The 10 Worst Places To Live In Florida For 2023


The worst places to live in Florida are Pahokee and Fort Meade for 2023 based on Friday Night Science.

Florida takes some abuse. Not just from its own residents, but from the general public, the media, and on social media.

We’re not here to debate Florida’s merits. As far as we’re concerned, it’s a warm place that’s quite beautiful almost all year long.

But, for those who are considering a relocation within Florida, or who are thinking of moving to the Sunshine State, this list should provide some value.

The following are the worst, avoid-at-all-costs cities in Florida:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Florida For 2023

  1. Pahokee
  2. Fort Meade
  3. Opa-locka
  4. Belle Glade
  5. Starke
  6. Sebring
  7. Quincy
  8. North Miami
  9. Marianna
  10. Palatka

Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in Florida, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in Florida is North Palm Beach.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Florida? The worst place to live in Florida is Pahokee.

Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2023.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more Florida reading, check out:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Worst Places To Live In Florida For 2023

Pahokee, FL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 5,504
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $97,700
Unemployment Rate: 23.6%
More on Pahokee:  Data | Photos

You have to work pretty hard to get 1/10 on our SnackAbility score, but Pahokee, the worst place in Florida, found a way. Situated about an hour west of West Palm Beach on the banks of Lake Okeechobee, Pahokee has too many problems to count.

The poverty rate sits at 35.2%, the unemployment rate is a woeful 23.6% (the worst in Florida), and those that do have jobs aren’t exactly swimming in cash. The median household income in Pahokee is $30,753.

Violent crime is high, and the high school dropout rate is the 4th worst statewide.

It’s a real shame, too, because Pahokee has some truly magnificent spots, like Pahokee State Park, an excellent spot for fishing, boating, camping, and hiking around Lake Okeechobee.

Fort Meade, FL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,127
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $117,400
Unemployment Rate: 9.8%
More on Fort Meade:  Data | Photos

Opa-Locka, FL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 16,310
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $197,400
Unemployment Rate: 9.6%
More on Opa-Locka:  Data | Photos

Look, we didn’t name Opa Locka one of Miami’s worst suburbs without good cause. Home to fast food joints, Kmart, Big Lots, and plenty of gas stations, Opa Locka is not anyone’s definition of an aesthetically-pleasing place to live.

The city had the 2nd highest overall crime rate in Florida over 2021, which makes sense in a place with a poverty rate over 40%. In fact, the median household income of $27,734 ranks as the 2nd lowest in Florida.

If Opa Locka has one saving grace, it’s that it offers easy access to Miami, so you’ve got things like Dolphin Mall and Zoo Miami is just down the road.

Belle Glade, FL

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 16,983
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $119,900
Unemployment Rate: 14.0%
More on Belle Glade:  Data | Photos

A PBS documentary entitled “Murder of a Small Town” covered Belle Glade back in 2015. It delt with the city’s decline into high unemployment, crime rates, and drug use over the past few years, all of which contributed to Belle Glade ending up as Florida’s 4th worst place.

With all that going on, it’s no shock that the population, employees, median household income, and median property values are all going down in Belle Glade. And those drops are compounding already horrible issues; Belle Glade has the 9th lowest median household income in Florida at $32,963.

Belle Glade’s unemployment rate of 14.0% is the 2nd worst in Florida as well, and with the 2nd highest high school dropout rate statewide, the city isn’t exactly setting itself up for success in the future.

Starke, FL

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 5,669
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $93,600
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%
More on Starke:  Data

Situated between Jacksonville and Gainesville, Starke ranks as Florida’s 5th worst place to call home.

Starke does have Kingsley Lake, a perfectly-circular lake that’s popular for fishing and swimming. While this and plenty of state parks make for many pleasant places for outdoorsmen and women, Starke itself is pretty light on fun stuff to do (unless you count Walmart or Piggly Wiggly).

