The 8 Best Places to Live in Florida for Young Professionals

Florida offers a variety of cities and regions that can be appealing to young professionals, depending on personal preferences, career opportunities, and lifestyle choices. The following eight places are great places for young professionals to live and work. They have the right mix of a young population, good amenities and good employment opportunities, and they remain affordable places(for the most part) to buy or rent homes.

For this helpful list of the best places to live in Florida for young professionals, we have ranked cities based on a number of criteria and included important statistics for each including:

• Population
• Median Age
• Median Home Price
• Median Income
• Cost of Living
• Unemployment Rate
• Crime rate

We have listed the cities below from lowest to highest cost of living. As described at the outset, the rankings and scores are based on a larger set of characteristics that we have reviewed.

1. Palm Bay

• Population: 103,190 | Rank Last Year: #7
• Cost of Living: 11% below the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $155,200/$51,408 = 3.02 (buying homes is affordable)
• Income to rent ratio: $51,408/$12,708 = 4.05 (renting homes is affordable)

Palm Bay is located in central Florida on the east coast. The population in Palm Bay grew by 11.1% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3% but below the Florida rate of 14.2%.

The population in Palm Bay is young, with 22.4% of the population under 18 and only 18.5% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Palm Bay is $51,408, and the median home price is $155,200 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate is 4.3% (May 2021), which is below both the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Palm Bay area, including Eastern Florida State College.

Palm Bay is home to Castaway Point Park, Turkey Creek Sanctuary and Andretti Thrill Park. It is just over an hour away from downtown Orlando and many theme parks.

2. Jacksonville

• Population: 911,507 | Rank Last Year: #4
• Cost of Living: 7% below the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $279,696/$54,701 = 5.11 (buying homes is a little affordable)
• Income to rent ratio: $54,701/$12,780 = 4.28 (renting homes is affordable)

Jacksonville is located on the coast of northeast Florida. The population in Jacksonville grew by 10.9% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3%, though below the Florida rate of 14.2%.

The population in Jacksonville is young, with 22.9% of the population under 18 and only 13.4% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Jacksonville is $54,701, and the median home price is $279,696 (Feb. 2022 estimates). The unemployment rate is 4.2% (May 2021), which is below both the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Jacksonville area, including the University of North Florida.

Nature trails, shopping districts, beaches and professional sports games are just some of the activities available to those living in Jacksonville.

3. Temple Terrace

• Population: 26,639 | Rank Last Year: #2
• Cost of Living: 4% below the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $228,900/$63,018 = 3.63 (buying homes is affordable)
• Income to rent ratio: $63,018/$13,716 = 4.59 (renting homes is affordable)

Temple Terrace is located in central Florida, just north of Tampa. The population in Temple Terrace grew by 9.1% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3%, though below the Florida rate of 14.2%.

The population in Temple Terrace is relatively young, with 19.3% of the population under 18 and only 12.8% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Temple Terrace is $63,018, and the median home price is $228,900 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate is 4.6% (May 2021), which is below the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Temple Terrace area, including the University of South Florida.

Temple Terrace is a beautiful haven for nature lovers. Riverhills Park, Lettuce Lake Park and Eureka Springs Park are all examples of places to visit for trails and wonderful views.

4. St. Petersburg

• Population: 265,351 | Rank Last Year: #5
• Cost of Living: 1% below the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $284,100/$45,483 = 6.24 (buying homes is expensive)
• Income to rent ratio: $45,483/$13,392 = 3.40 (renting homes is affordable)

St. Petersburg is located on the west coast near Tampa Bay. The population in St. Petersburg grew by 8.2% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3%, but below the Florida rate of 14.2%. The population in St. Petersburg is balanced between young and old, with 16.9% of the population under 18 and 18.6% over 65 years old.

The median household income in St. Petersburg is $45,483, and the median home price is $284,100 (2021 estimates). The unemployment rate in St. Petersburg is 4.6% (May 2021), which is below both the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the St. Petersburg area, including the University of South Florida.

