Sarasota makes Top 10 list of best places to live in U.S., other Florida metros drop

For its desirability, quality of life and cost of living, Sarasota was named one of the best places to live in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

The annual rankings, released this week by the media company, put Sarasota at No. 9 on a list of the 150 best places to live in the country, making it the only Florida city to land in the Top 10. 

U.S. News & World Report describes Sarasota as having "a distinct vibe that’s different from Florida’s relative coastal cities, with its own vibrant arts scene, beachy atmosphere, and burgeoning food culture."

"This metro area of just over 800,000 people has a renowned opera house, a number of rooftop bars and the popular beach of Siesta Key," the magazine wrote. "What makes the region special is its duality – downtown Sarasota boasts resorts and fine dining, but strolling Siesta Key Village or St. Armands Circle offers a more intimate, seaside ambience."

Last year's rankings:Sarasota named among ten best places to live by U.S. News & World Report

More:Sarasota-isms: An A-to-Z glossary of local sayings, places and people that make us

The rankings are determined based on several factors developed by the media company – quality of life; job market; desirability, which asks if people want to move to a place; net migration, which determines if people are actually already moving somewhere and value, which includes cost of living. 

Home affordability and quality of life were also more important than ever this year in the rankings because of the voracity of the national housing market, according to U.S. News.  

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That did have some impact on the ratings overall, moving Huntsville, Alabama, from No. 3 to No. 1 on the list, despite it having a lower desirability ranking on the lower side of the 150 places ranked. 

Despite Sarasota's skyrocketing housing costs, it stayed in the same spot – ninth place – as last year. 

More:Bucket list: 100 fun things to do in Sarasota County including restaurants, bars, beaches and more!

“Much of the shakeup we see at the top of this year’s ranking is a result of changing preferences,” said Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News. “People moving across the country today are putting more emphasis on affordability and quality of life than on the job market, which in many ways takes a back seat as remote work options have become more standard.”

Most Florida metros drop among best places to live

Besides Sarasota every other Florida metro dropped except for Daytona Beach's baby step from No. 69 to 68. And only seven are in the Top 75, down from last year's 11.

Let's take a look: Naples (12th); Melbourne (20th), Jacksonville (24th), Tampa (39th), Pensacola (44th), Daytona Beach (68th), Port St. Lucie (78th), Ocala (91st), Fort Myers (100th); Tallahassee (110th), Lakeland (113th), Orlando (118th) and Miami (137th).

Orlando took the most painful plunge, with Fort Myers freefalling right behind it.

"Orlando’s cost of living is the 16th-highest out of the 150 metro areas we consider," Thorsby said. "Combine that with smaller dips, like a slight drop in desirability, and going from the ninth-fastest growing metro to the 25th, and it adds up to a bigger drop in the rankings. Fort Myers saw a bigger drop in desirability, which played a role. Additionally, Fort Myers ranks No. 105 out of 150 for its job market, which is a significant contributor."

What did it look like last year? This: Naples (seventh), Sarasota (ninth), Melbourne (18th), Jacksonville (22nd), Pensacola (26th), Tampa (32nd), Fort Myers (43rd), Port St. Lucie (47th), Ocala (58th), Orlando (60th), Daytona Beach (69th), Tallahassee (76th), Lakeland (80th) and Miami (128th).

"We know the reason can vary so much for so many people," Thorsby said. "But we can speculate about the cost of living being a concern, worries over simply being able to compete with other homebuyers in a competitive market or even the potential dangers hurricane seasons have on many parts of the state as climate change becomes a bigger part of the discussion for where people want to live."

At a summit last month, experts said to expect more record heat, crippling humidity and more powerful hurricanes in Florida for the coming years with the continuing warming patterns. Already home to the country's 10 hottest cities, the state now has an average of 25 dangerous heat days with a heat index of 105 degrees. By 2050, it is projected to see 130 such days each year, more than any other state, according to Climate Central.

Climate change, weather events can certainly impact desirability'

"Climate change and the weather events that come with it can certainly impact desirability," Thorsby said. "Along with our survey for desirability, we annually survey people across the U.S. about the most important factors when deciding to move to a different part of the country, and from that we adjust how we weigh those factors to follow consumer preference.

"This year we saw affordability become an even larger concern, while net migration dropped a bit. Florida is fast-growing, but the cost of living is higher than many other parts of the country, so we see some Florida spots lose their edge as a result."

Last year, Florida was among the nation's most popular spots, with incoming new residents taking to heart, the Beatles' "I'll Follow the Sun" and heading south. But there are signs that the market may not continue to sizzle as much with price drops becoming more common in homes for sale, based on real estate data.

A series of controversial laws brought international attention to the state including a government battle involving Disney World. A new poll finds that a bi-partisan majority of Americans are uncomfortable with the latter and free speech implications, according to Forbes magazine.

Some of that has led to "Florida Man" stigma jokes by comedians and late night TV shows. This may have been the first weekend in awhile where the state didn't play a significant role on Saturday Night Live.

Florida's many miles of beaches and highly regarded winters may help overcome that for northerners stuck in the snow in the cold months and still seeing Florida as an alternative.

"Any jokes, stereotypes or stigmas about a place can certainly impact its desirability score, since it’s based on people’s personal preference," Thorsby said, when asked. "However, as pervasive as something like ‘Florida Man’ jokes may be, the fact that we’re still seeing seven Florida metro areas rank in the top 25 for desirability tells me people are more interested in the warm weather and beach access, among other things."

Just last month, Sarasota was also ranked by the magazine as the No. 1 place to retire in the U.S. for the second year in a row. It's also the third fastest-growing place in the country, according to the magazine. 

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