2021 Best Counties to Live in Florida

Seminole County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.19 out of 5  16 reviews

Current Resident: I love that everything is near by. There is a mall 10 minutes away. Pharmacies are located really close by. the amount of places to eat are phenomenal. Most importantly, I love being less than 10 minutes away from the beach. Seminole, FL is the place to be!...Read 16 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 461,402 Population

St. Johns County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.28 out of 5  90 reviews

Current Resident: Saint Johns County is close to it all! I have the beach no more than thirty minutes away from me, the downtown Jacksonville area extremely close! I feel safe where I live and I think that is what is most important. My neighbors are nice and keep to themselves most times...Read 90 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 244,674 Population

Leon County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.83 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: Great area to explore and try new things. It may seem like a small town that alleviates the opportunity of doing big city things and trying mainstream forms of entertainment at times but makes up with the countless nature-based activities available to the public...Read 18 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• 289,770 Population

Alachua County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.57 out of 5  128 reviews

Current Resident: I enjoy living in Alachua County. The county seat is Gainesville, Florida, home to top 10 college, the University of Florida. Innovation and entrepreneurship are key aspects of successful businesses. The award winning medical services are always advancing. The variety of social events provides free and affordable options for all ages. The festivals, art shows, live music and ways to create fun make Alachua County one of the best places to live in Florida...Read 128 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade B+

• 265,443 Population

Sarasota County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.36 out of 5  214 reviews

Current Resident: I moved down here about 6 years ago from Pennsylvania. So far, there are many things I like about Sarasota County. First, being in close proximity from the US's best beaches does resonate well with me. Knowing I can hop in my car and be at the beach in 25 minutes is refreshing. Another reason I like being here is all the family centered events locally. Every year and every holiday, the event center not even a mile from me hosts all kinds of different events. Lastly, there is a water park not even 5 miles from where I live. This attraction alone is amazing in such a quaint county...Read 214 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 419,496 Population

Hillsborough County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.58 out of 5  233 reviews

Current Resident: Hillsborough County is a safe county with great schools, (public and private). The community has many beautiful subdivisions , upscale apartments and townhouses. Hillsborough County is a clean well kept County with your choice of specialty and grocery stores with very little crime. Patrols are never far away. There are a plethora of restaurants and lots of activity centers to keep children entertained. If you are adventurous enough you can find different hidden lakes to sit buy and relax and neighborhood parks with plenty for everyone to do. Not to mention the beautiful golf courses. Most of all everyone in Hillsborough County is so happy and friendly. It’s a great area to live in...Read 233 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• 1,422,278 Population

Brevard County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.17 out of 5  36 reviews

Current Resident: Very nice county! Beaches are close and so pretty while the outdoors are too. Definitely feel like one big familyRead 36 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 585,507 Population

Orange County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.73 out of 5  311 reviews

Current Resident: A nice area with lots to do! Plenty of parks, amusement parks, restaurants, and malls to stay busy as well as numerous schools and neighborhoods for families. The area is well kept and mostly pretty so you can enjoy a nice day out. I'd highly recommend the area to anyone!...Read 311 Reviews

• grade A

• grade B

• 1,349,746 Population

Martin County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.3 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Retired here almost two years ago after having lived in the three counties south of Martin.There is simply no comparison when you consider the congestion, quality of life and unobtrusive political environment. The world appears upside down these days with activists and compliant media looking to change all sorts of longstanding institutions. With no data with which to back up their cases...From the (near) moment I arrived in Martin with a seamless, speedy and polite auto and license registration process in Hobe Sound to the friendly Publix and golf course staff, I have been completely satisfied with my decision to migrate north to saner pastures...And don't for one second forget the lower tax and cost of living environment.Come to Martin, we'll love to have you.Read 10 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• 159,065 Population

Pinellas County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.64 out of 5  163 reviews

Current Resident: I’ve lived in Pinellas County my whole life, so my perspective is biased, but I love Pinellas. I’m a teenager, so I really value the variety of activities available. There’s beaches, parks, causeways, small downtowns, and massive downtown St. Pete. I’ve grown up here, and there’s never been a lack of fun. Most of the cities, like Dunedin and Safety Harbor, are heavily involved with their citizens. My favorite city, Safety Harbor, closes their Main Street every 3rd Friday for a festival, complete with vendor booths and chalk art competitions. Every county has its flaws, but I think Pinellas is the best, most well-rounded area in the Tampa Bay area. Economic inequality is one evident issue with the area. The differences between the wealthy Belleair and the rough areas of St. Pete are significant, but that is true for every large metropolitan area. The biggest issue in rough areas is public education. Overall, Pinellas County has treated me well, and I could not be happier here...Read 163 Reviews

• grade A

• grade B+

• 964,666 Population

Palm Beach County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.28 out of 5  99 reviews

Current Resident: Palm Beach County is an epicenter of conservative ideology mixed in with enough diversity from many different types of people. While the public schools try their best to keep students engaged and interested in their academic material, it's more than likely that in this virtual climate you'll get less than half of class participation. School districts who have more in-person students than teachers at the moment also tend to have high rates of COVID cases. It's a fairly safe area other than the occasional petty theft, etc. HOWEVER, the cost of most products is definitely above average in comparison to other areas around us, which in turn reduces the affordability of everyday pleasures that you would otherwise take for granted. Commute time isn't as bad as you'd think it would be with nearly 1.5 million people, as we use the I-95 for most inter-county travel. Overall, my experience in Palm Beach County has been mostly pleasant, but there are some minor inconveniences that lessen it...Read 99 Reviews

