Most Americans have never been to small town Florida. However, as the Floridian who live there know, small town Florida is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Florida has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Sunshine State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 284 of Florida’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Florida where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Florida for 2024:
- Homestead Base
- Fellsmere
- Palmona Park
- Montura
- Moon Lake
- Pomona Park
- Dade City North
- Crescent City
- Five Points
- Interlachen
So what is the worst small town to call home in Florida for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Homestead Base is the worst small town to live in Florida.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Homestead Base home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Florida or the worst places to live in Florida.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Florida For 2024
1. Homestead Base
Population: 1,242
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 50.0%
2. Fellsmere
/10
Population: 4,885
Median Home Value: $242,765
Median Income: $43,482
Unemployment Rate: 19.2%
3. Palmona Park
Population: 1,112
Median Home Value: $80,006
Median Income: $26,979
Unemployment Rate: 5.9%
4. Montura
/10
Population: 3,400
Median Home Value: $163,911
Median Income: $37,670
Unemployment Rate: 6.8%
5. Moon Lake
/10
Population: 4,214
Median Home Value: $73,820
Median Income: $34,205
Unemployment Rate: 22.6%
6. Pomona Park
/10
Population: 1,408
Median Home Value: $203,638
Median Income: $35,000
Unemployment Rate: 11.7%
7. Dade City North
/10
Population: 2,959
Median Home Value: $131,102
Median Income: $42,877
Unemployment Rate: 14.7%
8. Crescent City
/10
Population: 2,040
Median Home Value: $197,237
Median Income: $36,625
Unemployment Rate: 16.7%
9. Five Points
/10
Population: 1,022
Median Home Value: $281,971
Median Income: $40,000
Unemployment Rate: 21.9%
10. Interlachen
/10
Population: 1,648
Median Home Value: $155,576
Median Income: $50,776
Unemployment Rate: 15.0%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Florida is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Florida, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 284 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Florida.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Florida
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Sunshine State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Florida are Homestead Base, Fellsmere, Palmona Park, Montura, Moon Lake, Pomona Park, Dade City North, Crescent City, Five Points, and Interlachen.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Florida, according to science:
- Indian River Shores (Pop. 4,266)
- Wabasso Beach (Pop. 2,101)
- South Beach (Pop. 3,120)
For more Florida reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Florida
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homestead Base | 1,242 | 50.0% | $0 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Fellsmere | 4,885 | 19.2% | $242,765 | $43,482 |
| 3 | Palmona Park | 1,112 | 5.9% | $80,006 | $26,979 |
| 4 | Montura | 3,400 | 6.8% | $163,911 | $37,670 |
| 5 | Moon Lake | 4,214 | 22.6% | $73,820 | $34,205 |
| 6 | Pomona Park | 1,408 | 11.7% | $203,638 | $35,000 |
| 7 | Dade City North | 2,959 | 14.7% | $131,102 | $42,877 |
| 8 | Crescent City | 2,040 | 16.7% | $197,237 | $36,625 |
| 9 | Five Points | 1,022 | 21.9% | $281,971 | $40,000 |
| 10 | Interlachen | 1,648 | 15.0% | $155,576 | $50,776 |
| 11 | Chattahoochee | 2,975 | 5.7% | $105,914 | $51,473 |
| 12 | Gifford | 4,868 | 12.8% | $235,581 | $23,969 |
| 13 | Goulding | 3,476 | 14.7% | $80,006 | $25,799 |
| 14 | Century | 1,952 | 10.0% | $185,898 | $25,500 |
| 15 | Bonifay | 2,760 | 8.5% | $140,214 | $32,750 |
