Best Beach Towns for Homeownership? Sarasota No. 6. JANUARY 2020

Best Beach Towns for Homeownership?   Sarasota  No. 6  out of 145 !
By Kerry Smith
JUNE 17, 2020

WalletHub ranked 145 U.S. cities by affordability, weather, safety and economy. The final list includes 22 Fla. cities with 4 in the top 10 and 9 in the top 25.
ORLANDO, Fla. – WalletHub released its analysis of the U.S. beach towns, and Florida had 22 cities on the list – four in the top 10 and nine in the top 25.

The analysis didn’t look at the quality of a city’s beaches, however, it ranked cities by four primary characteristics important to people hoping to buy a home – affordability, weather, safety and the local economy – but says it used “63 key metrics” to determine an overall ranking.

In the analysis that included all factors – called Best Beach Towns to Live in (Ocean) – Naples ranked No. 1 with Boca Raton third, Sarasota sixth and Vero Beach in 10th place. The study includes a separate ranking for lakeside towns.

However, an interactive chart allows users to focus only on the trait that interests them. If money is no object and safety a top concern, for example, Key Biscayne ranks at No. 7 in the U.S. – the highest of any Florida coastal town.

If affordability is a top concern, Florida cities hold 12 of the top 13 spots with Merritt Island at No. 1. Under the “weather” variable, Florida results are mixed with top-ranking Boca Raton at No. 5.

Given Florida’s history of hurricanes, it was surprising that some cities have had fewer disaster declarations than other U.S. cities. Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne tied for the fewest disaster declarations since 1953 with 15. WalletHub says that’s 4.9 times fewer than in Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates and Malibu, California, which had 74.

WalletHub’s ranking of Florida’s coast cities

1. Naples: 62.50 (overall score)

3. Boca Raton: 60.96

6. Sarasota: 59.68

10. Vero Beach: 58.22

12. Destin: 58.00

15. Fernandina Beach: 56.61

17. Venice: 56.35

21. Jupiter: 55.72

24. Satellite Beach: 55.13

29. Atlantic Beach: 54.57

30. Key Biscayne: 54.47

31. Stuart: 54.46

34. St. Augustine: 54.14

36. Key West: 53.90

38. Jacksonville Beach: 53.66

43. North Palm Beach: 53.07

44. Coral Gables: 52.86

48. Clearwater: 51.68

50. Pensacola: 51.56

52. Miami Beach: 51.49

53. Cocoa Beach: 51.45

56. Ormond Beach: 50.93

60. Dunedin: 50.62

63. Panama City Beach: 50.48

64. Tarpon Springs: 50.46

67. Bonita Springs: 50.13

71. New Smyrna Beach: 49.77

73. Jensen Beach: 49.62

77. Fort Walton Beach: 49.08 19

78. Boynton Beach: 48.94

80. Delray Beach: 48.61

81. Hollywood: 48.52 41

83. Marco Island: 48.40

84. Gulfport: 48.31

95. Melbourne: 46.87

112. Navarre: 44.59

113. Lake Worth: 44.50

116. Merritt Island: 44.42

120. Hallandale Beach: 44.10

122. Cocoa: 43.85

125. Daytona Beach: 43.04

127. Lantana: 42.48

128. Hudson: 42.48

132. Panama City: 41.98

136. Hobe Sound: 41.48

137. Dania Beach: 41.33

138. Apollo Beach: 41.28

143. Riviera Beach: 37.80

144. Holiday: 37.34

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