The 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left the state’s fourth-safest city—and the nation—in disbelief. While it was a heartbreaking reminder that even traditionally low-crime areas aren’t immune to tragedy, we admire how Parkland’s citizens are embracing the future while honoring the seventeen people who perished. Comedian Jimmy Fallon echoed the community’s resolve in his commencement speech to the high school’s graduating class, encouraging students to keep changing the world and saying, “Don’t let anything stop you.”
Like Parkland, every city on our list reported commendably few incidents of crime in 2016, according to the latest FBI crime report. In fact, the twenty safest cities in the Sunshine State cited an average of less than one violent crime for every 1,000 people—that’s 80% lower than the US average. And in all, violent crime accounted for only 6% of all crime reported among these cities.
Incidents of property crime were also few and far between, with some cities—including first-ranked Marco Island and third-ranked Weston—reporting fewer than six crimes of this type per 1,000 people. For perspective, the Florida average was thirty-four property crimes for every 1,000 people.
Our list of the safest cities in Florida includes smaller towns like Key Biscayne and Oldsmar as well as much larger cities such as Port Orange and Cape Coral. So whether you dream of living in a quaint seaside community or in a bustling urban setting, Florida boasts plenty of low-crime cities to choose from.
Take a look at our National Safety Directory for a wealth of crime prevention and home security resources, and learn more about staying safe wherever you call home.
The 20 Safest Cities in Florida
- Marco Island
Population: 17,947
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.11
Property crimes per 1,000: 5.24
Total crime: 2.13% violent, 97.87% property - Key Biscayne
Population: 13,113
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.15
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.82
Total crime: 1.29% violent, 98.71% property - Weston
Population: 70,882
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.51
Property crimes per 1,000: 4.84
Total crime: 10.50% violent, 89.50% property - Parkland
Population: 31,571
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.57
Property crimes per 1,000: 5.38
Total crime: 10.59% violent, 89.41% property - Punta Gorda
Population: 18,466
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.65
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.48
Total crime: 5.66% violent, 94.34% property - North Palm Beach
Population: 13,023
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.84
Property crimes per 1,000: 13.21
Total crime: 6.40% violent, 93.60% property - Naples
Population: 21,917
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.87
Property crimes per 1,000: 18.62
Total crime: 4.66% violent, 95.34% property - Cooper City
Population: 36,900
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.95
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.87
Total crime: 7.99% violent, 92.01% property - Edgewater
Population: 21,729
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.97
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.41
Total crime: 8.47% violent, 91.53% property - Miami Lakes
Population: 31,279
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.99
Property crimes per 1,000: 18.89
Total crime: 5.25% violent, 94.75% property - Port Orange
Population: 60,546
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.01
Property crimes per 1,000: 24.39
Total crime: 4.13% violent, 95.87% property - Venice
Population: 22,514
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.07
Property crimes per 1,000: 16.61
Total crime: 6.42% violent, 93.58% property - Sunny Isles Beach
Population: 22,374
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.07
Property crimes per 1,000: 15.64
Total crime: 6.86% violent, 93.14% property - Safety Harbor
Population: 17,573
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.14
Property crimes per 1,000: 13.88
Total crime: 8.20% violent, 91.80% property - Oldsmar
Population: 14,283
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.19
Property crimes per 1,000: 29.34
Total crime: 4.06% violent, 95.94% property - Coconut Creek
Population: 60,633
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.20
Property crimes per 1,000: 20.60
Total crime: 5.84% violent, 94.16% property - Cape Coral
Population: 179,631
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.25
Property crimes per 1,000: 17.15
Total crime: 7.27% violent, 92.73% property - Pinecrest
Population: 19,692
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.27
Property crimes per 1,000: 29.00
Total crime: 4.38% violent, 95.62% property - Doral
Population: 58,309
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.37
Property crimes per 1,000: 29.40
Total crime: 4.67% violent, 95.33% property - Niceville
Population: 15,142
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.39
Property crimes per 1,000: 16.97
Total crime: 8.17% violent, 91.83% property
How We Chose the Safest Cities in Florida
To identify the twenty safest cities in Florida, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.
Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.
Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.
How to Make a Safe Home Anywhere
Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.
To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for Best Home Security Systems of 2018.
If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.
Written by Alexia Chianis
Wanderlust junky and mom of two, Alexia is a former police officer and U.S. Army Captain who draws on her experiences to write about a myriad of safety topics. Learn more