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U.S. News and World Report has released its list of the “Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025.”
The list is made up of 150 cities from across the nation, ranked on factors like affordability, weather, crime rates and commuter friendliness.
Among the top cities on the list are places like Huntsville in Alabama (No. 7) and Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 5).
However, the No. 1 spot belonged to a city here in the Sunshine State: Naples in Collier County.
According to the ranking, the cost of living in Naples is fairly high — unless you live in the rural interior of the area.
In addition, the city features plenty of entertainment, tons of outdoor recreation, and Florida’s ever-present lack of a state income tax.
“Long known as a preferred retirement spot for the rich, powerful and cold-averse, the greater Naples area supplies pristine beaches, sprawling golf courses, and fine dining and shopping. Closer to the area’s rural interior, meanwhile, cattle graze and seasonal workers pick tomatoes in the fields around Immokalee, a farming community an hour’s drive outside of Naples.
Although geared more toward the older demographic that tends to settle in the Naples and Marco Island area, the two beachside communities are located just more than a two-hour drive from bustling cities including Tampa and Miami.
Much of the Naples area is subject to a seasonal ebb and flow as residents from cold-weather states – often called “snowbirds” – flock to the region during the winter months to enjoy Florida’s seemingly endless supply of sunshine and warm weather. Those seasonal residents leave their second homes in Naples as the sweltering summer months approach.
But proximity to the beach, loads of sunshine and no state income tax come with drawbacks. Continued growth and development are exacerbating a lack of affordable homes in Naples. And traffic, although nowhere near the levels seen in larger Florida metro areas, tends to choke roadways in the urban area during the winter months.”
U.S. News and World Report, “What’s it like to live in Naples, FL?”
The following are the Florida cities that made the list:
| Rank | City | Quality of Life | Value | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naples | 6.8 | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| 11 | Sarasota | 6.2 | 6.0 | 6.7 |
| 31 | Pensacola | 6.4 | 6.9 | 6.5 |
| 35 | Tampa | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.5 |
| 37 | Fort Myers | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| 49 | Melbourne | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| 56 | Jacksonville | 6.3 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| 68 | Orlando | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| 75 | Tallahassee | 6.4 | 7.1 | 6.2 |
| 78 | Ocala | 5.9 | 6.8 | 6.2 |
| 80 | Lakeland | 6.1 | 6.8 | 6.2 |
| 83 | Port St. Lucie | 5.7 | 6.3 | 6.2 |
| 96 | Daytona Beach | 6.0 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 123 | Miami | 6.6 | 3.5 | 5.8 |
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Anthony Talcott
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