Safest cities in florida

Welcome to the Wyze Safest Cities Report for the sunshine state of Florida. We at Wyze have spent years helping you create smarter, safer homes. Now we want to help you choose smarter, safer cities! 

If you’re moving, the decision of where to live can be nerve-racking. There are so many important questions:

“What’s the cost of living?”

“Do the potholes outnumber the potheads?”

“How worried should I be about a natural disaster?” 

“How far is the nearest bowl of ice cream?”

 “Where am I least likely to be murdered?”

The questions probably run in that order.

We can’t answer all of them, but if you’ve got your eye on Florida, we can give you a basic picture of the crime rate there as well as some info about the safest, and the most dangerous, places to live in the state. Granted you can’t learn everything you need to know from a survey of state trends and a snapshot of the local crime stats. And granted, too, that in a state with over 1200 cities, it’s maybe shortsighted to single out thirty. And granted even further that it’s a little unfair to compare the crime rates of cities of 25,000 with cities of half a million (though, as we’ll see below, small size is no guarantee of a safer city)…

BUT

knowledge is power. So with those caveats out of the way, let’s dive right into the safest (and least safe) places to live in the Sunshine State.

Let’s get to know Florida!

There are plenty of reasons Florida has a reputation as a favorite destination for everyone from retirees to college coeds to the rich and famous: Walt Disney World, Sea World, the Kennedy Space Center, sub-tropical sunshine, orange groves, key lime pies and conch fritters, the reasonable cost of living, no income tax, a thriving economy, cultural diversity, the Everglades, America’s only living coral reef, beaches as far as the eye can see…what’s not to love about Florida? 

Hurricanes. The answer is hurricanes.

Also alligators.

Also (separate category) alligators wandering through hotel lobbies.

But hey! Other than those three itsy-bitsy things, what’s not to love? Especially now that they’ve fixed their voting system (for reals this time). 

Some general information can tell us how Florida stacks up against other states.

• Florida has a population of 21.5 million people, the third largest in the US. [1]
• If Florida were an independent country, its economy would be the 15th largest in the world. [2]  
• The average annual rent for a 2 bedroom home in the state is $12,252. [3] 
• The median household income is a little over $55,600 a year. [4] 
• Nearly 13 percent of Florida’s population lives in poverty. [4]
• The cost of living in Florida is only slightly higher than the national average. [5]
• The average home cost in Florida is about $295,000, which is only about $3,000 higher than the national average. [5]
• The violent crime rate statewide is 3.8 per thousand people. [6]
• The property crime rate statewide is 21.4 per thousand people. [6] 
• Florida’s population has been growing steadily, from just under 16 million in 2000 to a little over 21 million in 2019. [7]
• Although Florida’s average age (42.5) is unusually high, it’s not the highest. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia have slightly higher average ages. [8]  
• Florida is home to several unique species including the Florida panther, American alligator, American crocodile, Florida black bear, Key deer, American flamingo, and West Indian manatee.

While we’re on the topic of Florida’s dangerous wildlife, a few noteworthy facts: About half of all shark attacks in the US (and about 24% of all shark attacks worldwide) happen in Florida. [9] That’s before we get into the pythons. In addition, you should be on the lookout for jellyfish, fire ants, Florida’s three species of rattlesnakes, wild hogs, and of course, the most notorious of all, the Florida Man.

Now enough about dangerous animals! Let’s get back to crime. 

The Top Ten Safest Cities in Florida

So where, in all the weird and wonderful state of Florida, do you want to live if safety is top of your list? Without further ado, here are the top ten safest places to live in the state.

Actually, wait. Just one more ado. 

We should say that these rankings come from the 2019 data of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, from which we excluded cities with fewer than 25,000 people. Also, the data are weighted so that violent crimes count for 70% and property crime count for 30% because, you know, that’s exactly how much more it hurts to get stabbed versus having porch pirates make off with your delivery of loaded taco fries.

Okay, here are the safest places to live in Florida: 

1. Parkland
2. Weston
3. Cooper City
4. Sebastian
5. Winter Springs
6. Port Orange
7. Oviedo
8. Wellington
9. Cape Coral
10. Dunedin

It might come as no surprise that Florida’s safest cities tend to be small. With the exception of Cape Coral, all the cities on this list have populations under 100,000. However, as you’ll see with this next list, there’s not always a correlation between the size of a city and how dangerous it is. Take a glance at Florida’s most dangerous places to live.

Top Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida

1. Miami Beach
2. Daytona Beach
3. Lake Worth
4. Riviera Beach
5. Homestead
6. Ocala
7. Lauderdale Lakes
8. Orlando
9. North Miami
10. Sanford

You might expect to find a big city like Orlando (pop. 292,000) on the list, but none of the other cities on this list are over 100,000. What that tells us is that size isn’t all that matters. If we want to know what makes one Florida city safer than another, we’ve got to take a closer look. So let’s do exactly that.

Violent Crime in Florida: Facts and Trends

• Despite a lot of bad press, Florida is not an especially violent state overall. In fact, in 2020 it was ranked near the middle (#21) of states with the highest rates of violent crime. [10] However, certain parts of Florida are far more dangerous overall. For example, in Florida City the violent crime rate is 8 times the national average. If you lived there in 2020, your chances of experiencing violent crime were 1 in 33!
• According to the 2020 Annual Uniform Crime Report, the overall crime rate in Florida has dropped for 50 straight years.  There were 78,373 fewer property crimes in Florida in 2020 than the previous year, a decline of 17 percent.  (“Property crimes” as the FBI defines them, are burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.) On the other hand, “violent crimes” (defined by the FBI as murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) rose by 2.3 percent in Florida that same year, due to an increase in murder and aggravated assault. So…the good news is, crime is down. Not so good news: the crimes that are rising are murder and aggravated assault. [11]
• Aggravated assault with a firearm went up a whopping 34 percent in Florida in 2020. [12]
• Of the 1,285 murders in Florida in 2020, 1,025 of them were committed with a gun. [13] Not the same gun, obviously.
• The rise in murders was not confined to Florida. Nearly all big cities in the US saw an increase in murder during 2020. That year saw a nationwide increase in gun violence and a historic rise in gun sales. It’s hard to know how much of those increases were due to the COVID pandemic, nation-wide protests over police violence and racial tensions, or some other factors. [14]
• Duvall County, home of Jacksonville, has the dubious distinction of the “murder capital of Florida.” If you lived in Duval County in 2020, you had a 1.5 in 10,000 chance of being murdered. 
• Taking all kinds of crime into account, and factoring in the population growth in the state, Florida’s crime rate went down 15.7% in 2020. [12] But considering what a strange year 2020 was, who knows whether those trends will continue?

Property Crime in Florida: Facts and Trends

• In Florida, rates of property crimes (i.e. burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) have steadily declined for decades. From 2016 to 2020, property crime went down by 2.9, 4.6, 7.9, 5.2, and 17.0 percent each year respectively. [15] The startling drop of 17 percent in 2020 may have been related to people staying home because of the COVID pandemic. 
• Even though property crimes were down, Florida still had $1.25 billion worth of personal property stolen in 2020. Only about a third of it was recovered.  [15] 
• The city (over a population of 25,000) with the most serious property crime issues is Miami Beach. In 2020, Miami Beach had 7,476 instances of property crime, amounting to $187,267,685 of loss or damage. That’s an average of $2,015 loss or damage per resident. [16]
• In 2019, 39,048 vehicles were stolen in Florida, giving the state the third highest rate of auto theft behind California and Texas. [17] 
• Your chances of becoming a victim of property crime in Florida are about 1 in 47. [18]
• Although Florida’s population continues to grow, it’s growth rate has slowed 

The Top Twenty Safest Cities in Florida

With that general information, let’s get a little deeper into the numbers and see what we can learn about the safest cities in the Sunshine State.

