20 Safest and Richest Florida Cities in 2025

Florida may be known for its beaches, warm temperatures and retirement friendliness, but not every city in the Sunshine State offers the same balance of safety and financial well-being.

GOBankingRates set out to identify the 20 Florida cities that best combine low crime rates, high household incomes and overall livability. The resulting list includes entries from up and down the state, with most on or near a coastline.

To build the rankings, GBR analyzed FBI crime data, U.S. Census income and demographic figures, livability scores from AreaVibes and cost-of-living estimates based on housing and consumer expenditures. Each city was scored across five equally weighted categories: violent crime rate, property crime rate, mean household income, livability index and cost of living for necessities.

Here’s the list, starting with the 20^th strongest safety-affluence combo and counting down to No. 1.

Also see seven cities that are cheaper and safer than Miami.

• Livability: 81
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.5
  • Property: 12.7
• Average household income: $77,213
• Annual cost of living: $53,519

South Pasadena sits along the shores of Boca Ciega Bay, just west of St. Petersburg. South Pasadena is a popular spot for retirees, with 61% of its 5,300 residents age 65 and up. Single-family homes here are valued at $413,000 on average.

• Livability: 83
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 3.1
  • Property: 21.3
• Average household income: $173,666
• Annual cost of living: $87,147

St. Pete Beach is located on a barrier island west of St. Petersburg. The average single-family home here is valued at just over $900,000. Average monthly mortgages come in around $5,100.

• Livability: 86
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 3.1
  • Property: 21.5
• Average household income: $92,280
• Annual cost of living: $56,675

You’ll find Stuart on the southeastern coast of the state, about 40 miles north of West Palm Beach and roughly 110 miles southeast of Orlando. Stuart’s annual cost of living ranks eighth lowest among cities in GBR’s top 20. The average cost of a monthly mortgage here is about $2,700.

• Livability: 83
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.2
  • Property: 18.4
• Average household income: $103,494
• Annual cost of living: $56,230

Oldsmar is located on Florida’s west coast, between Tampa and Clearwater. Oldsmar’s rate of violent crime is the seventh lowest in the list. For property crime, Oldsmar ranks sixth highest.

• Livability: 80
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.4
  • Property: 6.4
• Average household income: $98,482
• Annual cost of living: $46,267

Lynn Haven is found in the Florida Panhandle, just north of Panama City and roughly 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee. Single-family homes in Lynn Haven are valued at $326,000 on average, the lowest figure among the cities in this list. Livability here gets a decent score of 80 from AreaVibes, but that ties Lynn Haven for the lowest score among cities in this list.

• Livability: 82
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.5
  • Property: 12.0
• Average household income: $104,358
• Annual cost of living: $49,625

West Melbourne is roughly 70 miles southeast of Orlando on Florida’s east coast. West Melbourne’s average annual cost of living is the third lowest among the cities in this list. Average monthly expenditures ($1,939) rank lowest.

• Livability: 80
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.4
  • Property: 10.4
• Average household income: $143,734
• Annual cost of living: $59,407

Lake Mary is located just northeast of Orlando in Seminole County. Its livability score isn’t horrible but is tied for lowest among cities in this list. On average household income, Lake Mary ranks sixth highest.

• Livability: 83
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 0.6
  • Property: 10.2
• Average household income: $74,972
• Annual cost of living: $63,822

Hialeah Gardens is part of the greater Miami metropolitan area. The average household income in Hialeah Gardens ranks last among the cities in this list. Average monthly expenditures here are the third highest.

• Livability: 83
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.5
  • Property: 9.0
• Average household income: $86,947
• Annual cost of living: $48,785

You’ll find Sebastian along the Florida’s east coast, in between Melbourne and Vero Beach. Housing is more affordable here than in most of the other cities listed, with the average single-family home valued at $350,000. Average monthly mortgages come in right around $2,000.

• Livability: 82
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 0.6
  • Property: 7.8
• Average household income: $273,222
• Annual cost of living: $282,310

Key Biscayne is a barrier island town located just southeast of downtown Miami. With an average household income approaching $275,000, Key Biscayne ranks No. 1 among the cities in this list. The average value of a single-family home here — $3.7 million — also ranks first.

• Livability: 82
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.3
  • Property: 11.7
• Average household income: $154,638
• Annual cost of living: $76,664

Neptune Beach sits along Florida’s northeastern shore in Duval County. It boasts the fifth-highest average household income in GBR’s top 20, along with the ninth-lowest violent crime rate.

