Florida · best for outdoor enthusiasts · #26 of 50 states

Best Cities for Outdoor Enthusiasts in Florida

Florida ranks #26 of 50 for outdoor enthusiasts, with a outdoor enthusiasts score of 44.3. Palm Beach Gardens is its best city for outdoor enthusiasts at 63.5.

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#1 city in FL for outdoor enthusiasts

Palm Beach Gardens63.5

Outdoor Enthusiasts score out of 100

Florida, all states: #26 of 50
Population: 60,959

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Outdoor score

28/100

Parks + trails + land

Public land

26.3%

% of state area · PAD-US

Air quality

41 AQI

EPA annual median

Environment

34/100

Air + renewables + risk

Cost of living

103.4

BEA RPP · 100 = avg

Florida for Outdoor Enthusiasts: The Full Picture

Florida ranks #26 out of 50 for outdoor enthusiasts, with a mixed outdoor profile. The outdoor access score of 28/100 indicates limited public outdoor infrastructure compared to western and northeastern states. With 26.3% of the state as public land, there's no shortage of space to explore.

Environmental quality matters when you spend significant time outdoors. Florida's environment score of 34/100 is a concern for outdoor athletes and those with respiratory sensitivity — air quality (AQI: 41) and environmental protections lag behind top-ranked states. Natural disaster risk is low, meaning fewer disruptions to outdoor plans.

The practical side: average living costs (index: 103.4) keep outdoor lifestyles manageable. Safety (73/100) is strong — important for solo hikers and those exploring remote areas, and the overall health infrastructure (61/100) supports an active lifestyle with good access to sports medicine and emergency care.