1. Parkland

At the top of our list of safe places to live in Florida is Parkland, an affluent city near the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula, about 15 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale. It’s a newish city, established in 1963, and its name reflects a commitment to maintaining the city’s “park-like” character. In fact, by law there were no stores or street lights allowed in Parkland until the mid-1990s. You can still find equestrian trails and parks all over the place, although only two of the parks allow dogs, including the Barkland Dog Park. Barkland? Get it? Adorable.

 

WalletHub has named Parkland the best city in Florida in which to raise a family, largely because of its very low crime rates. Sadly, even paradise has its troubles. In 2018 a lone gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others in Parkland’s Stoneman Douglas High School, making it the deadliest shooting ever in an American high school.

 

Population: 35,380

Median Household Income: $126,905

Median Home Price: $725,600

Median Age: 41.1

Violent: 0.26 Property: 5.36 

https://www.cityofparkland.org/

1. Weston

Not far from Parkland, and directly west of Fort Lauderdale, is our second safest place to live in Florida, the city of Weston. Less affluent than Parkland, Weston is another master-planned community that borders the Everglades and is only a twenty minute drive from some of Florida’s best beaches. It wasn’t even established as a city until 1996, and most of it was developed by the same company that developed Walt Disney World. In its relatively short existence, Weston has received a truckload of awards and distinctions, from one of the Ten Best Towns for Families (Family Circle magazine) to one of the best places to live in American (Money magazine) to #8 in the Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. (NeighborhoodScout).  

 

Weston has one of the highest number and percentage of Venezuelans in the U.S. at 9.4% of its population. According to the 2010 census, Hispanics and Latinos made up 44.9% of Weston’s population, while Caucasians made up 44.8%. 

 

Population: 71,086

Median Household Income: $91,613

Median Home Price: $503,600

Median Age: 40.2

Violent: 0.46 Property: 5.03

https://www.westonfl.org/

1. Cooper City

From Weston we have to travel all of 8.49 miles to reach #3 on our list of Florida’s safest places to live, Cooper City. Unlike the first two cities on our list, Cooper City has a long and storied history. It was named for Morris Cooper, a Ukranian businessman who decided to turn a few acres of orange groves and cattle lands into a city. Although Cooper had made a fortune with the Imperial Shirt Company he’d created, his Florida real estate venture was not such a great investment. Cooper lost most of his land to flooding from a hurricane in 1947, but in 1958 he retired to Florida joke about starting the retirement trend? and began “properly planned and zoned community in the Everglades.” The development did not sell well, but Cooper was already in for a penny, so he invested over a million more dollars to improve his city, including building a country club another joke about starting a trend? 

 

When real estate collapsed in the 1960s, Cooper tried to sell his city in the Wall Street Journal but, as you can tell from the city’s current name, there were no buyers. He wasn’t able to offload the city until 1974, one year before he died. By then, however, the city had finally started to grow, partly due to the dedication and sacrifice of city leaders. (Commissioner salaries were $1.00 a year until 1981.) Now a safe, prosperous community with great schools and easy access to some beautiful beaches, Cooper City proudly bears the name of the man who came from abject poverty in Ukraine to financial success in America…only to lose it in Florida. 

Population: 35,700

Median Household Income: $91,285

Median Home Price: $475,100

Median Age: 39.9

Violent: 0.7 Property: 9.76

https://coopercityfl.org/

1. Sebastian

In 1715, several Spanish ships loaded with treasure sank in a storm off the coast of Florida. Only a portion of the treasure has been recovered, but it is estimated (in today’s money) to be worth more than $500 million US dollars. About a hundred and fifty years later, the fishing village of “St. Sebastian” was started in the area, and to this day treasure hunters comb the area of artifacts from “The 1715 Treasure Fleet.”

But Spanish galleons aren’t the main attraction to our fourth safest city in Florida. Sebastian’s natural attractions are incredible. Pelican Island, America’s first National Wildlife Refuge, boasts over 130 species of birds, plus loggerhead sea turtles and green turtles, and is the most biologically diverse estuary in North America. Sebastian Inlet is considered one of Florida’s finest spots for deep-sea fishing and surfing. Thrill seekers can skydive from 13,500 feet to take in the spectacular view, or go sea kayaking with sharks. Whether you want to catch a wave,  catch a peep of a roseate spoonbill, or catch a bite at one of Sebastian’s dockside restaurants, you can find what you’re looking for…unless what you’re looking for is buried Spanish bullion. In that case, good luck.

 

Population: 26,482

Median Household Income: $42,591

Median Home Price: $262,400

Median Age: 53.2

Violent: 0.72 Property: 11.32 

https://www.cityofsebastian.org/

1. Winter Springs

Sixty-three miles up the coast from Sebastian and then 33 miles inland, Winter Springs, the only town on this list that derived its name from a disagreement about which season they wanted to be known for. That is not true, or course. Is it too misleading? Winter Springs is a suburb of Orlando—in fact the city was originally called “North Orlando.” Before the Disney Corporation arrived in the 1970s, Orlando was a small town with an economy based on oranges and cows, but ever since Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the entire Orlando area has exploded in population and tourism. 

In normal (non-COVID) years, the area gets 50 million visitors, but most of that tourism is centered to the south and southwest of Orlando. Cities to the northeast side like Winter Springs tend to be quieter, safer, and more upscale while still enjoying the advantages that have come with Orlando’s growth. Those advantages include all the world-class amenities of Orlando within an easy drive, plus excellent air service and employment with some big players like the Universal Orlando Resort, IBM, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and the University of Central Florida. Although growth in the area has steadily raised the cost of living and housing, increased traffic, and brought higher crime rates to some nearby communities (e.g. Orlando and Sanford both appear on our list of “The Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida”), Winter Springs has managed to remains a little pocket of tranquility, an eye of the hurricane, if you will.  

 

Population: 37,423

Median Household Income: $64,038

Median Home Price: $325,500

Median Age: 43.4

Violent: 1.22 Property: 6.58

https://www.winterspringsfl.org/

1. Port Orange

Port Orange is an oddity. Although its rate of property crime (18 per 100,000 residents) is much higher than most of the other cities on this list, its rate of violent crime (0.46) is much lower. Since we weighted violent crime much more heavily than property crime, Port Orange jumped all the way to number six on our list of safest cities in Florida.

 

The area that is now Port Orange was home to Timucuan and Seminole tribes long before it was settled by Europeans. in 1768 a Scottish physician named Andrew Turnbull brought 1,400 persons from Greece, Italy, and Minorca to Florida to help raise rice, indigo, cotton, and sugarcane. His “New Smyrna Colony” didn’t last long; nine years later, due to cruel treatment, the colonists marched away and demanded release from their indentures. In 1804 a plantation was built there using slave labor, but that plantation was eventually destroyed by Seminoles in the 1830s. After the Civil War, an abolitionist surgeon brought 500 freed slaves to the area to work his sawmill. Most of the freed slaves soon left, but the nine families that remained formed what was known as Freemanville. 

