US News and World Report is out with their list of the best places to live in Florida. Tampa came in at #4. Who ranked higher? We’ll get to that in a moment. They say these results are based on things like housing affordability, health care, the job market, taxes for retirees, and most importantly, a “happiness index.” That last one is calculated on a Gallup poll on health and well-being.

A few nearby areas also did well. Sarasota came in at #2 while our friends to the south in Naples took top honors. Here are the top 10 places to live in Florida, according to their rankings.

• #1: Naples

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  Snowbird central... Naples is known as the retirement choice of the wealthy. Makes sense because all my rich snowbird uncles come down to Marco Island every winter. Naples has some great beaches, golf courses and places to shop and dine.

• #2: Sarasota

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  Joe Perry from Aerosmith's choice for a place to chill when he's not on the road. Some great beaches, museums and culture.

• #3: Melbourne

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  Many love the Space Coast life.
• #4: Tampa

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  You live here. You know why it's great. And so does the rest of America which is why everyone moves here!

• #5: Pensacola

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  The City of Five Flags. Great white sand beaches and fishing.

• #6: Jacksonville

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  The largest metro area in the U.S.
• #7: Orlando

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  Nightmarish traffic, but it's where Mickey and Minnie chose to settle down so there must be something appealing.

• #8 Fort Myers

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  Thomas Edison and Henry Ford both built homes here. Spring training home of my childhood team the Boston Red Sox.

• #9: Lakeland

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  Polk County's little secret is no secret anymore. Lakeland was recently named the 2nd fastest growing population area in the entire country.
• #10: Ocala

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  The Horse Capital of the World. A great place to kayak and hit the water in a glass-bottom boat.

[Source: US News & World Report]

More of Geno’s stories from this week…

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