Like all states, Florida has certain places that are going on hard times. These Florida places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Florida.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 221 cities in Florida with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Here are the ten poorest places in Florida for 2023:
What’s the poorest city in Florida? According to the facts, Opa-Locka is the poorest place in Florida for 2023.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Florida
- Cheapest Places To Live In Florida
- Most Dangerous Places In Florida
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Cities In Florida For 2023
1. Opa-locka
/10
Population: 16,310
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $27,734 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 5,776
More on Opa-Locka: Data | Cost Of Living
Opa-locka, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Florida thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 16,310 people averages the 2nd lowest median household income in Florida and the 2nd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Quincy
/10
Population: 8,038
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 5)
Median Income: $31,756 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 43.6% (highest)
People In Poverty: 3,504
More on Quincy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Florida is Quincy.
The city ranks as having the highest incidence of poverty and 6th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 207th highest in the Sunshine State.
3. Pahokee
/10
Population: 5,504
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $30,753 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.2% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,936
More on Pahokee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Pahokee’s median income ranks as the 5th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 35.177473725956766% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Sunshine State.
4. Palatka
/10
Population: 10,399
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Income: $28,082 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.2% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,449
More on Palatka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Palatka ranks as the fourth poorest place in Florida.
The town ranks as having the 4th lowest median household income and the 5th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Arcadia
/10
Population: 7,460
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 3)
Median Income: $27,869 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.3% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,406
More on Arcadia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Florida is Arcadia.
The city ranks as having the 3rd lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 6th highest in Florida.
Still not the best news for Arcadia.
6. Marianna
/10
Population: 6,446
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 2)
Median Income: $27,427 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.7% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,849
More on Marianna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Marianna ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Sunshine State.
It ranks as having the 10th highest incidence of poverty and the 99th highest unemployment rate.
7. Belle Glade
/10
Population: 16,983
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 5)
Median Income: $32,963 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.6% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,883
More on Belle Glade: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Belle Glade places as the seventh poorest city in Florida.
The city of over 16,983 ranks as having the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Sebring
/10
Population: 10,832
