Three ‘booming’ Florida cities rank among nation’s hottest suburbs. Why they’re special
Three Florida cities are “booming” with jobs — and people interested in living there, a new report finds.
So much so, the cities rank on a list of places where job growth and desirability are “well above national averages,” according to a Nov. 19 news release. Here are the suburbs that received recognition:
- Winter Garden at No. 4
- Davenport at No. 5
- Clermont at No. 8
The cities, all near Orlando, joined several other southeastern cities in ranking among the top 10 in the United States. The region “reigns supreme for its suburbs where people want to move in, and where far fewer residents (are) considering a move-out,” the moving website moveBuddha wrote in its report.
To create the list of hottest suburbs, the website studied more than 500 cities across the country. It narrowed the places to suburbs, defined as “any city in each metropolitan region that was not the single, primary (first) city listed in a ‘metro’ name,” a spokesperson told McClatchy News via email.
Using search data from its website and figures from the U.S. government, moveBuddha discovered that 43 suburbs met the criteria of having year-over-year job growth “better than the national average” and a high ratio of people interested in moving in compared with those wanting to leave. Each of those suburbs also was evaluated for home values based on Zillow real estate data, results show.
What makes the Florida suburbs special?
Of the Florida cities that made it onto the moveBuddha list, Winter Garden ranked the highest at No. 4. The city, east of Orlando, is home to about 47,000 people.
“Florida’s job-magnet suburb with the highest move-in interest is Winter Garden with 2.45 searches for moves in for every out,” the moveBuddha spokesperson wrote. “Not only is the city just 17 miles from Orlando, but what was once a farming community has blossomed into a beautiful suburban city with a walkable downtown, a slower pace, and smack dab in the center of Florida — it’s mostly sheltered from coastal storms.”
Though Winter Garden got a nod for attracting potential residents, it didn’t fare as well when it came to costs. It was found to be one of the nation’s least affordable suburbs, with an average home value of roughly $580,000.
Two other places in the Sunshine State also ranked among the nation’s “booming” suburbs, putting Florida in a tie with South Carolina for having the most cities in the top 10. Also joining Winter Garden on the list were the nearby cities of Davenport and Clermont.
So, how did other Florida areas fare in the rankings? Here’s where they landed:
- St. Augustine at No. 12
- Zephyrhills at No. 14
- Leesburg at No. 16
- Kissimmee at No. 22
- Milton at No. 24
- Orange Park at No. 38
- Miami Beach at No. 40
- St. Petersburg at No. 43
Nationwide, moveBuddha said the most popular suburb was Summerville, South Carolina, near the tourist hot spot of Charleston. Here are the other cities that joined Winter Garden and Davenport in the top five:
- Conway, South Carolina, at No. 2
- Beverly Hills, California, at No. 3
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Three ‘booming’ Florida cities rank among nation’s hottest suburbs. Why they’re special."