  

Port Orange’s troubled past began to change when the city started recruiting high-tech companies including defense contractor Raydon Corporation, which moved its headquarters to Port Orange in 2010. Now the city is known for its gated communities, trees, and traffic. And, of course, its very low rate of violent crime.

 

Population: 65,425

Median Household Income: $44,981

Median Home Price: $284,900

Median Age: 46.8

Violent: 0.46 Property: 18.05 

https://www.port-orange.org/

1. Oviedo

Not far from Winter Springs (#5 on our list of The Top Twenty Safest Cities in Florida), Oviedo is also north east of Orlando and benefits from the advantages of big-city live without being overly affected by the crazy tourism that is Orlando.

 

The area of Oviedo (which locals pronounce “oh-VEE-doh”) was occupied by Seminole Indians and African-American Freemen up until after the Civil War. Then many people who had lost their livelihoods in the war began to move south seeking a better life. The whole area relied on agriculture until the 1960s when the school that would become the University of Central Florida was built, soon followed by the Central Florida Research Park. A series of winter freezes in the 1980s put Oviedo farmers out of business, and you would hardly be able to guess Oviedo’s rural past today if it weren’t for the flock of chickens that still roams freely through its downtown area. Traffic often stops to let them cross the road, making Oviedo safe for fowl and families alike.

Population: 41,652

Median Household Income: $82,259

Median Home Price: $380,200

Median Age: 36.4

Violent: 1.31 Property: 6.84 

https://www.cityofoviedo.net/

1. Wellington

It is officially known as “the Village of Wellington,” which is officially the most interesting thing about this boring damn city. Its whole history is just “one white guy sold the land to another white guy, who built a polo club and sold it to a company owned by another white guy.” But here are what will pass for highlights:

• Before it became Wellington, the area was often flooded since it sits on the edge of the Florida Everglades. In the 1950s, the United States Army Corps of Engineers constructed some levys to hold back the waters. 
• By the 1960s, farmers were growing enough strawberries there that they claimed to have the largest strawberry patch in the world.
• A company really did build the International Polo Club in Wellington, as well as the Aero Club, a neighborhood with a private airpark. 
• Since private airparks and polo clubs aren’t pretentious enough, Wellington also hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival featuring dressage, jumping, hunting, and other riding events. In fact, Wellington is considered by many to be the winter equestrian capital of the world. 
• The community offers tremendous diversity from white people in lavish apartments to white people in lavish homes with private airplane hangars.
• Wellington's cost of living is 28.3% higher than the U.S. average. 

 

Population: 65,454

Median Household Income: $81,481

Median Home Price: $472,900

Median Age: 41.3

Violent: 0.98 Property: 11.86

https://www.wellingtonfl.gov/

1. Cape Coral

The first of Florida’s west coast cities we’ve met on this list, Cape Coral is a unique place with a unique past. The city got its start in 1957 when two brothers from Baltimore flew over the Caloosahatchee River in Florida, looked down, and decided that what that swamp land really needed was a city.

 

While many Florida cities worked to drain swamps and build levees so they had some dry land, the founders of Cape Coral decided to just embrace the water-logged terrain. Today, Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable waterways, more than any other city in the world, including Venice. After the Baltimore brothers, Jack and Leonard Rosen, had bought the land, they came up with a unique sales strategy to attract investors. Rather than listing the individual lots through real estate agents, the Rosens began hosting dinner banquets in various hotels and enticing potential buyers to attend by offering free dinners. A trained sales team would goad buyers into signing a contract and agree to come to the property to sign within six months to cancel the deal if they weren’t satisfied. By 1970, the year that “the Cape” was officially incorporated, it had grown to over 10,000.      

 

Average salaries aren’t particularly high in Cape Coral, but for a beach town, it has a remarkably low cost of living. It also enjoys a low unemployment rate and a large population of retirees. Of course, they get rain 145 days per year, but that’s offset by 355 days of sunshine.  

Population: 200,972

Median Household Income: $49,841

Median Home Price: $290,700

Median Age: 45.9

Violent: 1.16 Property: 11.21 

https://www.capecoral.gov/

1. Dunedin

We could have sworn that Dunedin was race of ancient men from a Tolkien novel, but no, the real Dunedin is a small waterfront community near Tampa and the spring training home for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Named after the Scottish Gaelic word for Edinburgh, Dunedin celebrates its heritage by hosting the annual Dunedin Highland Games. Dunedin High School and Dunedin Highland Middle School both compete with their own pipe and drum bands, and the high school's marching band is known as the Scottish Highlander Band.

Legend has it that the city was incorporated in 1899 in response to numerous complaints about pigs running wild in the streets, so one of the first official city laws was a still-standing ban on livestock within city limits. Some would say that city officials have taken their regulatory powers a little too far in Dunedin. For example, the city tried to collect over a hundred thousand dollars for yard and swimming pool maintenance from one former resident. In other cases, city officials have charged tens of thousands of dollars for city code violations like uncut grass taller than 10 inches, recreational vehicles parked on streets at certain hours, or sidings and bricks that don't match. The city has backed down after those cases gained national scrutiny, but it highlights that there’s a price to be paid to live in a gorgeous waterfront community with one of the “10 Best Beaches in America.” (USA Today)

 

Population: 36,464

Median Household Income: $46,310

Median Home Price: $330,900

Median Age: 53.6

Violent: 1.06 Property: 12.85

https://www.dunedingov.com/

1. Port St. Lucie

Located along Florida’s Treasure Coast 113 miles north of Miami, Port St. Lucie is a relaxed waterfront city with clean streets, quiet neighborhoods, beautiful beaches, pristine golf courses, lush environmental preserves, and homes that are still affordable, although the popularity of the area is steadily driving up prices. in 2021 US News ranked Port St. Lucie #47 in Best Places to Live in the country, #11 in Safest Places to Live, and #3 in Best Placed to Retire.

Part of what Makes Port St. Lucie so gorgeous are the Botanical Gardens featuring areas devoted to orchids, bamboo, native plants, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Nearby, you can find ancient mangroves, and the North Fork St. Lucie Aquatic Preserve is home to manatees, turtles, alligators, river otters, and many species of native birds. For sports enthusiasts, Port St. Lucie hosts the New York Mets’ spring training camp, and one of the few remaining jai-alai frontons in Florida. If you weren’t alive in the 1980s, you might have no idea what jai-alai is. Known as “the fasted game on Earth,” jai-alai is game form the Basque region of Spain that grew hugely popular in Florida 40 years ago. It’s basically racquetball with three walls (so that crowds of spectators can watch and bet on the action), but instead of racquets the competitors use long, hooked nets to catch and throw the ball at over 100 miles per hour. It’s fun to watch and even more fun to play, if you dare. Just wear a helmet.  

