Best, Worst Places To Raise A Family In FL Ranked: New Study

A new study shows where Florida towns lie among the best and worse places to raise a family in 2026 - and spoiler alert, they're not in the top 20.

Eleven Florida cities landed on WalletHub's latest survey, published May 26, with one town cracking the top 50. There were a total of 182 cities on the list.

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“Finding the best place to raise a family is difficult, between balancing an affordable cost of living with good educational opportunities, safety and enough recreation to keep kids entertained," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.

"On top of all of these factors, people also often want to raise their children close to their extended family. Therefore, current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive of their family.”

Source: WalletHub

Analysts considered playgrounds, ice skating rinks, mini golf locations, walkability, bike rental facilities, attractions and other factors to determine a town's family fun level.

To compile their full list, they also examined air and water quality, infant mortality, schools, summer learning opportunities, cost of living and divorce and unemployment rates.

In the end, experts found Fremont, California to be the best town for raising families. Detroit was deemed the worst city behind Memphis, Cleveland (Ohio), Gulfport (Mississippi) and Baltimore.

Here's how Florida towns fared:

Orlando, No. 49

• Total Score: 56.83
• Family Fun Rank: 5
• Health and Safety Rank: 118
• Education and Child Care Rank: 78
• Affordability Rank: 51
• Socio-economics Rank: 116

Tampa, No. 59

• Total Score: 55.41
• Family Fun Rank: 6
• Health and Safety Rank: 106
• Education and Child Care Rank: 86
• Affordability Rank: 64
• Socio-economics Rank: 132

Pembroke Pines, No. 60

• Total Score: 55.38
• Family Fun Rank: 146
• Health and Safety Rank: 10
• Education and Child Care Rank: 19
• Affordability Rank: 144
• Socio-economics Rank: 71

St. Petersburg, No. 63

• Total Score: 55.14
• Family Fun Rank: 65
• Health and Safety Rank: 77
• Education and Child Care Rank: 93
• Affordability Rank: 54
• Socio-economics Rank: 85

Jacksonville, No. 117

• Total Score: 48.95
• Family Fun Rank: 98
• Health and Safety Rank: 137
• Education and Child Care Rank: 124
• Affordability Rank: 69
• Socio-economics Rank: 131

Tallahassee, No. 123

• Total Score: 48.33
• Family Fun Rank: 117
• Health and Safety Rank: 135
• Education and Child Care Rank: 108
• Affordability Rank: 67
• Socio-economics Rank: 155

Cape Coral, No. 133

• Total Score: 46.91
• Family Fun Rank: 172
• Health and Safety Rank: 44
• Education and Child Care Rank: 170
• Affordability Rank: 129
• Socio-economics Rank: 92

Port St. Lucie, No. 147

• Total Score: 46.02
• Family Fun Rank: 179
• Health and Safety Rank: 40
• Education and Child Care Rank: 160
• Affordability Rank: 135
• Socio-economics Rank: 70

Miami, No. 163

• Total Score: 43.49
• Family Fun Rank: 77
• Health and Safety Rank: 84
• Education and Child Care Rank: 43
• Affordability Rank: 181
• Socio-economics Rank: 156

Fort Lauderdale, No. 166

• Total Score: 42.55
• Family Fun Rank: 158
• Health and Safety Rank: 148
• Education and Child Care Rank: 99
• Affordability Rank: 165
• Socio-economics Rank: 128

Hialeah, No. 173

• Total Score: 39.70
• Family Fun Rank: 176
• Health and Safety Rank: 36
• Education and Child Care Rank: 76
• Affordability Rank: 182
• Socio-economics Rank: 148

The new ranking gives a more in-depth look at Florida cities than WalletHub's assessment in January, when experts evaluated states as a whole. The Sunshine State was positioned at No. 40 among the 50 states.

RELATED: FL Ranked One Of Worst States To Raise A Family

Families can venture outside of Florida and travel to one of these top 10 places to raise a family, per WalletHub:

1. Fremont, California
2. Overland Park, Kansas
3. Irvine, California
4. Plano, Texas
5. Columbia, Maryland
6. Bismarck, North Dakota
7. South Burlington, Vermont
8. Charleston, South Carolina
9. Seattle, Washington
10. Boise, Idaho

>> See WalletHub's full methodology: Best and Worst Places to Raise a Family (2026).