Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Florida?
Only a third of Floridians say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Florida don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.
But, we were curious – which Florida cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.
After analyzing the 221 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Sunshine State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Florida
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, St. Augustine is the happiest place in Florida.
For more Florida reading, check out:
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Florida For 2023
/10
Population: 26,611
Poverty Level: 12.8%
Median Home Price $183,200
Married Households 4.0%
Households With Kids 35.59%
More on Palm Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 9,049
Poverty Level: 9.8%
Median Home Price $234,600
Married Households 7.0%
Households With Kids 42.86%
More on Davenport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 35,898
Poverty Level: 20.5%
Median Home Price $160,300
Married Households 3.0%
Households With Kids 31.26%
More on Lauderdale Lakes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 6,269
Poverty Level: 27.5%
Median Home Price $0
Married Households 2.0%
Households With Kids 31.39%
More on Pembroke Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
/10
Population: 43,357
Poverty Level: 12.0%
Median Home Price $230,800
Married Households 4.0%
Households With Kids 34.32%
More on North Miami Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 12,844
Poverty Level: 31.9%
Median Home Price $196,100
Married Households 10.0%
Households With Kids 53.68%
More on Florida City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 73,935
Poverty Level: 19.3%
Median Home Price $190,800
Married Households 6.0%
Households With Kids 33.47%
More on Lauderhill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 26,510
Poverty Level: 19.7%
Median Home Price $177,900
Married Households 7.0%
Households With Kids 34.79%
More on Haines City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 6,284
Poverty Level: 25.0%
Median Home Price $99,900
Married Households 10.0%
Households With Kids 44.67%
More on South Bay: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Sunshine State
To rank the unhappiest places in Florida, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.
Like magic.
Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 221 places in Florida with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 221 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Florida.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Florida.
There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Florida
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Florida is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in Florida, according to science:
- St. Augustine
- Key West
- Flagler Beach
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Florida
- Cheapest Places To Live In Florida
- Most Dangerous Places In Florida
- Richest Cities In Florida
- Safest Places In Florida
- Worst Places To Live In Florida
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Florida
Miserable Cities In Florida For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Springs, FL | 26,611 | 12.8% | $183,200 | 4.0% | 35.59% |