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Median Income: $32,607 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.7% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,895
More on Sebring: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Sebring ranks as the eighth poorest city in Florida.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as the 7th highest in the state.
9. Dundee
/10
Population: 5,122
Rank Last Year: –
Median Income: $40,962 (2lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.4% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,606
More on Dundee: Data
Dundee couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Florida; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 2lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Dundee ranks as having the 8th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Florida.
10. Holly Hill
/10
Population: 12,833
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Income: $37,333 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.6% (18th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,157
More on Holly Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Florida is Holly Hill.
The city of 12,833 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Sunshine State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Florida for 2023
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2017-2021 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 221 places with more than 5,000 people in Florida, we ranked each place from 1 to 221 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Opa-Locka, crowned the “Poorest Place In Florida For 2023”.
This report has been updated for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Florida.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Florida For 2023
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Florida, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Florida.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Florida, according to data:
-
Richest: Palm Beach
2nd Richest: Parkland
3rd Richest: Longboat Key
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Florida
- Safest Places In Florida
- Worst Places To Live In Florida
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Florida
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Florida
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opa-locka | 16,310 | 35.4% | $27,734 | 5,776 |
| 2 | Quincy | 8,038 | 43.6% | $31,756 | 3,504 |
| 3 | Pahokee | 5,504 | 35.2% | $30,753 | 1,936 |
| 4 | Palatka | 10,399 | 33.2% | $28,082 | 3,449 |
| 5 | Arcadia | 7,460 | 32.3% | $27,869 | 2,406 |
| 6 | Marianna | 6,446 | 28.7% | $27,427 | 1,849 |
| 7 | Belle Glade | 16,983 | 34.6% | $32,963 | 5,883 |
| 8 | Sebring | 10,832 | 26.7% | $32,607 | 2,895 |
| 9 | Dundee | 5,122 | 31.4% | $40,962 | 1,606 |
| 10 | Holly Hill | 12,833 | 24.6% | $37,333 | 3,157 |
| 11 | Avon Park | 9,725 | 22.8% | $32,518 | 2,218 |
| 12 | Pembroke Park | 6,269 | 27.5% | $40,260 | 1,724 |
| 13 | Gainesville | 138,741 | 28.5% | $40,937 | 39,597 |
| 14 | Fort Pierce | 46,409 | 27.1% | $40,323 | 12,587 |
| 15 | Leesburg | 26,242 | 23.0% | $37,350 | 6,034 |
| 16 | Fort Meade | 5,127 | 22.7% | $37,515 | 1,163 |
| 17 | Starke | 5,669 | 30.5% | $43,339 | 1,730 |
| 18 | Florida City | 12,844 | 31.9% | $43,599 | 4,099 |
| 19 | Brooksville | 8,735 | 20.9% | $35,191 | 1,821 |
| 20 | Okeechobee | 5,279 | 21.8% | $40,149 | 1,149 |
| 21 | Kissimmee | 77,189 | 24.6% | $41,746 | 18,988 |
| 22 | Lauderdale Lakes | 35,898 | 20.5% | $40,217 | 7,350 |
| 23 | Clewiston | 7,447 | 21.1% | $41,125 | 1,573 |
| 24 | Perry | 6,886 | 26.0% | $43,797 | 1,793 |
| 25 | Daytona Beach | 71,041 | 21.8% | $42,392 | 15,483 |
| 26 | Live Oak | 6,771 | 26.2% | $45,417 | 1,772 |
| 27 | Hallandale Beach | 41,004 | 20.6% | $41,905 | 8,442 |
| 28 | Belleview | 5,314 | 19.5% | $41,188 | 1,033 |
| 29 | Springfield | 8,429 | 20.6% | $43,688 | 1,734 |