Population: 209,715

Median Household Income: $48,898

Median Home Price: $288,500

Median Age: 41.9

Violent: 1.47 Property: 8.5 

https://www.cityofpsl.com/

1. North Port

When it was incorporated in 1959, the city of North Port had only 178 residents. Although it is one of Florida’s largest cities in terms of land area, only 10 percent of that area is populated, but it is growing fast. Located on the Gulf of Mexico directly north of Dunedin (#10 on our list of Safest Cities in Florida), North Port is known as a quiet town with great weather, an excellent education system, low property taxes, natural springs, 95 miles of freshwater canals, and an abundance of parks and open spaces. In fact, North Port is the only city in Florida with a state park (Myakka State Park) within its city boundaries.

 

With a population over 70,000, it’s certainly not one of the smaller cities on our list, but remember that North Port is spread out over a very large area, so it has the uncrowded feeling of a much smaller town. Residents of North Port describe it as “friendly,” “safe,” and “a good place to raise kids.” Some praise its “many mountain biking trails” which strikes us as odd because, hey, this if Florida. Where the heck would you find a real mountain? 

Population: 73,738

Median Household Income: $50,855

Median Home Price: $258,500

Median Age: 45.8

Violent: 1.35 Property: 13.78

https://www.cityofnorthport.com/

1. Miami Lakes

Although the city of Miami Lakes wasn’t officially incorporated until 2000, the planning and development of the city reaches back more than 50 years to when the Graham family decided they were going to turn their dairy farm into a city. They contacted the former Dean of Harvard’s School of Architecture who created a master plan for what would become Miami Lakes. Originally intended to be a 30 year development plan, the city continues to grow and make improvements today. The city was named for its 23 lakes, which result in a lot of residential lakefront views. The city has been widely praised for its careful planning, ease of access to businesses and services, cleanliness, and (of course) safety. Miami Lakes is also remarkable for its demographics: 86% Hispanic or Latino, 10% white, 2% black, and 1% Asian.   

 

The city is still partly owned by the Graham family, including US Senator Bob Graham. 

 

Population: 31,567

Median Household Income: $65,269

Median Home Price: $458,900

Median Age: 38.7

Violent: 1.03 Property: 18.8 

https://www.miamilakes-fl.gov/

1. Coconut Creek

 

North of Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek takes its name from the coconut trees that were planted by early developers of the area. The city’s nickname is “Butterfly Capital of the World” thanks to Butterfly World, its butterfly aviary that displays over 80 species of the magnificent flappers. With a tropical rainforest climate and a wild diversity of native plants and animals, Coconut Creek is a nature-lover’s paradise. The Fern Forest Nature Center is a designated Urban Wilderness Area covering 244 acres of verdant splendor. The 44-acre Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area is a grand tour of native flora, from saw palmetto and swamp ferns to corkystem passionflowers, ironweed, and blue curis. The city is well-planned to make good use of the natural beauty with its parks, trees, waterways, landscaped roads, and open areas. No wonder Coconut Creek was the first city in Florida (and eleventh in the country) to be certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat.

There is, however, a butterfly in the ointment: Coconut Creek is located next to a 225-foot high landfill dubbed “Mount Trashmore” that emits some pretty nasty odors. In 2010, after Coconut Creek threatened a lawsuit, the company that manages the landfill agreed to cover the trash with 18 inches of soil (rather than the required 6) and to cut down on the odors by banning food or other materials that decay. Unfortunately, the odor problem remained. 

 

Population: 61,128

Median Household Income: $53,316

Median Home Price: $233,100

Median Age: 40.1

Violent: 1.31 Property: 16.17

https://www.coconutcreek.net/

1. Royal Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach is directly west of West Palm Beach, which means it should have been called West West Palm Beach, or maybe Wester Palm Beach. Or maybe it shouldn’t have had “Beach” in the name at all, since it’s fifteen miles inland.

 

Anyway, the area was mostly uninhabited swamp and former Seminole hunting grounds until a massive drainage project cleared the area in the 1950s. A Miami real estate developer Desser bought the land and named it Royal Palm Beach because he admired the local royal palm trees. You can see some of those pines in the Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area where you can go horseback riding, hiking, or biking as you take in all that nature. Royal Palm Beach has been named Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation since 1990, and the entire area within the city limits is designated as a bird sanctuary. The city has numerous green spaces, and it recently bought 190 acres to create a master central park and to devote 25 acres for “passive bird watching.” Sorry, all you extreme, full-contact bird watchers. This one’s not for you.

Population: 40,851

Median Household Income: $66,620

Median Home Price: $381,000

Median Age: 39.3

Violent: 1.4 Property: 16.05

https://www.royalpalmbeach.com/

1. Doral

Doral is an extremely diverse suburb of Miami located 1 mile west of the Miami International Airport. Although its violent crime rate is remarkably low, it has one of the highest rates of property crime (particularly theft) on our list of safest cities in Florida. Your chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Doral is about 1 in 44.

From the beginning, Doral has been a business venture. In the late 1950s, real estate developers Alfred and Doris Kaskel paid about $49,000 for 2,400 acres of swampland, intending to build a golf course and hotel there—the name “Doral” was an amalgamation of their first names. The Doral Hotel and Country Club attracted visitors and tourists who were brought in from the nearby Miami beaches. 

In 2011 the country club went into bankruptcy. The Trump Organization purchased the Doral Resort and Spa and changed the name to Trump National Doral. By 2019 the resort was reportedly in “steep decline” financially, and its net operating income had fallen by over 60%. The resort was the center of numerous law suits and controversies, including a 6-foot portrait of Donald Trump which was reported to have been purchased illegally with funds from the non-profit Trump Foundation. As President, Trump announced that the Doral will host the upcoming G7 Summit, but Trump abandoned that plan days later when Republican leaders expressed concerns about the unconstitutional self-dealing.

Presidential controversies aside, the city of Doral is known for its golf courses and tournaments, its proximity to downtown Miami and the Miami airport, and its ideal mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal. Home to several Fortune 500 companies, Doral has come a long way from Doris and Alfred’s hotel in the middle of a swamp. 

Population: 67,792

Median Household Income: $72,623

Median Home Price: $362,200

Median Age: 35.3

Violent: 0.97 Property: 22.99

 

https://www.cityofdoral.com/

1. Coral Springs

Right next door to Parkland, Coconut Creek, and Margate (three other cities on our list of the safest places to live in Florida), Coral Springs is part of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale metro area. Despite its name, there are no natural springs anywhere close to Coral Springs. Before being drained and cleared in the 1940s, the area was marshy and water-logged. After World War II, South Florida saw a real estate boom, and in 1964 the first structure was built in Coral Springs, the iconic covered bridge that still appears on the city’s logo.

 

From its inception, Coral Springs has been a carefully planned community with strictly enforced building codes. The city has restrictions on exterior paint colors, roofing materials, storage of boats and recreational vehicles, and commercial signage—which is why, when McDonald’s built a restaurant there in 1975, it was the first McDonald’s to not have their trademark Golden Arches. The city’s careful planning seems to have paid off, judging by its high property values or by the many awards the city has won. But don’t get the idea that Coral Springs is a bunch of business stiffs. They place a premium on fun too. For example, they have more than 50 municipal parks, including a water park and a skate park, and they are home to the NHL team the Florida Panthers.       

Population: 133,519

Median Household Income: $66,271

Median Home Price: $401,700

Median Age: 36.8

Violent: 1.44 Property: 17.11 

https://www.coralsprings.org/Home

1. St. Cloud

St. Cloud is only about 28 miles southeast of Orlando, but it feels a world away from the hype and tourism of “O-Town.” 