| 16 | Lake Mack-Forest Hills | 2,506 | 31.1% | $171,710 | $103,363 |
| 17 | Lake Placid | 2,349 | 9.8% | $264,231 | $45,019 |
| 18 | Chipley | 3,644 | 9.9% | $213,843 | $35,469 |
| 19 | Zolfo Springs | 1,759 | 5.5% | $243,080 | $44,038 |
| 20 | Suncoast Estates | 4,208 | 8.1% | $126,127 | $41,188 |
| 21 | Wahneta | 4,406 | 4.3% | $94,662 | $45,392 |
| 22 | South Bay | 4,830 | 9.4% | $200,654 | $48,438 |
| 23 | Pine Manor | 3,944 | 11.7% | $225,899 | $31,796 |
| 24 | Bowling Green | 2,484 | 13.8% | $182,772 | $46,429 |
| 25 | Medley | 1,018 | 2.0% | $78,661 | $38,583 |
| 26 | Carrabelle | 3,151 | 9.7% | $278,781 | $41,563 |
| 27 | Frostproof | 2,946 | 8.2% | $203,214 | $43,487 |
| 28 | Lacoochee | 1,353 | 53.0% | $130,564 | $1,000 |
| 29 | Waldo | 1,080 | 5.4% | $168,024 | $27,258 |
| 30 | Taylor Creek | 4,566 | 10.4% | $151,944 | $41,538 |
| 31 | Madison | 2,930 | 7.0% | $179,237 | $29,831 |
| 32 | Eatonville | 2,486 | 15.7% | $232,751 | $29,667 |
| 33 | Inglis | 1,697 | 7.4% | $251,957 | $48,571 |
| 34 | Watertown | 2,657 | 19.6% | $155,440 | $41,303 |
| 35 | Center Hill | 1,129 | 7.3% | $338,125 | $59,514 |
| 36 | Woodville | 4,356 | 6.3% | $203,847 | $40,313 |
| 37 | Trenton | 1,843 | 4.7% | $265,141 | $45,486 |
| 38 | Moore Haven | 2,034 | 5.7% | $206,240 | $40,375 |
| 39 | Labelle | 4,963 | 3.3% | $166,063 | $49,371 |
| 40 | Hill ‘n Dale | 3,010 | 3.4% | $131,774 | $52,250 |
| 41 | Malone | 2,162 | 3.2% | $129,678 | $45,855 |
| 42 | Jasper | 4,310 | 4.8% | $167,530 | $38,456 |
| 43 | Graceville | 2,717 | 4.9% | $163,591 | $36,625 |
| 44 | Combee Settlement | 4,880 | 5.2% | $205,999 | $37,763 |
| 45 | Webster | 1,267 | 5.0% | $283,803 | $53,125 |
| 46 | Chiefland | 2,016 | 3.5% | $172,089 | $38,536 |
| 47 | Plantation Mobile Home Park | 1,540 | 25.6% | $364,006 | $44,113 |
| 48 | Blountstown | 3,297 | 2.5% | $146,202 | $38,051 |
| 49 | Flagler Estates | 3,608 | 6.6% | $252,792 | $59,875 |
| 50 | Campbell | 2,262 | 11.6% | $308,260 | $38,117 |
| 51 | Mayo | 1,466 | 11.0% | $238,120 | $40,511 |
| 52 | Alturas | 3,460 | 4.9% | $223,479 | $65,625 |
| 53 | Lawtey | 1,082 | 26.2% | $213,195 | $48,355 |
| 54 | Gretna | 1,208 | 1.5% | $83,614 | $27,419 |
| 55 | Bristol | 1,351 | 6.5% | $183,753 | $45,042 |
| 56 | Wewahitchka | 1,668 | 3.4% | $180,337 | $43,287 |
| 57 | Fanning Springs | 1,114 | 4.0% | $263,007 | $48,281 |
| 58 | Dunnellon | 2,337 | 6.1% | $279,572 | $34,930 |
| 59 | Samoset | 4,235 | 6.7% | $167,004 | $45,188 |
| 60 | Lake Panasoffkee | 4,173 | 4.2% | $207,462 | $45,222 |
| 61 | North Brooksville | 3,661 | 6.9% | $218,504 | $61,098 |
| 62 | Pine Air | 2,318 | 8.8% | $317,335 | $47,237 |
| 63 | Lake Butler | 1,842 | 10.0% | $259,235 | $41,941 |
| 64 | Buckhead Ridge | 1,028 | 12.7% | $151,137 | $34,911 |
| 65 | Harlem Heights | 1,694 | 16.6% | $173,458 | $29,878 |
| 66 | Dover | 3,247 | 1.7% | $423,203 | $36,055 |
| 67 | Wauchula | 4,898 | 2.5% | $202,480 | $32,854 |
| 68 | Pine Lakes | 1,274 | 26.4% | $112,949 | $72,509 |
| 69 | Greenville | 1,546 | 0.0% | $183,396 | $52,204 |
| 70 | Panacea | 1,152 | 0.0% | $394,711 | $36,250 |
| 71 | Zephyrhills North | 3,280 | 11.0% | $99,906 | $40,603 |
| 72 | Bunnell | 3,355 | 3.8% | $306,742 | $42,831 |
| 73 | Sneads | 1,744 | 5.9% | $151,717 | $41,827 |
| 74 | Pierson | 1,332 | 0.0% | $325,921 | $50,179 |
| 75 | Eastpoint | 2,624 | 13.8% | $809,670 | $54,096 |
| 76 | Paisley | 1,071 | 7.3% | $205,909 | $68,635 |
| 77 | Watergate | 3,589 | 10.1% | $247,010 | $61,750 |
| 78 | Apalachicola | 2,504 | 8.1% | $310,033 | $61,322 |
| 79 | Royal Palm Estates | 1,759 | 7.1% | $376,481 | $47,982 |
| 80 | Mangonia Park | 1,950 | 4.2% | $233,005 | $44,632 |
| 81 | San Castle | 3,192 | 4.9% | $264,894 | $47,953 |
| 82 | Harlem | 2,576 | 16.6% | $87,132 | $1,000 |
| 83 | East Bronson | 1,924 | 3.1% | $189,325 | $49,447 |
