Daytona, New Smyrna and Flagler
Wide, hard packed beaches run from New Smyrna Beach up through Daytona to Flagler Beach. Surf towns, race week crowds and some of the most affordable oceanfront in Florida share this stretch.
On average, strongest on affordability, boating and peace and quiet. Weakest on nightlife.
Average of the 13 town scorecards. How we score
CompareEdgewater
A riverfront city on the Indian River Lagoon just south of New Smyrna Beach, with mangrove paddling trails, a long river walk and more house for the money than the beach towns.
New Smyrna Beach
A laid back surf town about an hour from Orlando.
Ponce Inlet
A small town at the southern tip of the Daytona peninsula, built around a tall red lighthouse, a working fishing harbor and a wide beach that wraps around the inlet.
Port Orange
A suburb on the Halifax River just south of Daytona, with parks, a riverfront and the beach over the bridge.
South Daytona
A small riverfront city tucked between Daytona Beach and Port Orange, with low prices and the beach ten minutes away.
Daytona Beach Shores
A quiet strip of oceanfront condos just south of Daytona Beach, with the river a block behind you.
Daytona Beach
Wide beaches and some of the most affordable coastal homes in Florida.
CompareHolly Hill
A small, affordable city on the mainland bank of the Halifax River, wedged between Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach, with a riverfront drive, a waterfront park and the beach a bridge away.
Ormond Beach
Daytona's quieter neighbor to the north, with oak canopy roads, a small downtown and the same hard packed beach.
Ormond by the Sea
A quiet beach community on the barrier island north of Ormond Beach, with small streets of beach cottages between the ocean and the Halifax River and miles of state parks just to the north.
Flagler Beach
A small, unhurried beach town along A1A, with a new pier on the way.
CompareBeverly Beach
One of Florida's tiniest towns, a few blocks wide between the ocean and the Intracoastal just north of Flagler Beach, with an RV resort, beach cottages and homes on canals.
Palm Coast
A planned city of saltwater canals and more than 130 miles of trails, between St. Augustine and Daytona.