After the American Civil War, St. Cloud earned the nickname “Soldier City” because it was an early home to the largest concentration of Union Army veterans in the South. More than 400 Union soldiers are buried in its cemetery. It may seem odd in a Southern town to find street names like “New York,” “Massachusetts,” and “Michigan,” but legend has it that each of those streets was named for the state of the first settler to move there.

In the late 1800s, St. Cloud operated the nation’s largest sugar mill, which offered employment to a lot of ex-soldiers. A local rumor says that the city got its name from the billowing clouds that rose above the mill from the refining process, but that may just be conjecture. In 1909 the town was selected as the site for a “veteran’s colony” because of its “health, climate, and productiveness of the soil.” Back then, St. Cloud was a Sundown Town with a plot of land outside the city limits reserved for black residents; by law and custom, non-whites were not welcome in town after sundown. That section of St. Cloud is still designated as “Colored Quarter” on official land records. 

With a history stretching back into the era of slavery and Civil War, St. Cloud has had to work to overcome parts of its legacy while honoring others. Today, the city displays its pride with landmarks like its historical buildings, Veteran’s Park, and Mt. Peace Cemetery. It also enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in Florida.

I don’t know if you want to work this fact in, but today the population of St. Cloud is about 73% white and 11% black. I also would have liked to include the Reptile World Serpentarium where you can watch snakes be milked of their venom. That’s always cool.

 

Population: 56,5901

Median Household Income: $48,911

Median Home Price: $291,600

Median Age: 36.5

Violent: 1.87 Property: 11.24

https://www.stcloudfl.gov/

1. Coral Gables

Developed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities in the US, and it is one of the most beautiful. Its architect predicted that the city would become a “gateway to Latin America” and designed the city to have an international flair. Nicknamed “The City Beautiful,” it is now home to more than 20 consulates and foreign government offices, plus more than 140 multinational companies. Coral Gables has forged relationships with sister cities in France, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Italy, and Ecuador. At the same time, the city remains overwhelmingly (92%) white.

 

A town doesn’t earn the moniker “The City Beautiful” for no reason. With its ivy-covered mansions, tree-lined boulevards, and historical landmarks like its famous Venetian Pool, Coral Gables is a shining example of what deliberate city planning and stringent enforcement can accomplish, including astronomical housing costs. Coral Gables’ shops and other businesses are within easy walking from its residential areas, and the whole city is just a short commute from Miami Beach, the Miami International Airport, and the Port of Miami. The University of Miami is a great perk, as is the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden.

 

While violent crime is extraordinarily low in Coral Gables, property crime is disturbingly high. Larceny (the theft of personal property, including pick-pocketing, shoplifting, or bicycle theft) is 24% higher in Coral Gables than nationally. In real world terms, only 1 out of 1,030 residents of Coral Gables are victims of a violent crime each year, but their chance of experiencing a property crime is 1 in 45. 

 

Population: 49,130

Median Household Income: $93,590

Median Home Price: $902,900

Median Age: 40.0

Violent: 0.97 Property: 26.02 

https://www.coralgables.com/

1. Margate

Along with its neighbors Parkland, Coral Springs, and Coconut Creek, Margate is another city west of Fort Lauderdale that makes our list of Top Twenty Safest Cities in Florida. Like many of its neighbors, Margate is a young city that has grown fast. In the 1950s when it was founded, Margate was mostly just Everglades swamp and farmlands, but today it’s a booming town with all the noise and excitement of…well, a farmland.

 

Seriously, do an online search for “Things to do in Margate” and what you’ll get are things to do in nearby Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, or Boca Raton. But that’s okay. Margate’s main appeal—other than some beautiful parks, a couple of golf courses, and a waterpark—is that it’s close to a lot of cooler places, only it’s less expensive than most of those cooler places. No wonder a lot of retirees and families choose to call Margate home. It’s clean, quiet, and (of course) safe.  

 

Population: 58,734

Median Household Income: $42,599

Median Home Price: $248,600

Median Age: 44.1

Violent: 1.67 Property: 15.75 

https://www.margatefl.com/

The Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida

1. Miami Beach

Miami Beach is a coastal resort city that occupies a long, narrow island and is connected to the city of Miami by several bridges. The island, partly natural and partly man-made, divides the Atlantic Ocean from Biscayne Bay. For over 100 years, Miami Beach has been a top (and sometimes topless) beach resort and a popular vacation destination.

 

Although Miami Beach’s crime rate has gradually improved for decades, it is still more than twice as high as crime rates in the rest of Florida and in the US. To be fair, though, Miami Beach is really more like two different cities. The north side of the island, called North Miami Beach, is where you’ll find kid-friendly beaches, high end stores, art deco buildings, and reasonably safe neighborhoods. The south side of the island, called South Beach or SoBe, is a different story.  

 

Before the TV show Miami Vice made the area popular, SoBe was suffering from urban blight. While the area has been cleaned up and become a very pricey place to live, the crime rate is still high. In Miami Beach, your chances of encountering a property crime in a year is 1 in 13, and your chances of being the victim of a violent crime is 1 in 108.

 

Population: 87,726

Median Household Income: $42,547

Median Home Price: $375,400

Median Age: 42.1

Violent: 9.24 Property: 75.68 

https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/

1. Daytona Beach

Directly next to Port Orange (the sixth safest city in Florida) is Daytona Beach, the second most dangerous. On the average, a crime happens in Daytona Beach every 39 minutes. Violent crime in Daytona Beach is three times higher than the state-wide average, which is already worse than the national average. In a given year, violent crimes happen to 1 out if every 88 people in Daytona Beach, and property crimes happen to 1 in 25.

 

It’s important to note that those numbers are only averages; the crime rate in Daytona Beach are not consistent across all parts of the city or for all seasons of the year. For example, in 2021 Daytona Beach saw a spree of crimes coming from just six mini motels within the city. And those crime rate numbers are obviously skewed by events like Spring Break, Speedweek, the Daytona 200, and other events that draw hundreds of thousands of partiers to a city of only about 70,000 residents. There are a lot of factors that might be making “The World’s Most Famous Beach” one of Florida’s most infamously unsafe cities.  

 

Population: 70,143

Median Household Income: $28,164 

Median Home Price: $194,500

Median Age: 40.2

Violent: 11.37     Property: 40.57 

https://www.daytonabeach.com/

1. Lake Worth Beach

Lake Worth Beach (which used to be called Lake Worth until 2019—don’t let that confuse you) has a reputation for high rates of violent and property cline. One contributing factor has been the opioid epidemic that hit the city and much of the country in the past decade. In 2016, the rate of deaths from opioid overdoses in Lake Worth was 1 out of every 500 people.

 

Before the opioid epidemic messed things up, crime rates in Lake Worth had been steadily improving. Back in 2008, the city's police department was disbanded, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department took over the duty of law enforcement. From that point, crime had fallen dramatically, with murders down 73%, robberies down 47% and burglaries down 23%. Then, in 2019 and 2020, there was a spike in crime again. Even though the first half of 2020 saw an alarming 29.4 % rise in crime in the city, that trend reversed in the second half of the year.    

  

If you are considering moving to Lake Worth Beach, keep in mind that the crime rates vary significantly between different parts of the city. Generally, the closer you are to the beach, the higher the crime rate.