• grade A

• grade B

• 1,465,027 Population

Indian River County

• County in Florida
• Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: There are many places to eat, beautiful beaches, excellent parks, great schools and colleges. It is a wonderful place to visit,go to school and live.Read 2 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• 153,989 Population

Duval County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.89 out of 5  37 reviews

Current Resident: Great restaurants, bars, schools, houses. Duval county is huge, so the schools vary depending on what school district you live in. The private schools in Duval County are some of the top in the nation...Read 37 Reviews

• grade A

• grade B

• 936,186 Population

Okaloosa County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Current Resident: Great place to grow up! The beaches are beautiful and fun. There could be more activities for teens that are affordable and fun. I feel that I have been challenged within the public school system and like the fact that I can dual enroll in college while still taking high school classes. It is nice when family comes into town that there is a variety of activities and attractions. It is also convenient that Panama City and Pensacola are not too far away. We are able to...Read 3 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• 203,794 Population

Broward County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.07 out of 5  135 reviews

Current Resident: Living in Broward County has grown from a small town to a beautiful small city of diversity. Experienced going to the theatre, small cafes to delicious restaurants, beautiful beaches and intercoastal that service the nautical side of life. You can live on the water or inland of suburbs and even enough land to have horses and any other kind of animals. Broward County Public Schools is third in ranking statewide and tops in the nation! Living in Broward County is the place for those that want a nightlife next to Miami (Dade) where you are only 20-30 minutes away from the American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat and the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. There is plenty of culture to absorb! Living in Broward is the place to call, "Home"!...Read 135 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 1,926,205 Population

Manatee County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4.11 out of 5  18 reviews

Current Resident: for the most part, this is a great place to live just not a lot to do. The schools are very equipped with up to date learning tools that give a cutting edge advantage to the primitive equipment from past skill set programs. With this advantage, you will be a success in the profession you have been trained in including those related to that field. For example, I went to Manatee Technical College for a Patient Care technician. With the skills I learned, I was able to do Home health aide at an Assisted Living facility, I was proficient in organization and time managing to become a manager at Walmart and further my education by enrolling in a University becoming a surgical technologist. Now I am currently a returning student at Manatee Technical College's LPN program that will prepare me, once again, for my future advancements towards becoming a Registered nurse or even a Registered Nurse Anesthetist...Read 18 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• 384,213 Population

Escambia County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Escambia County Florida is a quaint portion of Pensacola, FL. With the close proximity to the powdery beaches of Pensacola Beach in Santa Rosa County, yet immediate access to the downtown Pensacola night life. Escambia is a tiny mecca when it comes to family activities, with it's rich family focused youth sports, recreation centers, monthly community events, ranging from Tia chi, swing dancing, senior citizen athletics, and quite a number of established cross-fit programs. Come scratch the surface and discover the gem of diverse, equitable, and clean fun in Escambia County!...Read 6 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B minus

• 313,491 Population

Lee County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.93 out of 5  15 reviews

Current Resident: My experience with lee county is its a great county for as long as I've been living in it. Ever since I've been here the county has always done its best to make the residents happy. For example putting up gas stations, offering new jobs, and building new schools. By doing these things it makes the residents of the county happy because it gives them a place to get new jobs and a have a well educated and bright place for there kids to learn in. Although, one thing I would change about lee county is its night life. The nightlife is very dead and there's nothing to do. Therefore, if they can have places to go to or have fun activities to do, it would be so much better...Read 15 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 737,468 Population

Collier County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Current Resident: Collier County is a very family friendly place to live. There is a lot of fun stuff to do here such as going to their beautiful beaches and parks. It is very safe with no worries if you want to go for a late night jog. I would recommend Collier County if you have a family and want a safe, fun and beautiful environment...Read 5 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• 371,453 Population

Monroe County

• County in Florida
• Rating 1 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• 75,798 Population

Nassau County

• County in Florida
• Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Current Resident: Nassau county is home. I attended two schools in Nassau county and they were both great schools. We are a small county but we have great academics, great athletics and great people here.Read 2 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 83,098 Population

Clay County

• County in Florida
• Rating 2.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: It's an average little town. The education system is decent enough and the community is just as average. Everything is average. The people consist of conservatives and the few die-hard liberals. Job opportunities are scarce and require extreme drive to land one. The restaurants are average, run-of-the-mill restaurants...Read 10 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 211,405 Population

Santa Rosa County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Current Resident: One of the better places that I have had the pleasure of living in recent years. Living and real estate are affordable, the pace of the town is very focused on a mature/family-oriented lifestyle, and the easy-going nature of this southern town is a delight. Only points of critique are the lack of school diversity (due to zoning there are only a couple to choose from for miles for high schools and even less for middle and elementary schools) and the "family-oriented " lifestyle of the town extending to its designated curfews as well...Read 4 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 174,755 Population

Walton County

• County in Florida
• Rating 3.91 out of 5  11 reviews

Current Resident: Walton county is a great county. The community is close together, and truly one big family. Thank you Walton county for being so great!Read 11 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 68,262 Population

Lafayette County

• County in Florida
• Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: Most of the people here are very supportive of the community and the young adults and students that the community holds.Read 1 Review

• grade A minus

• grade A

• 8,637 Population