U.S. News & World Report has released its latest ranking of the best places to live in the country, including a look at the Sunshine State.
The study examines five key factors to determine which areas of the United States best match Americans’ preferences.
More specifically, these factors break down as follows:
Quality of Life Index (26%) — Includes quality of education, health care, air quality, environmental risks, state economy, and state infrastructure
Value Index (25%) — Includes housing affordability and cost of living
Desirability Index (24%) — Includes crime rates, weather temperateness, culture/leisure, and commutes
Job Market Index (23%) — Includes unemployment rates and median household income
Net Migration (2%) — Includes the number of residents moving in/out of an area
The top spot on the ranking belongs to Johns Creek in Georgia, followed close behind by Carmel, Indiana (No. 2), and Pearland, Texas (No. 3).
But despite its high ranking among states, the first Florida city to appear on the list didn’t come in until No. 59: Parkland in Broward County.
[That’s not the only notable Florida ranking, though. Check the video below to see one of the best-ranked beaches in Florida.]
According to the researchers, Parkland’s job market is much better than the national average, with relatively low unemployment and a median household income of over $200,000 (over twice the national average).
And just like much of the state, Parkland’s weather is moderate year-round, though it’s similarly at risk for hurricanes each year.
Median home values in Parkland are well over double the national average ($814,448 v. $370,489), though the study notes that Parkland features a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities. On the flip side, renters can expect to see median rents of around $2,300.
Either way, this was a major shift after the previous ranking, which saw Florida take six spots out of the top 50.
In fact, the best-ranked city nationwide during the prior ranking was Naples, which now sits at No. 179.
While the study doesn’t directly discuss why Florida saw such a big drop in highly ranked areas, the methodology changed quite a bit between these two studies.
To be exact, the prior study examined factors like tax friendliness for retirees, which could have provided a boon for Florida last year.
Regardless, the Florida cities ranked during the latest study are as follows:
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