 

 

Population: 38,701

Median Household Income: $37,036

Median Home Price: $268,200

Median Age: 36.4

Violent: 10.57   Property: 31.03

1. Riviera Beach

Number four on our list of Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida is Riviera Beach, just north of West Palm Beach. The residents of Riviera Beach are predominantly (69%) African American and, like all the cities on this list, has an average household income well below the national average. Additionally, the rate of poverty in Riviera Beach is around 22%.

 

High poverty rates seem to correlate strongly with high crime rates, but it’s hard to say which causes which. Do poverty and low income contribute to the crime rate, or does the high crime rate discourage economic growth and drive away potential employers? Or both?

 

Despite its woes with poverty and crime, Riviera Beach is a beautiful beachfront city. Legend has it that the city used to be called Oak Lawn until 1893 when a visiting journalist was so struck by the natural beauty that he referred to the place as “the Riviera of America.” The bustling Port of Palm Beach is within the city limits and, prior to COVID, cruise ships would depart every other day.

Population: 35,658

Median Household Income: $38,300

Median Home Price: $287,500

Median Age: 37.6

Violent: 9.85 Property: 41.73 

https://www.rivierabch.com/

1. Homestead

Homestead sits at the bottom of the Florida Peninsula, right next to the Everglades and across the sound from the string of islands known as the Florida Keys. Sitting between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Homestead has seen its share of natural disasters such as Hurricane Andrew (which decimated the town in 1992), Hurricane Katrina (which caused serious flooding there in 2005), and Hurricane Irma (which knocked out power in 2017). But if you’re weighing the possible dangers of living in Homestead, the biggest concern is the crime rate.

 

The numbers don’t look good. Assaults in Homestead are nearly double the national average, and robberies are around five times the national average. Theft (the stealing of personal property, including pick-pocketing, shoplifting, or bicycle theft) is almost too. On the bright side, burgleries and auto thefts are slightly below the national average.

Population: 69,292

Median Household Income: $40,250

Median Home Price: $300,400

Median Age: 30.9

Violent: 9.53 Property: 31.66 

https://www.cityofhomestead.com/

1. Ocala

Ocala, in central Florida, has a long and often violent history. It is believed to be near the Ocali, a major native village that existed there in the 1500s. The site was abandoned after it was attacked by the Spanish explorer de Soto in 1539. In the 1700s it was inhabited by other native tribes and by escaped African Americans who merged to become the Seminole or “runaway” people. A series of bloody wars with American soldiers left white settlers in control of the area. the remaining Seminoles went into hiding in the surrounding swamps.

 

Both in terms of violent crime and property crime, Ocala’s rates are nearly double the crime rates in the state. In fact, except for Orlando, Ocala has the highest property crime rate on our list of Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida. But it used to be worse. In 2006, Ocala’s crime rate was almost three times the national average, but between 2006 and 2013, Ocala’s crime rates steadily improved. Unfortunately, since 2013 those rates have begun to go back up.    

Population: 61,669

Median Household Income: $37,442

Median Home Price: $187,100

Median Age: 38.7

Violent: 8.09 Property: 41.82 

https://www.ocalafl.org/

1. Lauderdale Lakes

It’s a bit surprising to find Lauderdale Lakes on our list of Ten Most Dangerous Cities in Florida since five of the cities we listed in the top twenty safest Florida cities are within 20 miles of Lauderdale Lakes, including all of the top three (Parkland, Weston, and Cooper City).  However, when you consider that all three of those top cities have median household incomes that are nearly three times higher than Lauderdale Lakes, it doesn’t seem like such a surprise. 

. 

After Lauderdale Lakes was founded in 1961, it became a popular retirement destination for Northerners, particularly from New York. As those retirees began to die or move away, the city became more culturally diverse as a growing percentage of Caribbeans and African Americans moved in. Today, the residents of Lauderdale Lakes is predominantly from Jamaica and Haiti. In fact, the city boasts the second highest percentage of Jamaican immigrants in the country.

 

As of 2019, the violent crime rate in Lauderdale Lakes was more than double the national average, and the property crime rate was somewhat higher than average. Alarmingly, Lauderdale Lakes has seen a rise of violent crime over the past five years, although property crime as declined over that same period.

 

Population: 36,769

Median Household Income: $33,070

Median Home Price: $104,600

Median Age: 35.7

Violent: 8.94 Property: 26.23 

https://www.lauderdalelakes.org/

8. Orlando

Before Walt Disney World came to the area in the 1970’s, Orlando was a sleepy town with an economy based on citrus and cattle. Starting with the secretive 1965 purchase of forty-three square miles of farmland southwest of the city and the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, Orlando has become a major tourist destination and entertainment center. It has become such a massive tourist attraction that evaluating it as a place to live is difficult.

For the most part, the activities and attractions of the Disney complex have been built on the south and southwest sides of town, so downtown Orlando and the areas north and east of the city still enjoy a fairly normal Florida way of life. Lots of retirees, families and working professionals gravitate towards Orlando’s northern suburbs, and several of those cities appear among the Top Twenty Safest Cities in Florida. Orlando itself, by contrast, has a major problem with crime, particularly property crime, which is among the highest in the state. If you were to spend a year in Orlando, your chances of experiencing a property crime would be about 1 in 21. Violent crime rates in Orlando, while having improved greatly in recent years, are still much higher than the national average. 

That said, there are areas of Orlando that are far safer than others, and the safe ones tend to be, almost exclusively, neighborhoods with high incomes and low poverty rates, like Eagles Nest, Wedgewood Groves, Lake Nona Estates, Southern Oaks, and Bryn Mawr.

 

Population: 289,457

Median Household Income: $41,901

Median Home Price: $294,400

Median Age: 33.3

Violent: 7.38 Property: 48.27 

https://www.visitorlando.com/

1. North Miami

First of all, let’s not confuse North Miami with North Miami Beach. While they are right across the MacArthur Causeway Bridge from each other, they are entirely different cities. North Miami Beach is the “safe” end of the island of Miami Beach, whereas North Miami sits on the mainland, directly across from North Miami Beach and 10 miles north of Miami.

 

Got it?

 

Crime rates in North Miami are much higher than the national average. After a sharp upward spike in 2007 (to 289% of the national average), North Miami’s overall rate dropped quickly for the following decade, but since 2016 it has started to climb again. At present in North Miami, your chances of being a victim of a violent crime (i.e. murder, rape, robbery, or assault) are 1 in 123, which is still more than twice as high as the average in Florida and nationwide. Property crime has seen a similar decline in North Miami since 2007, but without any recent resurgence. The upshot is that while North Miami’s crime rates are better than then the rates for the entire city of Miami Beach, if we’re comparing just the north end of the island (North Miami Beach) to North Miami, then North Miami Beach’s crime rates are better.

Population: 62,247

Median Household Income: $36,776

Median Home Price: $301,900

Median Age: 35.3

Violent: 7.98 Property: 38.16 

https://www.northmiamifl.gov/

1. Sanford

Sanford, Florida gained national attention when a young black man named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed there in 2012. In fact, Sanford has a very long history of racial tension and violence.

