Sarasota Makes Best Places To Live in the South List

Spoiler: Tampa wasn't one of them! Tampa just missed the top 10 coming in at #11 on U.S. News & World Report's 2023 list of the Top 10 Places To Live in the South.

Love the southern lifestyle? They say you can't do any better than Huntsville, Alabama. The survey took into consideration things like affordability (probably explains how Tampa didn't make the Top 10), job opportunities, education, and desirability.

For Florida, Sarasota topped the list. While it certainly isn't the most affordable part of the state to live in, the area's beaches definitely scored them points. Sarasota ranked 3rd overall, just ahead of their neighbor to the south Naples, which came in 4th place.

Melbourne and Jacksonville rounded out the Florida cities that made the Top 10. Zooming out to the Top 25, Pensacola came in at #13 and Daytona Beach just made the list at #25. Orlando and Miami are nowhere to be found in the rankings. [Source: US News & World Report]

Yes, Florida it getting busier and the traffic is getting worse. There are a few Florida cities people are moving to. Florida is one of the top states in the country where people are moving to in 2023. The report coming from PODS. Yes, the moving and storage company. They definitely are a great resource to put out a report about people moving.

PODS says about the overall report, “Our numbers indicate that cities and states with high costs of living, higher crime rates, and inclement weather are pushing Americans to move, while the cities and states that offer low tax rates, warm weather, and comparatively affordable housing are attracting movers.” Not only is Florida one of the top states people are moving to, but people are moving to the South of the United States more than anywhere else. The places where people are moving from the most are the New York tri-state area and the west coast.

There are a bunch of Florida cities people are moving to, but the #1 city isn’t in Florida. The report that PODS put out says that the #1 city people are moving to is Myrtle Beach, SC/Wilmington, NC. So, I guess they are combining the two cities even though they are 77 miles apart. Maybe they are tied for #1. That area was #6 in 2022.

The list included the Top 20 cities and six Florida cities are in the Top 20. Five of those Florida cities are in the Top 10. Check out the five that are in the Top 10 below.

Sarasota is #2 on the list of cities where people are moving to. Sarasota was #1 in 2022. Sarasota is known to be more of a chill town with clear blue waters and white sand beaches.

Orlando is #3 this year, but was #9 in 2022. So, more people are moving to Orlando than they did last year. This city just outside of Orlando is the fastest growing city in Florida.

Ocala may be a surprising Florida city on the list, but it comes in at #4 in the United States. It was also #5 in America in 2022. Ocala is a great place to move to for nature lovers. You'll be close to some of the best natural springs in the state.

Was #11 in 2022, but is now #8 in the United States. Jacksonville is a hit or miss for some people. There are lots of career opportunities there, but many say that the city itself is dirty and could use some major updates.

Here we go! Tampa Bay is #9 this year, but was actually #4 in 2022. So despite how bad traffic has gotten, less people have moved here this year than 2022.