| 84 | Point Baker | 3,591 | 12.1% | $278,475 | $51,130 |
| 85 | Cypress Quarters | 1,460 | 0.0% | $286,946 | $29,375 |
| 86 | Taft | 1,604 | 1.8% | $220,117 | $40,536 |
| 87 | Baldwin | 1,798 | 10.2% | $194,836 | $54,628 |
| 88 | Astatula | 2,573 | 6.9% | $361,873 | $61,893 |
| 89 | Manatee Road | 2,077 | 4.4% | $189,997 | $42,500 |
| 90 | North Sarasota | 2,573 | 6.5% | $293,266 | $60,615 |
| 91 | Deland Southwest | 1,233 | 0.5% | $382,550 | $39,000 |
| 92 | Astor | 1,469 | 3.6% | $277,585 | $53,929 |
| 93 | Ridge Manor | 4,430 | 4.6% | $254,485 | $51,033 |
| 94 | Lake Hamilton | 1,613 | 0.6% | $266,640 | $47,692 |
| 95 | Roosevelt Gardens | 2,322 | 8.8% | $300,796 | $45,146 |
| 96 | Crystal River | 3,398 | 11.0% | $291,168 | $46,795 |
| 97 | Hawthorne | 1,683 | 1.9% | $207,253 | $49,479 |
| 98 | High Point | 3,685 | 11.5% | $164,449 | $46,083 |
| 99 | Floral City | 4,830 | 4.5% | $273,092 | $55,616 |
| 100 | Franklin Park | 1,969 | 0.0% | $0 | $32,177 |
Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!! What the article fails to mention is that there are larger nearby towns and many people purposely CHOOSE to live in small communities such as many of these… and they commute to work. Some of these small towns are great places to live! And… I say the more churches the better. Whoever wrote this article needs to find a more worthwhile subject to write about instead of tearing down and maligning smaller communities… Statistics are just numbers… and numbers don’t always tell the story…they can certainly be skewed to elaborate or degenerate a fact(s).
I know this is just their opinion but there are lots of things to do in these places. Even though these are small towns they have a lot to offer. I bet this was the opinion of some big shot up north.
Cottondale (#10) is my hometown (tho’ I was born in GA) and I LOVED living there! Everyone knew everyone and it was like the whole town was family. The school was good when I attended there. We had some excellent teachers. And, it is certainly a church-going community. If that is the 10th worst place to live now, it wasn’t when I lived there.
Ok, you will have your “bad areas” no matter. I live in Pine Lakes, am not unemployed, choose to live away from all the city rucas! By the way, we ALSO have Pine lakes Superette, and Pine Lakes grill…..if your writing is based on facts, please, get them right! Lol!
You forget about Hawthorne and Trenton
Don’t forget Holopaw. What a horrible place. Filled with sex offenders too.
you fail to understand that Cottondale is not far from larger cities, 20-30 min drive to work and there is no traffic. City folks spend more time in traffic getting to work, pay more for their homes and probably work more hours, Small town folks actually pay off their homes faster than city folks too. I live in the next town over, am 54 and have NO MORTGAGE.
Mountains in Florida?
7. Bradley Junction (wtf?)
You blew it, you just went to towns on the Florida map!
You never went to LA (Lower Alabama, the part of Florida, that Florida does not want to claim, just collect taxes from-like the UK)
We won the Worse County, City, Roads, 4-cent gas tax and the Worse wait at the most redlights that are sinked, so you catch every redlights!
We won the privilege of receiving all the refugees from the flooded 9th Ward, New Orleans. We made them feel at home, so they are still living in the FEMA trailers.
So keep keep going West until you get to eSCAMbia, talk to Jack Brown, to see how he does it, if you really want to steal the only title we feel worthy of (THE WORSE PLACE LIVE, BEST PLACE TO SEE IN YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR, IF YOU LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE).
I live in Florida. It is NOT awesome. It’s hot and full of the most hateful people in the country.