Look beyond the stereotype of a retired Floridian. Young families also have many reasons to settle in a Sunshine State, and warm weather and 1,300 miles of coastline are only half the story. Families who moved with military movers to any of the 10 cities below give their children a quality education, and their mortgages and rents do not damage their monthly budgets. Read on to see which cities have topped our list of the best cities to raise a family in Florida.
Here are the 10 best places to raise a family in Florida
1. Winter park
If your family doesn’t like winter, you don’t need to worry about snow in our fourth family-friendly city in Florida for 2019: Winter Park. The weather here is actually quite the opposite: it is sunny 238 days a year. This Orange County city is another family-friendly Disney suburb with many family-friendly activities. Winter Park is a kid-friendly resort surrounded by water, with excellent shops, art galleries, museums, parks, and many beaches.
And if you are worried about where to send your children to school, you can stop now. Winter Park has many elementary schools with a blue ribbon, three high schools with a gold star and six colleges.
2. Maitland
Surrounded by lakes and gardens, and north of Disney World, any family is lucky enough to call this city home.
This city hit our charts with an emphasis on work, education and family comfort. Not surprising, given that they have four large parks and five museums. And for all those parents who do not want their children to fly to the coop to college, the University of Everglades and the University of Phoenix-Orlando are also around the corner.
3. Kissimmee
When the motto of your city is “Community of neighborhoods for families!”, you better make sure you move your family there. And that’s exactly what our third best place to raise a family in Florida, Kissimmee did. This city in Oceola County scored the most points in terms of housing, diversity and family amenities. They have about ten parks, 32 miles of bike paths, and are located next to Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld and Disney World. Also, the average household income in Kissimmee is about $37,000 a year.
4. Parkland
You do not need to have many children to entertain your family if you want to live in the second-largest city on our list. Why? Parkland has one of the highest percentages of families with children on our list, so there will be many children to play with when you move here. There are also many high-paying jobs, excellent schools, and it’s insanely safe, which is one of the biggest reasons families move to Parkland. Located in South Florida, north of Miami, this city in Broward County should become Florida’s poster city for families.
5. Naples
Set off for 2.5 hours directly south of Tampa, and you will be taken straight to the eighth most affordable city in Florida: Naples. This little pearl of Florida is one of the richest cities in the country. And with all this wealth, good, safe, communities, so many schools with gold stars and family events that will entertain you for days.
Also, the taste of old Naples can still be found in the two orange groves that still work. Therefore, if it is important for you to maintain the health of your family with fresh Vitamin C, you should move to this city in southern Florida. There is little crime and the beaches are beautiful!
6. Tampa
This city in Hillsborough County has been ranked really high on our list of best places to raise a family in Florida and is the seventh most affordable city in Florida in 2019. Located on the east side of Sunshine State, just off the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa offers something for everyone. Amazing food, great parks, beaches, sunshine … the list goes on and on.
Tampa’s population is growing by leaps and bounds. They receive about 97,000 inhabitants per year. If you are looking for diverse areas, busy areas, quaint, quiet areas or coastal areas, Tampa is your city. So, take packing services Florida, take your family and go to “The Big Guava”, because the ocean is calling your name.
7. Jupiter
Jupiter has proven itself in all aspects, so it is a great choice for young families. Explore the Jupiter lighthouse and the adjacent beach, which are protected as the Outstanding Natural Area. Do you have any baseball fans? Cheer on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals as they train at their spring training in Jupiter.
8. Miami Lakes
Heading south towards Miami we find our next great place to raise a family in Florida: Miami Lakes. We believe that in order for the city to be truly family-friendly, it must be safe, fashionable, diverse, and there must be many family events. This small city in Miami Dade County is just that. A word on the street, it is also one of the youngest cities. Their city’s motto is “Growing Beautifully”. Think about the impact you and your family can have on a developing city.
9. Niceville
Our fifth-largest family-friendly Florida city for 2019, Niceville, comes to us from Florida Panhandle. We think the name speaks for itself. Everything should be nice in Niceville, right? More importantly, this city has overwhelmed our highly rated appetizer scale in all directions. It’s like a great Florida playground for both large and small children. Also, the average household income for this Okaloosa County city is about $52,000 a year! Just think of all the family activities in Niceville you can enjoy.
10. Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne, located on its own small private peninsula off the east coast of Sunshine State, scored the highest rating on our scale: high rating 10/10. They scored strong points by all criteria, but they did most magic in education. Here the inhabitants are smart, hardworking Floridians. Not surprising, given that they are mostly their own private island. Hence the motto of their city – “Island Paradise”.
Who knew there could be so much variety and uniqueness in sunny Florida? If you are planning to raise a family in Florida, you could have a problem to pick. One thing is certain: you will not be mistaken if choosing one of these cities as your family’s next hometown.