St. Petersburg is home to the Salvador Dalí Museum and the Fred Marquis Pinellas Nature Trail, and it is minutes away from Clearwater Beach.

5. Tampa

• Population: 399,700 | Rank Last Year: #3
• Cost of Living: On par with the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $238,900/$53,833 = 4.44 (buying homes is slightly expensive)
• Income to rent ratio: $53,833/$13,572 = 3.97 (renting homes is affordable)

Tampa is located on the mid-west coast of Florida. The population in Tampa grew by 18.9% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), above both the overall U.S. rate of 6.3% and the Florida rate of 14.2%. The population in Tampa is young, with 21.4% of the population under 18 and only 12.3% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Tampa is $53,833, and the median home price is $238,900 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate is 4.6% (May 2021), which is below the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Tampa area, including the University of South Florida.

There are many attractions for those living in Tampa. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and the Tampa Museum of Art are prime examples.

The nightlife in Tampa is like no other, with plenty of bars and clubs that will keep you busy all night long. Check out the historic Ybor City for a fun night out with friends. Additionally, Tampa is home to many annual festivals, including the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. Watch tons of ships sail to shore with hundreds of pirates onboard and attend the parade. Make sure to catch some beads!

6. Ocoee

• Population: 48,263 | Rank Last Year: #6
• Cost of Living: 6% above the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $242,500/$75,329 = 3.22 (buying homes is affordable)
• Income to rent ratio: $75,329/$17,292 = 4.36 (renting homes is affordable)

Ocoee is located in central Florida, just west of Orlando. The population in Ocoee grew by 35.1% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), significantly above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3% as well as the Florida rate of 14.2%. The population in Ocoee is young, with 27.0% of the population under 18 and only 9.2% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Ocoee is $75,329, and the median home price is $242,500 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate in Ocoee is 5.4% (May 2021), which is below the U.S. national rate of 5.8% but above the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Ocoee area, including the University of Central Florida.

Ocoee is a great city minutes away from downtown Orlando and a short drive to the theme parks. There are plenty of things to do in the town, including visiting the historic downtown Ocoee area and fishing on Starke Lake.

7. Oviedo

• Population: 41,860 | Rank Last Year: #1
• Cost of Living: 15% above the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $289,200/$95,935 = 3.01 (buying homes is affordable)
• Income to rent ratio: $95,935/$19,548 = 4.91 (renting homes is affordable)

Oviedo is located in central Florida, northeast of Orlando. The population in Oviedo grew by 25.1% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), significantly above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3% as well as the Florida rate of 14.2%. The population in Oviedo is young, with 25.9% of the population under 18 and only 10.7% over 65.

The median household income in Oviedo is $95,935, and the median home price is $289,000 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate is 5.4% (May 2021), which is below the U.S. national rate of 5.8% but above the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Oviedo area, including the University of Central Florida.

Oviedo is a short drive away from Orlando and the theme park area. Lake Jesup, Black Hammock Wilderness Area and Spring Hammock Preserve are all nearby for relaxing on the water or exploring nature trails.

8. Doral

• Population: 65,741 | Rank Last Year: #8
• Cost of Living: 23% above the U.S. national average
• Home price to income ratio: $394,000/$77,493 = 5.08 (buying homes is expensive)
• Income to rent ratio: $77,493/$23,892 = 3.24 (renting homes is slightly expensive)

Doral is located in south Florida northwest of Miami. The population in Doral grew by 43.8% from April 2010 through July 2019 (U.S. Census), significantly above the overall U.S. rate of 6.3% as well as the Florida rate of 14.2%. The population in Doral is very young, with 26.5% of the population under 18 and only 7.2% over 65 years old.

The median household income in Doral is $77,493, and the median home price is $394,000 (2019 estimates). The unemployment rate is 7.1% (May 2021), which is above both the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 4.9%.

There are many options for higher education in the Doral area, including the University of Miami.

Doral is a short drive away from the larger city of Miami and a short distance from the beach. There are plenty of activities for both kids and adults to enjoy. Doral is also known for its casinos.