What’s even more problematic than Starke’s high poverty rate is the fact that the median household income here dropped by a whopping 20% over the year, down to $43,339. That, and a crime rate that’s nearly double the national average.

Sebring, FL

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 10,832
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $117,400
Unemployment Rate: 11.8%
More on Sebring:  Data | Photos

Quincy, FL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,038
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Median Home Value: $78,600
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
More on Quincy:  Data | Photos

North Miami, FL

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 60,449
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $250,200
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%
More on North Miami:  Data | Photos

From Miami’s south we turn to North Miami, Florida’s 8th worst place to live. For starters, North Miami’s overall crime rate is 90% higher than the national average.

And if you are hurt, you might have to contend with significant medical expenses out-of-pocket, considering North Miami has the 3rd highest rate of uninsured residents anywhere in Florida.

Beyond that, housing is quite pricey for a place where over 20% of the population is below the poverty line, and 1 out of 12 people is out of work.

One thing to note: North Miami did score a 10/10 SnackAbility score for its awesome amenities, like The Ancient Spanish Monastery and nearby Oleta River State Park, a truly beautiful spot that may help you forget you live in Florida’s #8 worst city overall.

Marianna, FL

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 6,446
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $86,200
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
More on Marianna:  Data | Photos

We’re taking our first trip to the Florida Panhandle to reach the state’s 9th worst place to call home, Marianna. Like a few places on this list, Marianna offers quite a bit for those who like to spend their time outdoors.

There are miles of spring-fed rivers, ponds, and lakes, and the Florida Caverns State Park is a truly one-of-a-kind site.

That’s all great — if you’re just visiting Marianna. The local economy is in shambles, with a 5% drop in employees over the last year. The median household income is the lowest in Florida at $27,427, and the poverty rate is nearly 40%.

Palatka, FL

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 10,399
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $82,400
Unemployment Rate: 13.2%
More on Palatka:  Data | Photos

Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in Florida for 2023

To figure out the worst places to live in Florida, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 208 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 208 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in Florida — Pahokee. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in Florida.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the worst places to live in Florida.

Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In Florida

If you’re looking at areas in Florida with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Pahokee ranks as the worst city to live in Florida for 2023.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Florida:

  1. Key Biscayne (Pop. 14,530)
  2. Sanibel (Pop. 6,437)
  3. North Palm Beach (Pop. 13,096)

For more Florida reading, check out:

Worst Places To Live In Florida?