 

When Europeans arrived in Florida in the 16th century, they found native tribes living in the area about 20 miles northeast of present-day Orlando. By 1760 those tribes had been eradicated by warfare and disease. Other tribes, fleeing aggression from American military and settlers, moved to the area and allied with escaped African Americans to form what became known as the Seminoles. For decades the Seminoles hid in the Everglades and resisted American troops, but eventually most of the Seminoles were killed or captured and removed from Florida. A few hundred remained, hiding in the swamps of the Everglades.  

 

The end of the Seminole Wars did not end the racial tensions in and around Sanford. From 1900 to 1930, Florida led the South and the nation in lynchings. In 1946, when Jackie Robinson first took the field as a member of a racially-integrated baseball team, it was in Sanford. The Sanford chief of police had threatened to cancel the game if Robinson played, but Robinson joined his teammates anyway. The outcry of the audience was so intense that Robinson was escorted off the field and did not play. 

 

While the killing of Trayvon stirred up long-standing troubles in Sanford, racial tension isn’t the only factor contributing to Sanford’s high crime rate. The median household income in Sanford is 28% lower than the national average, and Sanford’s unemployment rate is double the US.

  

Population: 61,508

Median Household Income: $39,776

Median Home Price: $253,200

Median Age: 33.9

Violent: 8.17 Property: 34.96 

https://www.sanfordfl.gov/

All of the Top 100 Cities in Florida and Their Complete Crime Data

City - Population - Violent crime - Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter - Rape - Robbery - Aggravated assault - Property crime - Burglary - Larceny theft - Motor vehicle theft - Arson2 - Property crime per thousand residents - Violent crime per thousand residents

Parkland, FL	35,244	9	0	2	2	5	189	16	151	22	0	5.36	0.26	0.24
Weston, FL	71,946	33	1	12	8	12	362	34	288	40	0	5.03	0.46	0.22
Cooper City, FL	36,890	26	0	7	8	11	360	34	303	23	1	9.76	0.7	0.43
Sebastian, FL	26,232	19	0	6	4	9	297	20	262	15	0	11.32	0.72	0.5
Winter Springs, FL	37,854	46	0	12	4	30	249	65	157	27	0	6.58	1.22	0.29
Port Orange, FL	65,278	30	0	1	6	23	1,178	157	946	75	0	18.05	0.46	0.8
Oviedo, FL	42,684	56	0	17	11	28	292	58	219	15	0	6.84	1.31	0.3
Wellington, FL	66,331	65	0	14	11	40	787	59	669	59	1	11.86	0.98	0.53
Cape Coral, FL	194,183	226	5	16	36	169	2,176	274	1,739	163	6	11.21	1.16	0.5
Dunedin, FL	36,743	39	0	6	5	28	472	46	391	35	1	12.85	1.06	0.57
Port St. Lucie, FL	199,433	293	7	43	47	196	1,696	177	1,438	81	4	8.5	1.47	0.38
North Port, FL	70,181	95	1	22	8	64	967	89	847	31	3	13.78	1.35	0.61
Miami Lakes, FL	31,907	33	0	3	14	16	600	34	499	67	0	18.8	1.03	0.83
Coconut Creek, FL	62,471	82	2	13	19	48	1,010	89	802	119	0	16.17	1.31	0.72
Royal Palm Beach, FL	40,802	57	1	7	10	39	655	31	581	43	1	16.05	1.4	0.71
Doral, FL	64,168	62	1	9	13	39	1,475	66	1,287	122	0	22.99	0.97	1.02
Coral Springs, FL	134,967	195	2	40	55	98	2,309	163	1,977	169	2	17.11	1.44	0.76
St. Cloud, FL	56,560	106	2	16	5	83	636	102	498	36	4	11.24	1.87	0.5
Coral Gables, FL	51,530	50	0	4	17	29	1,343	157	1,103	83	4	26.06	0.97	1.15
Margate, FL	59,371	99	1	9	28	61	935	99	731	105	2	15.75	1.67	0.7
Jupiter, FL	66,906	118	2	17	22	77	1,035	79	895	61	4	15.47	1.76	0.68
Palm Beach Gardens, FL	57,236	78	1	9	22	46	1,295	71	1,173	51	0	22.63	1.36	1
Haines City, FL	25,746	45	1	2	16	26	493	50	407	36	1	19.15	1.75	0.85
Miramar, FL	143,334	310	3	29	71	207	1,947	191	1,490	266	3	13.58	2.16	0.6
Rockledge, FL	28,078	62	1	6	7	48	389	59	289	41	3	13.85	2.21	0.61
Boca Raton, FL	101,163	186	3	36	63	84	2,183	244	1,769	170	6	21.58	1.84	0.96
Clermont, FL	37,818	79	1	11	11	56	678	80	555	43	0	17.93	2.09	0.79
Pembroke Pines, FL	174,641	355	7	36	71	241	3,344	205	2,873	266	1	19.15	2.03	0.85
Sunrise, FL	96,919	191	4	17	63	107	2,014	157	1,673	184	3	20.78	1.97	0.92
Hialeah, FL	240,688	503	6	30	159	308	4,893	342	3,985	566	11	20.33	2.09	0.9
New Smyrna Beach, FL	27,743	67	0	0	10	57	562	107	424	31	0	20.26	2.42	0.9
Winter Park, FL	31,494	70	2	9	13	46	759	139	551	69	2	24.1	2.22	1.07
Plantation, FL	95,474	211	2	10	91	108	2,578	161	2,152	265	4	27	2.21	1.2
Greenacres City, FL	41,525	117	1	10	35	71	740	63	640	37	0	17.82	2.82	0.79
Cutler Bay, FL	45,452	94	3	7	28	56	1,328	63	1,172	93	1	29.22	2.07	1.29
Temple Terrace, FL	26,725	71	0	11	14	46	565	99	424	42	0	21.14	2.66	0.94
Tamarac, FL	66,799	186	3	17	51	115	1,381	126	1,112	143	1	20.67	2.78	0.92
Davie, FL	108,486	276	2	21	63	190	2,796	203	2,316	277	11	25.77	2.54	1.14
Altamonte Springs, FL	44,582	107	0	14	31	62	1,408	111	1,212	85	1	31.58	2.4	1.4
Palm Bay, FL	115,520	396	8	71	59	258	1,981	334	1,499	148	5	17.15	3.43	0.76
Hollywood, FL	156,643	456	10	45	148	253	4,159	536	3,187	436	5	26.55	2.91	1.18
Ormond Beach, FL	44,005	133	1	13	15	104	1,119	158	894	67	2	25.43	3.02	1.13
Ocoee, FL	49,451	155	3	14	38	100	1,333	196	1,052	85	3	26.96	3.13	1.19
Aventura, FL	38,259	69	1	6	26	36	1,815	87	1,677	51	1	47.44	1.8	2.1
Lakeland, FL	112,237	350	7	63	97	183	3,230	438	2,589	203	7	28.78	3.12	1.27
Tampa, FL	400,501	1,622	31	120	285	1,186	6,523	1,022	4,978	523	38	16.29	4.05	0.72
Casselberry, FL	29,244	90	0	7	18	65	936	96	788	52	2	32.01	3.08	1.42
Tarpon Springs, FL	25,841	102	3	14	10	75	537	70	439	28	2	20.78	3.95	0.92
Winter Garden, FL	46,750	181	2	13	27	139	1,112	111	918	83	3	23.79	3.87	1.05
Crestview, FL	25,152	96	3	11	20	62	644	107	478	59	1	25.6	3.82	1.13
Clearwater, FL	117,458	469	2	80	98	289	2,810	268	2,370	172	5	23.92	3.99	1.06
Largo, FL	85,740	329	5	71	74	179	2,348	202	1,991	155	10	27.39	3.84	1.21
Plant City, FL	39,725	162	3	6	31	122	1,073	90	872	111	7	27.01	4.08	1.2
Winter Haven, FL	44,211	187	3	22	25	137	1,126	181	884	61	4	25.47	4.23	1.13
Deerfield Beach, FL	81,602	351	6	31	99	215	2,161	211	1,703	247	2	26.48	4.3	1.17
Apopka, FL	55,072	206	0	25	41	140	1,931	375	1,406	150	1	35.06	3.74	1.55
North Lauderdale, FL	44,808	230	7	32	71	120	817	81	639	97	2	18.23	5.13	0.81
Pinellas Park, FL	53,589	206	3	40	52	111	2,038	192	1,753	93	4	38.03	3.84	1.68
Hallandale Beach, FL	40,297	178	2	12	57	107	1,244	97	1,028	119	1	30.87	4.42	1.37
Kissimmee, FL	75,544	368	3	42	54	269	1,899	257	1,504	138	4	25.14	4.87	1.11
Delray Beach, FL	70,509	336	5	33	87	211	2,418	299	1,914	205	1	34.29	4.77	1.52
Fort Myers, FL	85,127	486	9	34	94	349	1,952	245	1,553	154	6	22.93	5.71	1.02
Fort Pierce, FL	46,597	259	10	19	66	164	1,342	151	1,051	140	3	28.8	5.56	1.27
Sarasota, FL	58,470	319	4	28	66	221	1,857	264	1,462	131	1	31.76	5.46	1.41
Bradenton, FL	58,782	360	6	22	57	275	1,474	204	1,191	79	2	25.08	6.12	1.11
DeLand, FL	34,468	198	4	1	26	167	1,126	182	873	71	4	32.67	5.74	1.45
St. Petersburg, FL	267,696	1,594	17	125	297	1,155	8,592	1,044	6,765	783	27	32.1	5.95	1.42
North Miami Beach, FL	46,307	279	1	21	94	163	1,566	176	1,254	136	3	33.82	6.03	1.5
Pensacola, FL	52,801	312	3	35	38	236	1,888	287	1,508	93	3	35.76	5.91	1.58
Miami, FL	480,505	2,850	43	152	769	1,886	17,624	1,771	14,219	1,634	37	36.68	5.93	1.62
Jacksonville, FL	909,142	5,886	129	554	1,294	3,909	30,088	4,906	22,373	2,809	82	33.09	6.47	1.46
Dania Beach, FL	32,593	221	2	31	59	129	1,006	112	780	114	2	30.87	6.78	1.37
Palm Springs, FL	25,303	161	1	5	35	120	957	131	757	69	0	37.82	6.36	1.67
Oakland Park, FL	45,857	294	3	28	86	177	1,770	229	1,400	141	2	38.6	6.41	1.71
Melbourne, FL	83,668	579	1	80	87	411	2,802	439	2,219	144	15	33.49	6.92	1.48
Gainesville, FL	135,085	928	2	153	185	588	4,712	501	3,803	408	6	34.88	6.87	1.54
Fort Lauderdale, FL	184,765	1,098	21	93	408	576	9,082	1,275	6,945	862	10	49.15	5.94	2.18
Boynton Beach, FL	79,360	566	4	30	120	412	2,618	254	2,147	217	3	32.99	7.13	1.46
Panama City, FL	37,199	228	2	5	42	179	1,914	384	1,308	222	7	51.45	6.13	2.28
Tallahassee, FL	195,104	1,359	20	197	252	890	7,763	1,187	5,897	679	9	39.79	6.97	1.76
Lauderhill, FL	72,746	571	13	42	103	413	2,131	361	1,541	229	6	29.29	7.85	1.3
Miami Gardens, FL	113,786	841	26	14	244	557	4,311	371	3,467	473	12	37.89	7.39	1.68
West Palm Beach, FL	112,798	859	17	79	304	459	4,231	464	3,314	453	18	37.51	7.62	1.66
Titusville, FL	46,866	377	2	37	52	286	1,492	289	1,031	172	5	31.84	8.04	1.41
Pompano Beach, FL	113,536	900	8	73	317	502	4,277	661	3,058	558	8	37.67	7.93	1.67
Sanford, FL	60,844	497	2	62	116	317	2,127	315	1,689	123	1	34.96	8.17	1.55
North Miami, FL	63,547	507	4	28	166	309	2,425	275	1,890	260	5	38.16	7.98	1.69
Orlando, FL	292,120	2,157	25	204	536	1,392	14,100	1,464	11,362	1,274	15	48.27	7.38	2.14
Lauderdale Lakes, FL	36,784	329	2	28	77	222	965	103	750	112	8	26.23	8.94	1.16
Ocala, FL	60,932	493	7	52	108	326	2,548	252	2,131	165	17	41.82	8.09	1.85
Homestead, FL	71,757	684	4	35	303	342	2,272	184	1,957	131	8	31.66	9.53	1.4
Riviera Beach, FL	35,130	346	7	20	71	248	1,466	186	1,141	139	7	41.73	9.85	1.85
Lake Worth, FL	38,703	409	6	37	145	221	1,201	183	884	134	4	31.03	10.57	1.37
Daytona Beach, FL	69,834	794	13	18	109	654	2,833	380	2,213	240	10	40.57	11.37	1.8
Miami Beach, FL	92,185	852	6	92	284	470	6,977	717	5,894	366	10	75.68	9.24	3.35

