Florida Boasts 9 Of Best Beaches In America

The best beaches in America for 2024 list have been released. Each year, Tripadvisor compiles lists based on readers' opinions on beaches, destinations, restaurants, and more.

The number one beach in the world for 2024 is Praia da Falésia in Olhos de Agua, Portugal. It's surrounded by cliffs and features golden sand and blue waters. The beach has earned a Blue Flag recognition for cleanliness, and it features easy access to restrooms and snacks.

Now, changing our focus to the beaches of the United States. The top beach for 2024, according to Tripadvisor's readers is Ka'anapali Beach in Hawai'i. As with most of the top beaches, when you're not sunbathing, you can swim and snorkel in its blue waters.

Kicking off with the number 2 spot, Siesta Beach. We've taken a look at Siesta Beach before, as it has consistently been among America's top beaches. Just south of Sarasota, sitting on the Gulf of Mexico, there are the gulf's familiar white sands, clear waters, and unobstructed views of our beautiful sunsets.

Number 4 on the list is Hollywood Beach.

Located between Ft. Lauderdale Beach and Miami Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, Hollywood Beach has everything from quiet places to relax to exciting nightlife and restaurants near the beach. There's also a boardwalk with live music.

A perennial on the list of best beaches, Clearwater Beach landed at number 11 on the list. Being in our backyard (or for some in the Tampa Bay area, it's our front yard!), we know all about it. The most well-known white sand beaches, famous Pier 60, nearby dining and shopping along with wonderful hotels and motels to enjoy everything from a day trip to a weekend stay to a long-term visit. There are dolphin cruises, sunset cruises, the famous Clearwater Marine Aquarium that became famous as the home of Winter the Dolphin of "Dolphin Tale."

At number 13 is Panama City Beach. Located in Florida's panhandle, Panama City Beach is another that became popular through spring break visitors. It has become a family-friendly beach with the Gulf of Mexico's classic white sands, but has shallow water that is great for kids. There are great seafood restaurants and shopping, along with watersports such as jet skiing, kayaking and paddle boarding. There are also indoor and outdoor amusement centers and mini golf.

Another of the best beaches, Number 15 is Ft. Lauderdale Beach. Back on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida. There are luxurious hotels, scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities, kayaking, jet skiing, paddle boarding, and a promenade with shops, cafes and street performers.

St. Augustine Beach landed at number 17. St. Augustine is the historical beginning of what cities became in the United States. The beach, however, is what you'd expect to find in Florida for family-friendly visits. The beaches are unspoiled, and there's parking easily available. You can visit St. John's County Ocean Pier Park where there's fishing, volleyball courts and a playground area. Feeling ambitious? Get up early and watch the sun rise.

Henderson Beach State Park took the number 18 spot on the list. Henderson Beach State Park stands out with its sand dunes at it's beaches where you can relax under an umbrella. Add in some natural trails and birdwatching. There's also camping available not far from the crystal-clear water of the Gulf of Mexico for a fee.

At number 22 of the best beaches is Bahia Honda State Park, located midway down the Florida Keys. The official website, Floridastateparks.org, describes the beach as having 'gin-clear' waters. The remaining historical sights on the island includes Henry Flagler's railroad, where you can walk to for photos. Much of the island is great for pictures, including the wildlife, beaches and marina, where you can charter boats for fishing. It's also a great place to enjoy the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.

The last of the list of best beaches in the U.S., it's another beach in the Florida Keys. Sombrere Beach is number 25. Located on Marathon Key, Sombrero Beach is located on the south side on the island facing the Atlantic Ocean. The park offers kayaking, fishing, snorkeling or just relaxing on its soft sand. Being a turtle nesting beach, mostly for loggerhead turtles, it's near Turtle Hospital, where you can take tours as well as the Dolphin Research Center.

Florida is a dream destination for many. Families will come to visit, and then start planning their move to the Sunshine State. Can you blame them? There are many perks of living in Florida like the no income tax, gorgeous beaches, and endless recreational activities. When looking for the cheapest places to live in Florida, you're likely going to be directed to the smaller inland cities. But let's be real, you're probably making this move to be closer to the water. So we found a list of the cheapest places to live in Florida and condensed that list to focus on the places near the beach.

We found our list of the most affordable places to live in Florida from Property Club. They factored their list based on median housing prices, and other costs of living like groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare. For the housing prices, they compared average rents and median prices sold between January 2023 and January 2024. They drew their data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, Rent Café, and more.

With so many people relocating to Florida, it's made the housing market extremely competitive. Locals who are hoping to become first-time home buyers are stuck renting because they can't combat the cash offers from the transplants. According to Redfin, home prices were up 4.5% from 2023, with the median selling price at $404,100. In January 2024, 10.2% of homes in Florida sold above the list price.

Keep in mind when looking for cheap places to live near the beach, you won't ever be directly on the water. Nothing about living ocean-front is cheap. Keep in mind the cost of living in Florida is 1% higher than the national average. Another realtor blog, Norada, listed more affordable beach towns including Pensacola, Port St. Lucie, Tarpon Springs, and Bradenton. You can check out their full list here.

According to our source, the median cost of a home in Jacksonville is about $293,000, which is well below the national average. You can even find 1-bedrooom apartments for around $1,200/month. Jacksonville was also named one of the best cities to live in the south. Plus, there are plenty of job opportunities.

Edgewater is located off the east coast of Florida near Daytona Beach. Despite being so close to one of Florida's popular beaches, the cost of living is about 7% lower than the national average. The median home price here is about $305,000-$325,999.

This one shocked us. With Clearwater being one of the more expensive Florida beach towns, we were shocked to see Dunedin on this list. Don't get it twisted, there is so much to love about Dunedin. It's charming downtown area has so many great restaurants, breweries, and shops. And it's a less than 20 minute drive to the best beach in Florida, or you can head to the less crowded Dunedin Causeway or Honeymoon Island. Despite getting facelifts over the years with new housing and luxury apartments, Property Club says the median home cost is about $349,000. But it definitely won't stay that way forever.

Melbourne is located off the east coast of Florida and southeast from Orlando. It has that small-town appeal with plenty of outdoor recreation like beaches, golf courses, and the Viera Wetlands. The median cost of a home in Melbourne is about $375,000, and one bedroom apartments can be found for $1,300/month.

Cape Coral is going to be one of the most affordable cities in southwest Florida. Bonus perk is that it has one of the lowest crime rates in the state. It's also known for its many canals and gorgeous landscapes. According to Property Club, the median home price here is $391,000, which is just below the national average.