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Pahokee 5,504 23.6% $97,700
2 Fort Meade 5,127 9.8% $117,400
3 Opa-locka 16,310 9.6% $197,400
4 Belle Glade 16,983 14.0% $119,900
5 Starke 5,669 6.2% $93,600
6 Sebring 10,832 11.8% $117,400
7 Quincy 8,038 2.2% $78,600
8 North Miami 60,449 6.7% $250,200
9 Marianna 6,446 5.3% $86,200
10 Palatka 10,399 13.2% $82,400
11 Leesburg 26,242 9.0% $162,100
12 Avon Park 9,725 13.7% $84,700
13 Homestead 78,885 6.3% $253,200
14 Miami Gardens 111,706 8.5% $252,600
15 Palm Springs 26,611 6.9% $183,200
16 Clewiston 7,447 6.2% $124,300
17 DeFuniak Springs 5,875 11.8% $125,900
18 Dundee 5,122 0.3% $166,200
19 Fort Pierce 46,409 8.0% $155,300
20 Greenacres 43,482 5.3% $185,800
21 Dania Beach 31,703 8.4% $217,400
22 Cocoa 18,891 4.5% $144,900
23 Lauderhill 73,935 8.0% $190,800
24 Lauderdale Lakes 35,898 7.8% $160,300
25 Live Oak 6,771 12.7% $104,400
26 Lantana 11,516 9.9% $260,700
27 South Bay 6,284 8.6% $99,900
28 Pompano Beach 111,423 8.6% $245,100
29 North Miami Beach 43,357 6.5% $230,800
30 Palmetto 13,304 8.1% $172,500
31 Belleview 5,314 7.1% $102,000
32 Kissimmee 77,189 5.7% $217,000
33 West Park 15,074 9.6% $251,300
34 Arcadia 7,460 6.9% $120,400
35 Riviera Beach 37,301 9.3% $237,600
36 Callaway 13,656 7.8% $162,500
37 Ocala 62,351 8.1% $154,300
38 West Palm Beach 115,877 6.8% $275,700
39 Mascotte 6,632 2.6% $185,100
40 Hallandale Beach 41,004 8.8% $230,300
41 Auburndale 15,704 4.9% $190,400
42 Brooksville 8,735 5.6% $67,900
43 Perry 6,886 10.5% $107,800
44 Miami 440,807 5.6% $369,100
45 Daytona Beach 71,041 5.2% $176,800
46 New Port Richey 16,348 5.8% $113,500
47 Oakland Park 44,092 6.7% $267,400
48 Orlando 302,968 5.6% $283,700
49 Deltona 93,464 3.9% $184,300
50 Titusville 48,158 6.8% $171,400
51 Bradenton 54,918 6.1% $211,200
52 Lake Park 8,971 5.9% $264,800
53 Ocoee 46,562 6.1% $284,500
54 North Lauderdale 44,579 6.0% $199,700
55 Fort Lauderdale 182,247 6.5% $364,100
56 Springfield 8,429 2.7% $115,500
57 Fort Myers 84,694 5.0% $263,800
58 Palm Coast 88,313 4.0% $238,700
59 Sanford 60,215 5.8% $196,100
60 Newberry 7,261 5.1% $230,000
61 Miami Beach 83,469 4.8% $450,700
62 Zephyrhills 16,845 4.0% $124,900
63 Deerfield Beach 86,062 6.6% $204,700
64 Boynton Beach 79,479 6.7% $246,700
65 Hollywood 152,597 6.5% $296,000
66 Jacksonville 937,690 5.3% $203,400
67 Apopka 54,110 4.4% $267,800
68 Winter Haven 48,707 3.9% $182,700
69 Holly Hill 12,833 8.0% $131,100
70 Pinellas Park 53,130 5.4% $181,100
71 Marathon 9,622 6.7% $586,500
72 Lake Alfred 6,196 8.6% $180,800
73 Mount Dora 15,830 6.8% $268,800
74 Inverness 7,423 6.1% $120,100
75 Okeechobee 5,279 3.8% $152,000
76 Tallahassee 195,057 7.0% $223,400
77 Lake Wales 16,173 4.5% $189,700
78 Lakeland 110,401 6.0% $171,700
79 Hialeah 224,362 4.0% $280,000
80 Green Cove Springs 9,351 4.0% $192,600
81 Palm Bay 118,709 5.3% $186,100
82 Crestview 26,934 4.4% $180,800
83 Eustis 22,532 4.4% $183,100
84 Tarpon Springs 25,138 6.3% $244,600
85 Cutler Bay 44,865 5.5% $327,400
86 Delray Beach 66,434 5.5% $320,300
87 Clearwater 116,616 5.7% $241,200
88 Wildwood 14,747 9.7% $300,100
89 Gainesville 138,741 4.8% $182,400
90 Freeport 5,478 1.6% $275,100
91 DeBary 22,015 2.9% $253,300
92 South Miami 11,997 4.4% $577,500
93 Davenport 9,049 5.7% $234,600
94 Longwood 15,085 5.8% $241,900
95 Winter Garden 45,978 6.9% $349,700
96 St. Cloud 57,610 5.7% $239,600
97 Melbourne 83,500 3.8% $200,900
98 Pensacola 53,845 5.8% $220,000
99 Largo 82,505 5.3% $152,800
100 Daytona Beach Shores 5,086 6.9% $341,300

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.