PALM COAST, Fla. - Is Palm Coast one of the best cities in Florida to move to? Is Daytona Beach? According to a new report by USA Today, they both are. Palm Coast ranked second on a list of 30 cities in Florida considered the most desirable to move to, with Daytona Beach right behind it in seventh.
The list was published by Homefront, a paid collaboration between USA Today and Home Solutions. It considered metrics such as life expectancy, median income, typical rent and home value, and unemployment rate. Though Palm Coast ranked among the most desirable locations, it did report high cost-of-living figures compared to the cities around it on the list.
The top ten was as follows:
“Palm Coast is located in Flagler County, which has the lowest climate risk score and lowest expected annual property loss from climate events,” the study said. “This lower risk climate helps keep homeowner insurance premiums in Palm Cost relatively low for Florida, at $1,741 per year.” Palm Coast’s proximity to both Daytona Beach and St. Augustine was also considered a plus.
Despite these benefits, out of the top five cities Palm Coast scored the highest typical rent, and the highest unemployment rate. To counter, it also has the second-highest median income and second-highest life expectancy in that group.
Additionally in Palm Coast’s favor is the city’s crime rate. “One of the safest cities in our study, it only has 10 crimes per 1,000 residents,” the study continued, “which is well below the state rate of 18.25 crimes per 1,000 residents.” The city contracts its law enforcement services from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, with proposals to adopt a Palm Coast Police Department having not gotten far in the past.
Daytona Beach ranked seventh on the list. With a typical rent cost a solid 25% lower than Palm Coast's (theirs was the lowest on the entire list) but with lower incomes and equal unemployment, Daytona represents a vastly different living environment than its neighbor to the north. Still, one of Palm Coast's benefits was considered to be its proximity to Daytona.