| 2 | Davenport, FL | 9,049 | 9.8% | $234,600 | 7.0% | 42.86% |
| 3 | Lauderdale Lakes, FL | 35,898 | 20.5% | $160,300 | 3.0% | 31.26% |
| 4 | Pembroke Park, FL | 6,269 | 27.5% | $0 | 2.0% | 31.39% |
| 5 | St. Cloud, FL | 57,610 | 11.3% | $239,600 | 6.0% | 39.72% |
| 6 | North Miami Beach, FL | 43,357 | 12.0% | $230,800 | 4.0% | 34.32% |
| 7 | Florida City, FL | 12,844 | 31.9% | $196,100 | 10.0% | 53.68% |
| 8 | Lauderhill, FL | 73,935 | 19.3% | $190,800 | 6.0% | 33.47% |
| 9 | Haines City, FL | 26,510 | 19.7% | $177,900 | 7.0% | 34.79% |
| 10 | South Bay, FL | 6,284 | 25.0% | $99,900 | 10.0% | 44.67% |
| 11 | Deltona, FL | 93,464 | 11.1% | $184,300 | 7.0% | 34.29% |
| 12 | West Park, FL | 15,074 | 18.1% | $251,300 | 6.0% | 37.6% |
| 13 | Kissimmee, FL | 77,189 | 24.6% | $217,000 | 3.0% | 35.64% |
| 14 | Miami Gardens, FL | 111,706 | 16.0% | $252,600 | 9.0% | 39.63% |
| 15 | North Lauderdale, FL | 44,579 | 17.6% | $199,700 | 5.0% | 32.81% |
| 16 | North Miami, FL | 60,449 | 19.4% | $250,200 | 3.0% | 32.93% |
| 17 | Groveland, FL | 17,896 | 9.3% | $247,300 | 5.0% | 31.41% |
| 18 | Homestead, FL | 78,885 | 21.4% | $253,200 | 6.0% | 52.48% |
| 19 | Sweetwater, FL | 19,426 | 17.0% | $202,200 | 2.0% | 34.55% |
| 20 | Pahokee, FL | 5,504 | 35.2% | $97,700 | 16.0% | 35.43% |
| 21 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 202,177 | 8.3% | $245,900 | 7.0% | 32.61% |
| 22 | Greenacres, FL | 43,482 | 15.3% | $185,800 | 4.0% | 32.1% |
| 23 | Belle Glade, FL | 16,983 | 34.6% | $119,900 | 11.0% | 37.43% |
| 24 | Opa-Locka, FL | 16,310 | 35.4% | $197,400 | 7.0% | 34.09% |
| 25 | Ocoee, FL | 46,562 | 10.4% | $284,500 | 9.0% | 42.74% |
| 26 | Dade City, FL | 7,143 | 14.5% | $150,700 | 12.0% | 31.15% |
| 27 | Callaway, FL | 13,656 | 12.5% | $162,500 | 10.0% | 32.0% |
| 28 | Mascotte, FL | 6,632 | 8.5% | $185,100 | 20.0% | 63.98% |
| 29 | Fort Meade, FL | 5,127 | 22.7% | $117,400 | 24.0% | 26.23% |
| 30 | Coral Springs, FL | 133,693 | 8.7% | $393,300 | 7.0% | 38.81% |
| 31 | Clermont, FL | 41,562 | 8.2% | $276,700 | 8.0% | 29.58% |
| 32 | Tamarac, FL | 71,140 | 12.6% | $197,300 | 5.0% | 23.38% |
| 33 | Fort Pierce, FL | 46,409 | 27.1% | $155,300 | 7.0% | 27.59% |
| 34 | Minneola, FL | 13,709 | 3.9% | $288,900 | 7.0% | 42.17% |
| 35 | Sunrise, FL | 96,220 | 10.8% | $249,700 | 5.0% | 27.8% |
| 36 | Dundee, FL | 5,122 | 31.4% | $166,200 | 5.0% | 39.91% |
| 37 | Royal Palm Beach, FL | 38,697 | 3.9% | $294,800 | 7.0% | 35.19% |
| 38 | North Port, FL | 74,131 | 5.6% | $227,400 | 6.0% | 26.13% |
| 39 | Hialeah Gardens, FL | 22,917 | 14.0% | $249,200 | 3.0% | 38.19% |
| 40 | Starke, FL | 5,669 | 30.5% | $93,600 | 20.0% | 33.14% |
| 41 | Lake Alfred, FL | 6,196 | 16.2% | $180,800 | 11.0% | 26.05% |
| 42 | Cape Coral, FL | 193,003 | 9.9% | $255,700 | 5.0% | 23.95% |
| 43 | New Port Richey, FL | 16,348 | 15.2% | $113,500 | 7.0% | 17.82% |
| 44 | Hollywood, FL | 152,597 | 12.4% | $296,000 | 6.0% | 28.36% |
| 45 | Cutler Bay, FL | 44,865 | 11.7% | $327,400 | 9.0% | 39.92% |
| 46 | Coconut Creek, FL | 57,553 | 9.2% | $216,900 | 5.0% | 27.57% |
| 47 | Lantana, FL | 11,516 | 11.6% | $260,700 | 7.0% | 20.85% |
| 48 | Auburndale, FL | 15,704 | 12.4% | $190,400 | 13.0% | 32.4% |
| 49 | Defuniak Springs, FL | 5,875 | 17.1% | $125,900 | 15.0% | 31.57% |
| 50 | Clewiston, FL | 7,447 | 21.1% | $124,300 | 17.0% | 35.01% |
| 51 | Weston, FL | 68,148 | 5.7% | $528,800 | 4.0% | 51.49% |
