When it comes to raising a family in Central Florida, two local “towns” have been named the best in the entire State of Florida for 2026.
One problem though, one is an actual city and the other is an area, not an actual city. I guess we can call it a community, or a town, like the survey did.
Niche ranked the best places to raise a family in Florida in 2026 and coming in at #1 was Pinecrest, a suburb of Miami.
They based their rankings on things like public schools, crime rates, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Based on those categories, two Seminole County “towns” came in the top 10.
Coming in at #3 in the entire State of Florida is Oviedo and at #10 is Heathrow. That’s the confusing part to me, because Heathrow isn’t an actual city or town, right?
It’s more of a community located in Lake Mary and a very nice one, so no argument on it placing in the top 10. I’m just not sure what to call it, a town, a community, a neighborhood, but wither way they made the list.
Here’s the full list of the "Top 10 Best Places to Raise A Family in Florida for 2026″ from Niche:
10. Heathrow, FL – Seminole County
9. Melbourne Beach, FL
8. Palm Valley, FL – suburb of Jacksonville
7. Parkland, FL – suburb of Ft. Lauderdale
6. Key Biscayne, FL
5. Coral Gables, FL – suburb of Miami
4. Nocatee, FL – suburb of Jacksonville
3. Oviedo, FL – Seminole County
2. Westchase, FL – suburb of Tampa
1. Pinecrest, FL – suburb of Miami
Pretty impressive, three Central Florida communities made the Top 10, but a few honorable mentions go to Audubon Park that came in at #19, Windermere at #20 and Winter Park at #24.