Relocating to Florida's East Coast?
Discover the popular metropolitan areas and best places to live on Florida's Atlantic coast.
If you’re thinking about relocating to Florida’s east coast, also called the Atlantic Coast, you may be curious to learn what the differences are between the various metropolitan areas, and why people are moving to them. Via this page, we aim to provide you with a top-level overview of Florida’s east coast regions, what each region is known for, as well as the top east coast Florida cities that people are relocating to.
The three east coast regions of Florida which border the Atlantic Ocean include Northeast Florida, East Central Florida and Southeast Florida. The Northeast region of Florida has more seasonal weather changes and more rolling hills as you head inland. It also has the most “southern” feel to it as many residents have migrated from bordering southern states over the years. East Central Florida is home to smaller and mid-sized coastal beach towns, space shuttle and rocket launches as well as cruise ships setting sail from Port Canaveral. Southeast Florida, the most populous region of the state, is the cultural, economic and financial hub of the state with its strong international presence represented by a variety of people, cultures and cuisines.
According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, and other metric-based reports which track population growth of an area over time, the fastest-growing cities on Florida’s east coast include Port St. Lucie, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Miami. The largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) on Florida’s east coast is the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach area with a population of nearly 6.2 million people. The 2nd largest metropolitan area on Florida’s Atlantic coast is the greater Jacksonville area (1.7M population) followed by the Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach area (722K population). To view a map of Florida’s largest metropolitan areas by region, be sure to check out our Florida’s 10 largest metropolitan areas page.
When researching Florida cities to call home, whether for your active retirement years, to be closer to loved ones, or for a new career, it’s important to be informed of the local cost of real estate to see how much house you can afford. In general, Northeast Florida and East Central Florida offer the most affordable home prices whereas prices in Southeast Florida, along the Gold Coast, are higher. As Florida is also home to many top-selling communities in the nation each year, four of the TOP 10 best-selling, master-planned communities in all of Florida (2024) are located from St Augustine down to West Palm Beach. Be sure to visit our Florida’s TOP 10 best-selling communities page for a complete listing.
To discover more in-depth information about the east coast regions of Florida, including local scenes, select below.
The three east coast regions of Florida which border the Atlantic Ocean include Northeast Florida, East Central Florida and Southeast Florida. The Northeast region of Florida has more seasonal weather changes and more rolling hills as you head inland. It also has the most “southern” feel to it as many residents have migrated from bordering southern states over the years. East Central Florida is home to smaller and mid-sized coastal beach towns, space shuttle and rocket launches as well as cruise ships setting sail from Port Canaveral. Southeast Florida, the most populous region of the state, is the cultural, economic and financial hub of the state with its strong international presence represented by a variety of people, cultures and cuisines.
According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, and other metric-based reports which track population growth of an area over time, the fastest-growing cities on Florida’s east coast include Port St. Lucie, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Daytona Beach and Miami. The largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) on Florida’s east coast is the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach area with a population of nearly 6.2 million people. The 2nd largest metropolitan area on Florida’s Atlantic coast is the greater Jacksonville area (1.7M population) followed by the Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach area (722K population). To view a map of Florida’s largest metropolitan areas by region, be sure to check out our Florida’s 10 largest metropolitan areas page.
When researching Florida cities to call home, whether for your active retirement years, to be closer to loved ones, or for a new career, it’s important to be informed of the local cost of real estate to see how much house you can afford. In general, Northeast Florida and East Central Florida offer the most affordable home prices whereas prices in Southeast Florida, along the Gold Coast, are higher. As Florida is also home to many top-selling communities in the nation each year, four of the TOP 10 best-selling, master-planned communities in all of Florida (2024) are located from St Augustine down to West Palm Beach. Be sure to visit our Florida’s TOP 10 best-selling communities page for a complete listing.
To discover more in-depth information about the east coast regions of Florida, including local scenes, select below.
East Coast Regions of Florida
Northeast Florida
Amelia Island - Jacksonville - St. Augustine
The northeast region of Florida, also known as Florida’s First Coast, is home to our nation’s oldest city, the largest city in Florida by geographic size (Jacksonville), multiple military bases, beautiful white sand beaches as well as the mystical fountain of youth. Spanning just over 80 miles of shoreline along the Atlantic Ocean, the largest cities in the 6-county region include Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine and Palm Coast. The average year-round temp in the northeast region of Florida is 68' and residents will experience more seasonal weather changes, including seeing rare snowflakes when cold winter fronts move deep into the south.Top area beaches:
Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island), Ponte Vedra Beach
Top master-planned communities:
Nocatee (Ponte Vedra), Silverleaf (St. Augustine)
| City | Median Home Price | Average Age |
|---|---|---|
| Amelia Island | $665,138 | 53.8 |
| Jacksonville | $288,709 | 36.3 |
| St Augustine | $442,109 | 48.1 |
East Central Florida
Daytona Beach - Melbourne - Port St. Lucie
The East Central region of Florida is home to smaller and mid-sized coastal beach towns, the 2nd busiest cruise ship port in the world (Port Canaveral), space shuttle and SpaceX rocket launches, the world’s most famous beach, the Daytona International Speedway as well as the surfing capital of Florida (Cocoa Beach). Spanning roughly 160 miles of coastline along the Fun Coast, the Space Coast and the Treasure Coast, the East Central region of Florida is comprises Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin Counties.Top area beaches:
Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach
Top master-planned communities:
Latitude Margaritaville (Daytona Beach), Viera (Melbourne), Tradition (St. Lucie), Riverland (Port St. Lucie)
| City | Median Home Price | Average Age |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona Beach | $245,619 | 40.2 |
| Melbourne | $364,014 | 42.4 |
| Port St. Lucie | $391,964 | 43.5 |
Southeast Florida
West Palm Beach - Fort Lauderdale - Miami
The Southeast region of Florida, also known as the Gold Coast, is home to top-rated beaches, modern high-rise condos and canal-front homes, the cultural center of Florida, the Wall Street of the South, world-class shopping and dining as well as an active scene of night-time entertainment. Spanning nearly 70 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, the region is comprised of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. With an average year-round temperature of 76’ in a subtropical climate, the area is home to nearly 6.2 million people making it the largest metropolitan area in the state.Top area beaches:
South Beach (Miami), Fort Lauderdale Beach
Top master-planned communities:
Westlake (West Palm Beach)
| City | Median Home Price | Average Age |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach | $2,133,921 | 70.7 |
| West Palm Beach | $400,318 | 40.2 |
| Fort Lauderdale | $513,215 | 43.2 |
| Miami | $585,611 | 39.7 |