All 80 Cities Ranked for Outdoor Enthusiasts

# City	Grade	Outdoor Enthusiasts score	Overall	Environment	Safety	Population
1Palm Beach Gardens	A	63.5	64.8	47	94	60,959
2Jupiter	B+	62.3	62.6	47	94	61,883
3Doral	B+	61.6	61.5	39	96	79,216
4Boca Raton	B+	61.3	61.0	47	90	100,234
5Wellington	B+	60.7	61.1	47	96	62,146
6Boynton Beach	B	59.6	57.0	47	89	81,435
7St. Cloud	B+	59.5	58.8	44	93	65,130
8Pembroke Pines	B	59.4	57.6	39	99	173,194
9Clearwater	B	59.4	56.2	49	80	117,247
10Port St. Lucie	B	59.1	58.2	40	94	232,491
11Largo	C+	58.9	55.5	49	79	82,617
12Apopka	B+	58.7	59.4	56	69	58,232
13Delray Beach	B	58.6	58.5	47	75	67,979
14Coral Springs	B	58.6	57.9	39	93	136,103
15North Port	B+	58.3	61.2	30	97	84,605
16Miramar	B	58.2	58.3	39	95	138,600
17Plantation	B	57.8	58.2	39	86	96,293
18Tampa	B	57.7	55.8	41	79	401,618
19Horizon West	A	57.5	64.0	56	—	67,416
20Pinellas Park	C+	57.4	54.8	49	75	53,560
21Sanford	C+	57.1	55.0	59	59	63,730
22Lakeland	C+	56.8	52.5	53	72	119,961
23Palm Bay	B	56.6	56.9	37	83	130,132
24St. Petersburg	B	56.3	56.1	49	61	262,732
25Winter Haven	C	56.3	51.2	53	79	55,200
26Hialeah	C+	56.2	53.4	39	86	226,165
27Alafaya	B	56.0	57.0	56	—	92,449
28Orlando	C+	55.5	53.4	56	—	319,758
29Miami	C+	55.4	55.3	39	68	459,745
30Gainesville	D	55.4	48.6	52	51	145,702
31Sarasota	B	54.8	56.9	30	72	56,970
32West Palm Beach	C+	54.8	54.4	47	65	122,290
33Miami Beach	B	54.7	56.0	39	—	82,031
34Ocala	C	54.0	50.7	41	64	66,584
35Wesley Chapel	B	53.9	56.3	49	—	76,011
36Palm Harbor	C+	53.4	52.6	49	—	61,512
37Bradenton	C	53.4	51.4	39	71	57,014
38Jacksonville	C	53.4	50.9	49	58	977,670
39Fort Myers	C	53.3	51.5	35	71	95,051
40Melbourne	C	52.9	52.2	37	65	86,576
41The Villages	C+	52.7	55.3	33	—	83,498
42Palm Coast	C+	52.4	52.8	48	—	98,258
43Homestead	C	52.2	51.4	39	68	82,807
44Kissimmee	D	51.2	48.5	44	67	81,479
45Port Orange	C	51.1	51.4	43	—	64,767
46Pensacola	C+	51.0	52.7	34	—	54,036
47Bonita Springs	C+	50.9	53.6	35	—	55,904
48Kendall	C+	50.8	53.2	39	—	79,562
49Tallahassee	C	50.7	49.9	35	50	201,875
50Daytona Beach	D	50.5	47.6	43	—	78,992
51Weston	B	50.4	58.2	39	—	68,837
52Miami Gardens	C	50.3	50.3	39	71	113,177
53Riverview	C+	49.7	53.3	41	—	113,697
54Coconut Creek	C	49.7	50.9	39	—	58,330
55Brandon	C	49.7	49.4	41	—	119,767
56Hollywood	C	49.5	50.1	39	—	155,082
57Davie	C	49.4	51.6	39	—	108,346
58Town 'n' Country	D	49.3	48.5	41	—	85,928
59Pompano Beach	C	49.0	49.5	39	—	114,147
60Deltona	C	48.7	49.6	43	—	97,334
61Cape Coral	C	48.6	50.6	35	—	215,536
62Fort Lauderdale	C	48.4	51.2	39	40	185,604
63Margate	C	48.3	49.3	39	—	59,198
64Westchester	D	48.3	48.6	39	—	52,032
65The Hammocks	C	47.9	49.7	39	—	58,838
66Fountainebleau	D	47.9	46.0	39	—	55,665
67Sunrise	C	47.7	51.0	39	—	97,918
68Deerfield Beach	D	47.6	48.0	39	—	88,093
69Four Corners	D	47.6	46.2	44	—	65,048
70Tamiami	D	47.4	48.3	39	—	49,752
71Kendale Lakes	D	47.3	47.1	39	—	52,622
72Country Club	D	46.9	46.8	39	—	51,296
73Tamarac	D	46.8	47.9	39	—	73,019
74North Miami	D	46.3	46.5	39	—	60,344
75Pine Hills	F	46.2	39.0	56	—	80,105
76Poinciana	F	43.6	39.4	53	—	75,068
77Lauderhill	F	43.1	42.3	39	—	74,896
78Spring Hill	D	42.9	45.6	29	—	119,983
79Lehigh Acres	F	40.9	39.2	35	—	132,353
80Port Charlotte	D	36.5	44.3	7	—	66,133

City outdoor enthusiasts scores use each city's own data, with the category weights rescaled over the categories the city has; outdoor access has no city-level measure and is left out.

Compare: States with Similar Outdoor Enthusiasts Rankings

Also See: Florida for Other Lifestyles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Florida a good state for outdoor enthusiasts?

Florida ranks #26 out of 50 for outdoor enthusiasts with a persona-weighted score of 44.3/100. Its strongest relevant category is Safety (73/100) and its weakest is Livability (27/100).

What is the best city for outdoor enthusiasts in Florida?

Palm Beach Gardens ranks #1 in Florida for outdoor enthusiasts with a score of 63.5/100, followed by Jupiter and Doral.

What factors are most important for outdoor enthusiasts in Florida?

Rankings weighted toward outdoor access (parks, public land, recreation), environmental quality, safety, health infrastructure, and affordable housing — for those who prioritize access to nature and an active lifestyle.