Best places to raise a family in Florida
For the majority of people, there comes a moment in time when the prerequisites for a place to call home drastically change. This usually happens while planning to have children or shortly after the little ones arrive. Priorities dramatically shift, often prompting a move to a new home or even a new city. Cutting-edge restaurants and hipster cocktail bars suddenly take a backseat to excellent schools and plenty of playgrounds.
So where exactly are the best places to raise a family in Florida? Stacker has collected data from Niche's 2018 best places to raise a family rankings to determine where children are most likely to thrive. The rankings measure the appeal of an area based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, affordability, and access to family-friendly amenities.
To create this list, Niche used data from several databases, including the U.S. Census, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as Niche's own proprietary data and community reviews. The data includes the area's population, median home value, median rent, median household income, and the percentage of households with children. It also takes into consideration the national average for median home value—$184,700, median rent—$949, and median household income—$55,322.
Read on to find out where to consider moving if you are raising a family in Florida.
ALSO: Best commutes in Florida
#25. Fish Hawk—suburb of Tampa, FL
Population: 17,241
Median home value: $303,400
Median rent: $1,810
Median household income: $108,917
Percentage of households with children: 31%
#24. Parkland Estates—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 2,031
Median home value: $572,045
Median rent: $1,491
Median household income: $103,810
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#23. Beach Park—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 5,988
Median home value: $465,508
Median rent: $1,578
Median household income: $102,757
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#22. World Golf Village—town in Florida
Population: 15,041
Median home value: $260,500
Median rent: $1,649
Median household income: $88,225
Percentage of households with children: 28%
#21. Virginia Park—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 7,418
Median home value: $382,608
Median rent: $1,359
Median household income: $107,638
Percentage of households with children: 25%
#20. Golfview—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 2,769
Median home value: $527,369
Median rent: $1,448
Median household income: $110,155
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#19. Park Lake/Highland—neighborhood in Orlando, FL
Population: 1,963
Median home value: $209,668
Median rent: $1,161
Median household income: $78,382
Percentage of households with children: 8%
#18. Palm Valley—town in Florida
Population: 21,441
Median home value: $412,300
Median rent: $1,166
Median household income: $97,469
Percentage of households with children: 14%
#17. Windermere—suburb of Orlando, FL
Population: 3,175
Median home value: $519,800
Median rent: $1,633
Median household income: $127,344
Percentage of households with children: 17%
#16. Audubon Park—neighborhood in Orlando, FL
Population: 4,105
Median home value: $268,006
Median rent: $1,299
Median household income: $80,991
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#15. Oviedo—suburb of Orlando, FL
Population: 37,545
Median home value: $241,100
Median rent: $1,392
Median household income: $82,402
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#14. Fruit Cove—town in Florida
Population: 31,419
Median home value: $290,000
Median rent: $1,662
Median household income: $95,405
Percentage of households with children: 20%
#13. Davis Islands—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 5,179
Median home value: $499,147
Median rent: $1,423
Median household income: $98,395
Percentage of households with children: 17%
#12. Courier City/Oscawana—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 2,849
Median home value: $280,258
Median rent: $1,432
Median household income: $78,116
Percentage of households with children: 6%
#11. Horizon West—suburb of Orlando, FL
Population: 22,538
Median home value: $280,600
Median rent: $1,602
Median household income: $92,589
Percentage of households with children: 28%
#10. Sunset Park—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 5,516
Median home value: $560,334
Median rent: $1,104
Median household income: $137,368
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#9. Nocatee—town in Florida
Population: 9,836
Median home value: $351,700
Median rent: $1,637
Median household income: $96,659
Percentage of households with children: 28%
#8. Culbreath—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 4,121
Median home value: $549,217
Median rent: $1,135
Median household income: $145,575
Percentage of households with children: 19%
#7. Palma Ceia—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 5,925
Median home value: $419,623
Median rent: $1,260
Median household income: $117,970
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#6. Arbor Greene—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 5,289
Median home value: $310,305
Median rent: $1,791
Median household income: $115,201
Percentage of households with children: 22%
#5. Rowena Gardens—neighborhood in Orlando, FL
Population: 1,359
Median home value: $410,519
Median rent: $1,327
Median household income: $101,173
Percentage of households with children: 23%
#4. Spanishtown—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 2,890
Median home value: $428,621
Median rent: $1,543
Median household income: $112,041
Percentage of households with children: 10%
#3. New Suburb Beautiful—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 2,192
Median home value: $673,651
Median rent: $981
Median household income: $176,787
Percentage of households with children: 27%
#2. Hyde Park—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 1,605
Median home value: $684,544
Median rent: $1,284
Median household income: $161,308
Percentage of households with children: 21%
#1. Harbour Island—neighborhood in Tampa, FL
Population: 4,012
Median home value: $325,643
Median rent: $1,904
Median household income: $96,207
Percentage of households with children: 14%