• Livability: 85
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.3
  • Property: 11.9
• Average household income: $123,931
• Annual cost of living: $112,764

Sunny Isles Beach sits just north of Miami Beach and south of Fort Lauderdale. Among the cities listed in GBR’s top 20, Sunny Isles Beach has the third-highest average value for single-family homes — $1.2 million. Its annual cost of living is the third highest.

• Livability: 84
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 2.0
  • Property: 19.8
• Average household income: $180,854
• Annual cost of living: $60,002

Located just northeast of downtown Orlando, Winter Park has the third-highest average household income on the list. Monthly mortgages in Winter Park average about $2,900. Single-family homes are valued around $500,000 on average.

• Livability: 81
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.1
  • Property: 5.8
• Average household income: $140,057
• Annual cost of living: $61,272

Also located just northeast of Orlando, Oviedo is part of Seminole County. Oviedo has about 40,000 residents, making it the most populous city in GBR’s top 20. Its property crime rate is the second lowest.

• Livability: 84
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 0.8
  • Property: 9.2
• Average household income: $89,845
• Annual cost of living: $57,314

Dunedin is found on Florida’s west coast, just north of Clearwater and west of Tampa. With about 36,000 residents, Dunedin ranks second in population among the cities in this list. Its rate of violent crime ranks fifth lowest.

• Livability: 87
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 0.4
  • Property: 8.6
• Average household income: $140,881
• Annual cost of living: $193,891

Bay Harbor Islands sits in northeastern Miami-Dade County along Biscayne Bay. Single-family homes here are valued at $2.4 million on average, ranking Bay Harbor Islands second in GBR’s top 20. Bay Harbor Islands is also tied for second in livability score, getting an 87 from AreaVibes.

• Livability: 89
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.9
  • Property: 18.7
• Average household income: $104,802
• Annual cost of living: $54,546

Seminole sits on Florida’s west coast and is part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. With an AreaVibes livability score of 89, Seminole ranks first among cities in this list. Housing is more affordable here than it is in many other Florida cities, with single-family homes valued around $430,000 on average.

• Livability: 85
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.4
  • Property: 5.2
• Average household income: $137,222
• Annual cost of living: $56,170

Indian Harbour Beach is located on the east coast of the state, just east of Melbourne. It rises near the top of the ratings in part due to its small rate of property crime – the lowest figure in the list. Average monthly expenditures here, about $2,000, rank among the lowest in the list.

• Livability: 83
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 0.2
  • Property: 6.6
• Average household income: $199,595
• Annual cost of living: $88,713

You’ll find Belleair just south of Clearwater and west of Tampa Bay on Florida’s west coast. With only 4,400 residents, Belleair is the smallest city in the list. Its average household income is the second highest among the cities in GBR’s top 20. It boasts the lowest violent crime rate.

• Livability: 87
• Crime rate (per 1,000):
  • Violent: 1.3
  • Property: 6.9
• Average household income: $135,481
• Annual cost of living: $61,528

Florida’s best blend of wealth and low crime rates sits just north of Clearwater and west of Tampa. Its livability score of 87 ties for second highest in GBR’s top 20. Safety Harbor also offers the eighth-lowest violent crime rate and the fifth-lowest property crime rate.

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: To determine the safest and richest cities in Florida, GOBankingRates conducted a multi-layered analysis using a range of public data sources. The process began with crime statistics from the FBI’s 2024 Crime in the United States report, which provided figures for both property and violent crimes reported to law enforcement. Although Florida’s crime data for 2024 was limited, the available numbers were sufficient to calculate crime rates per 1,000 residents for each city. Once the cities were identified, demographic and income data were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey. To assess livability, scores were sourced from AreaVibes, and any city with a livability index below 80 was excluded from the study. For the remaining cities, cost-of-living indexes were obtained from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Average expenditure costs were then estimated using national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Housing affordability was evaluated using Zillow’s Home Value Index, which provided average single-family home values for each location. Assuming a 10% down payment and applying the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average monthly mortgage cost was calculated. By combining mortgage and expenditure estimates, the study determined the cost of living for basic necessities in each city. Five core factors were then scored and equally weighted: cost of living for necessities, mean household income, livability index, property crime rate per 1,000 residents and violent crime rate per 1,000 residents. These scores were summed and ranked to identify Florida’s safest and wealthiest cities. All data used in this analysis was collected and verified as of Sept. 11, 2025.