46%	$2,147	241	+4.8%	245
17. Fort Pierce St. Lucie · list-based	51.4	$320,000	$2,358	45%	—	195	—	841
18. Panama City Beach Bay · list-based	51.2	$374,909	$2,418	38%	$1,928	752	+3.7%	805
19. Jacksonville Beach Duval	51.1	$624,500	$4,172	45%	$1,315	87	+5.0%	182
20. Ormond Beach Volusia	50.8	$410,000	$2,833	50%	$1,807	110	+4.3%	513
21. Ponte Vedra Beach St. Johns	50.7	$855,000	$5,495	54%	—	68	+11.5%	260
22. New Smyrna Beach Volusia	50.7	$497,000	$3,419	56%	$1,807	52	+7.1%	196
23. Pompano Beach Broward · list-based	50.0	$363,000	$2,512	45%	$1,561	735	+4.8%	1,097
24. Dunedin Pinellas	49.9	$380,000	$2,644	47%	$1,911	92	+6.3%	287
25. Satellite Beach Brevard · list-based	49.8	$550,000	$3,670	45%	$2,348	65	+3.6%	142

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change. Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-09-07; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

The top 10, in detail

1. Fernandina Beach, Nassau County

Recorded median sale $530,000 (-1.0% year over year), 282 sales in 12 months, 5.0 months of supply (balanced market), median 56 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,350 a month, 41% of the local median household income of $97,756; typical rent is $2,585. Prices compounded +5.4% a year over five years; the county grew +17.5% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Nassau County property tax

2. Naples, Collier County

Median asking price $429,000 across 1,853 current listings, 34% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 73 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -3.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,731 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $94,702; typical rent is $2,575. Prices compounded +4.8% a year over five years; the county grew +6.5% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Collier County property tax

3. Delray Beach, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $285,000 across 1,463 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 73 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,976 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $70,748; typical rent is $2,723. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

4. St. Augustine, St. Johns County

Recorded median sale $453,314 (-2.4% year over year), 2,623 sales in 12 months, 3.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 52 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,981 a month, 29% of the local median household income of $122,655; typical rent is $2,215. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · St. Johns County property tax

5. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $421,450 (-2.2% year over year), 373 sales in 12 months, 3.4 months of supply (healthy market), median 47 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,765 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $97,139; typical rent is $1,964. Prices compounded +4.4% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

6. Pensacola, Escambia County

Recorded median sale $330,500 (+4.3% year over year), 1,220 sales in 12 months, 4.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 52 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,304 a month, 40% of the local median household income of $69,802; typical rent is $1,800. Prices compounded +5.9% a year over five years; the county grew +3.8% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Escambia County property tax

7. Sarasota, Sarasota County

Median asking price $550,000 across 2,548 current listings, 14% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 61 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -4.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $3,563 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $113,114; typical rent is $2,924. Prices compounded +2.3% a year over five years; the county grew +8.9% in population over five years. market data · Sarasota County property tax

8. Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $339,900 across 1,363 current listings, 10% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 71 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,344 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $76,328; typical rent is $2,397. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

9. Bonita Springs, Lee County

Median asking price $410,000 across 399 current listings, 31% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 71 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -5.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,768 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $86,731; typical rent is $3,253. Prices compounded +2.3% a year over five years; the county grew +10.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Lee County property tax

10. Deerfield Beach, Broward County

Median asking price $216,000 across 718 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 92 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,514 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $53,413; typical rent is $2,581. Prices compounded +4.8% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Florida's beach towns by the numbers?

Fernandina Beach ranks first on our composite: $530,000 median, about $3,350 a month to own (41% of local median income), +5.4% a year appreciation over five years. The ranking is housing economics only; the right place for you also depends on commute, lifestyle and budget, which is what an agent narrows.

What is the cheapest place to live in Florida's beach towns?

Deerfield Beach has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,514 a month on a $216,000 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in Florida's beach towns?

Ponte Vedra Beach, at +11.5% a year compounded over five years; over the past twelve months it moved +2.4%.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: affordability (annual cost to own the median home divided by median household income, 35%), five-year compound appreciation (15%), county population growth (15%), market balance (distance of months of supply from 5, 10%), sales volume (10%), and the gap between owning and renting (15%). Every input is printed in the table; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only.

Which Florida beach towns have the most condos for sale?

The condos column counts current condo listings on our city pages; Naples (1,648), Miami Beach (1,538), Fort Lauderdale (1,123), Sunny Isles Beach (1,013), Hollywood (878) lead. Read the condo guide before buying in a building over three stories.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-09-07 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.