| 30 | Tallahassee | 195,057 | 24.3% | $49,077 | 47,428 |
| 31 | Hialeah | 224,362 | 18.6% | $43,181 | 41,819 |
| 32 | South Bay | 6,284 | 25.0% | $50,344 | 1,571 |
| 33 | North Miami | 60,449 | 19.4% | $44,283 | 11,711 |
| 34 | Inverness | 7,423 | 15.8% | $39,532 | 1,174 |
| 35 | Lake City | 12,325 | 18.4% | $43,396 | 2,262 |
| 36 | Miami | 440,807 | 20.9% | $47,860 | 91,917 |
| 37 | Lauderhill | 73,935 | 19.3% | $44,634 | 14,304 |
| 38 | Zephyrhills | 16,845 | 16.2% | $42,023 | 2,722 |
| 39 | Ocala | 62,351 | 18.0% | $46,841 | 11,220 |
| 40 | South Daytona | 12,984 | 17.8% | $47,814 | 2,314 |
| 41 | Haines City | 26,510 | 19.7% | $50,280 | 5,219 |
| 42 | Dania Beach | 31,703 | 16.8% | $44,477 | 5,317 |
| 43 | Sweetwater | 19,426 | 17.0% | $46,224 | 3,309 |
| 44 | New Port Richey | 16,348 | 15.2% | $40,319 | 2,481 |
| 45 | Palmetto | 13,304 | 18.6% | $50,762 | 2,472 |
| 46 | Homestead | 78,885 | 21.4% | $52,334 | 16,889 |
| 47 | North Lauderdale | 44,579 | 17.6% | $49,426 | 7,839 |
| 48 | Riviera Beach | 37,301 | 19.3% | $51,118 | 7,202 |
| 49 | Lake Wales | 16,173 | 16.9% | $49,226 | 2,734 |
| 50 | Lake Alfred | 6,196 | 16.2% | $48,203 | 1,002 |
| 51 | Panama City | 34,521 | 17.8% | $51,569 | 6,153 |
| 52 | West Park | 15,074 | 18.1% | $52,102 | 2,724 |
| 53 | Deerfield Beach | 86,062 | 15.6% | $49,650 | 13,443 |
| 54 | Lady Lake | 15,683 | 14.0% | $42,088 | 2,188 |
| 55 | Miami Gardens | 111,706 | 16.0% | $51,067 | 17,847 |
| 56 | Winter Haven | 48,707 | 15.6% | $50,842 | 7,610 |
| 57 | Fort Myers | 84,694 | 16.0% | $51,682 | 13,555 |
| 58 | DeFuniak Springs | 5,875 | 17.1% | $53,984 | 1,007 |
| 59 | Bartow | 18,880 | 16.9% | $53,593 | 3,184 |
| 60 | Bradenton | 54,918 | 14.7% | $50,084 | 8,075 |
| 61 | Wildwood | 14,747 | 22.2% | $59,158 | 3,271 |
| 62 | Orange City | 12,748 | 13.2% | $45,698 | 1,682 |
| 63 | Kenneth City | 5,046 | 13.3% | $47,827 | 669 |
| 64 | Greenacres | 43,482 | 15.3% | $51,692 | 6,661 |
| 65 | South Pasadena | 5,319 | 12.7% | $43,383 | 677 |
| 66 | Casselberry | 28,750 | 15.5% | $53,150 | 4,462 |
| 67 | Sunny Isles Beach | 22,234 | 14.8% | $51,760 | 3,297 |
| 68 | Clearwater | 116,616 | 15.5% | $54,182 | 18,051 |
| 69 | West Palm Beach | 115,877 | 17.0% | $56,549 | 19,665 |
| 70 | Lakeland | 110,401 | 15.1% | $52,972 | 16,653 |
| 71 | Oakland Park | 44,092 | 15.8% | $55,700 | 6,957 |
| 72 | Pompano Beach | 111,423 | 15.6% | $56,109 | 17,405 |
| 73 | Cocoa | 18,891 | 12.6% | $48,085 | 2,373 |
| 74 | Titusville | 48,158 | 12.8% | $50,383 | 6,175 |
| 75 | Stuart | 17,269 | 14.4% | $55,157 | 2,484 |
| 76 | Plant City | 39,272 | 15.5% | $57,025 | 6,080 |
| 77 | Tampa | 380,476 | 17.2% | $59,893 | 65,491 |
| 78 | Palm Springs | 26,611 | 12.8% | $51,358 | 3,406 |
| 79 | Hialeah Gardens | 22,917 | 14.0% | $55,276 | 3,217 |
| 80 | Sanford | 60,215 | 14.2% | $55,428 | 8,540 |
| 81 | Pinellas Park | 53,130 | 13.2% | $54,111 | 7,021 |
| 82 | Fort Walton Beach | 20,805 | 14.1% | $55,623 | 2,934 |
| 83 | Orlando | 302,968 | 15.5% | $58,968 | 46,848 |
| 84 | Dade City | 7,143 | 14.5% | $56,395 | 1,036 |
| 85 | Eustis | 22,532 | 13.2% | $55,298 | 2,983 |
| 86 | Melbourne | 83,500 | 13.7% | $55,543 | 11,421 |
| 87 | Largo | 82,505 | 12.1% | $50,948 | 9,977 |
| 88 | Jacksonville | 937,690 | 14.9% | $58,263 | 139,388 |
| 89 | Pensacola | 53,845 | 15.3% | $59,119 | 8,251 |
| 90 | High Springs | 6,216 | 21.4% | $71,909 | 1,331 |
| 91 | Temple Terrace | 26,585 | 14.8% | $58,853 | 3,934 |
| 92 | Vero Beach | 16,254 | 12.8% | $54,311 | 2,075 |
| 93 | Mount Dora | 15,830 | 15.4% | $60,500 | 2,435 |
| 94 | Tamarac | 71,140 | 12.6% | $54,114 | 8,975 |
| 95 | Palm Bay | 118,709 | 13.1% | $55,963 | 15,594 |
| 96 | North Miami Beach | 43,357 | 12.0% | $52,223 | 5,218 |
| 97 | Margate | 58,331 | 12.3% | $52,881 | 7,178 |
| 98 | West Miami | 7,090 | 14.7% | $59,436 | 1,043 |
| 99 | Lake Park | 8,971 | 15.2% | $60,632 | 1,362 |
| 100 | Tavares | 18,290 | 9.9% | $49,313 | 1,814 |