Internal Linking

Wasn’t sure how to approach this section.

Data Sources

[1] https://datacommons.org/ranking/Count_Person/State/country/USA?h=geoId%2F06

[2] https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/48?topic=Economics#Median%20household%20income

[3] https://www.rentdata.org/states/florida/2021

[4] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/FL/INC110219

[5] https://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/state/florida

[6] https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/tables/table-5

[7] http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/presentations/population-demographics/DemographicTrends_1-28-20.pdf

[8] https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/median-age-by-state

[9] https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/destinations/2019/12/03/florida-animals-watch-out-for-alligators-sharks-bears-fire-ants/2596636001/

[10] https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/01/13/most-dangerous-states-in-america-violent-crime-murder-rate/40968963/

[11] http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/News/2021/June/Florida-crime-rate-drops-for-record-50th-straight

[12] http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2020/UCR-Crime-in-Florida-Abstract-Statewide-2020A.aspx

[13] https://apnews.com/article/fl-state-wire-florida-crime-3f88cf3d2da109984738628db9b39a1d

[14] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/30/us-crime-rate-homcides-explained

[15] http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2020/UCR-Crime-in-Florida-Abstract-Statewide-2020A.aspx

[16] https://www.moneygeek.com/living/safest-cities/florida/

[17] https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-auto-theft

[18] https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/crime

Editor’s note: Violent crime and property crime data comes from the 2019 data of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program and is filtered by cities with 25,000 people or more. Cities were given a final, weighted score which assigned 70% weight to violent crime and 30% to property crime.