| 52 | Crestview, FL | 26,934 | 12.5% | $180,800 | 11.0% | 33.04% |
| 53 | Bay Harbor Islands, FL | 5,880 | 8.8% | $386,300 | 4.0% | 46.94% |
| 54 | Hialeah, FL | 224,362 | 18.6% | $280,000 | 2.0% | 31.79% |
| 55 | Hallandale Beach, FL | 41,004 | 20.6% | $230,300 | 3.0% | 21.15% |
| 56 | Palm Bay, FL | 118,709 | 13.1% | $186,100 | 10.0% | 30.77% |
| 57 | Wellington, FL | 61,445 | 6.2% | $433,100 | 7.0% | 40.42% |
| 58 | Sebastian, FL | 24,843 | 7.8% | $218,900 | 10.0% | 14.34% |
| 59 | Winter Garden, FL | 45,978 | 10.3% | $349,700 | 9.0% | 43.82% |
| 60 | Arcadia, FL | 7,460 | 32.3% | $120,400 | 12.0% | 39.43% |
| 61 | Longwood, FL | 15,085 | 8.5% | $241,900 | 12.0% | 29.75% |
| 62 | Pompano Beach, FL | 111,423 | 15.6% | $245,100 | 5.0% | 23.75% |
| 63 | Deerfield Beach, FL | 86,062 | 15.6% | $204,700 | 4.0% | 21.33% |
| 64 | Miramar, FL | 134,306 | 8.8% | $333,500 | 10.0% | 37.66% |
| 65 | Dania Beach, FL | 31,703 | 16.8% | $217,400 | 8.0% | 25.16% |
| 66 | Green Cove Springs, FL | 9,351 | 13.0% | $192,600 | 13.0% | 36.4% |
| 67 | Avon Park, FL | 9,725 | 22.8% | $84,700 | 11.0% | 29.1% |
| 68 | Parkland, FL | 33,772 | 4.1% | $655,300 | 8.0% | 49.54% |
| 69 | Belleview, FL | 5,314 | 19.5% | $102,000 | 10.0% | 27.02% |
| 70 | Titusville, FL | 48,158 | 12.8% | $171,400 | 10.0% | 23.12% |
| 71 | Palm Coast, FL | 88,313 | 11.0% | $238,700 | 6.0% | 24.08% |
| 72 | Largo, FL | 82,505 | 12.1% | $152,800 | 6.0% | 20.48% |
| 73 | Tavares, FL | 18,290 | 9.9% | $172,500 | 8.0% | 18.78% |
| 74 | Apopka, FL | 54,110 | 10.6% | $267,800 | 11.0% | 36.87% |
| 75 | Perry, FL | 6,886 | 26.0% | $107,800 | 17.0% | 40.3% |
| 76 | Leesburg, FL | 26,242 | 23.0% | $162,100 | 10.0% | 24.29% |
| 77 | Miami Lakes, FL | 30,582 | 6.1% | $443,600 | 8.0% | 35.05% |
| 78 | Zephyrhills, FL | 16,845 | 16.2% | $124,900 | 7.0% | 20.25% |
| 79 | Brooksville, FL | 8,735 | 20.9% | $67,900 | 8.0% | 20.11% |
| 80 | Oakland Park, FL | 44,092 | 15.8% | $267,400 | 5.0% | 23.58% |
| 81 | North Bay Village, FL | 8,057 | 8.1% | $340,100 | 5.0% | 24.16% |
| 82 | Kenneth City, FL | 5,046 | 13.3% | $179,900 | 7.0% | 22.1% |
| 83 | Lady Lake, FL | 15,683 | 14.0% | $161,500 | 4.0% | 9.55% |
| 84 | Newberry, FL | 7,261 | 14.3% | $230,000 | 29.0% | 35.33% |
| 85 | Sanford, FL | 60,215 | 14.2% | $196,100 | 12.0% | 34.03% |
| 86 | Altamonte Springs, FL | 45,732 | 10.6% | $204,900 | 7.0% | 23.55% |
| 87 | Tarpon Springs, FL | 25,138 | 11.7% | $244,600 | 9.0% | 18.63% |
| 88 | Bradenton, FL | 54,918 | 14.7% | $211,200 | 7.0% | 23.48% |
| 89 | Marianna, FL | 6,446 | 28.7% | $86,200 | 22.0% | 34.18% |
| 90 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 170,346 | 10.6% | $324,300 | 9.0% | 30.15% |
| 91 | Boynton Beach, FL | 79,479 | 13.2% | $246,700 | 6.0% | 21.56% |
| 92 | Palatka, FL | 10,399 | 33.2% | $82,400 | 12.0% | 25.33% |
| 93 | Riviera Beach, FL | 37,301 | 19.3% | $237,600 | 8.0% | 29.56% |
| 94 | Cocoa, FL | 18,891 | 12.6% | $144,900 | 9.0% | 21.61% |
| 95 | Holly Hill, FL | 12,833 | 24.6% | $131,100 | 7.0% | 20.86% |
| 96 | Sebring, FL | 10,832 | 26.7% | $117,400 | 9.0% | 20.65% |
| 97 | Margate, FL | 58,331 | 12.3% | $230,900 | 7.0% | 19.5% |
| 98 | Macclenny, FL | 7,215 | 12.6% | $181,600 | 18.0% | 37.1% |
| 99 | Davie, FL | 104,782 | 11.8% | $344,800 | 7.0% | 33.43% |
| 100 | Aventura, FL | 39,734 | 11.2% | $347,800 | 2.0% | 19.74% |