Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Daytona Beach grades D overall, ranked 503rd of 634 in Florida, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 77% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. Daytona Beach’s violent crime rate is 9.3 per 1,000 residents, above both the Florida town median (2.8) and the median of U.S. towns (1.9). Its National Register listings include Mary McLeod Bethune Home and Howard Thurman House.
Where Daytona Beach beats most towns.
Mary McLeod Bethune Home| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | 10,992 |
| Daytona State College | 8,139 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | 2,464 |
Mary McLeod Bethune Home is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 27 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Florida towns with a listing.
Census counts: 331 in 1910, 72,647 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 4 maps from 1952 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Daytona Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Daytona Beach. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumMotorsports Hall of Fame of America
in town MuseumMary McLeod Bethune Home
in town Theme parkDaytona Lagoon
13 mi LighthousePonce de Leon Inlet Light
34 mi Theme parkMarineland of Florida
in town Theme parkDaytona Beach BoardwalkMotorsports Hall of Fame of America: WillRStroh97, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mary McLeod Bethune Home: Lvklock, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daytona Lagoon: Gamweb, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ponce de Leon Inlet Light: ErgoSum88, Public domain · Marineland of Florida: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5 · Daytona Beach Boardwalk: Leon Robinson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Daytona Beach, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Daytona Beach.
Daytona Beach draws workers from Port Orange and beyond, has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
48,944 jobs are based in Daytona Beach, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 21.4 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
29% of working residents work locally in Daytona Beach. Since 2013, Daytona Beach has added 6,145 jobs, to 48,944 in 2023. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Daytona Beach.
| Daytona Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Volusia school district. Two of its 25 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 962 | C− |
| Mainland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,964 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
59 miles of trail in 28 parks and preserves. Tiger Bay State Forest, at 7,644 acres with 21.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Daytona Beach’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tiger Bay State Forest | 21.2 mi | 7,644 |
| 2. Riverfront Esplanade Park | 2.6 mi | 43 |
| 3. Tuscawilla Park | 2.2 mi | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 6,480 U.S. towns with household incomes like Daytona Beach’s, it is less healthy than 50%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of Daytona Beach adults report frequent mental distress. Daytona Beach beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 23% of Daytona Beach adults worry about having enough food.
| Daytona Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Daytona Beach | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.8% | 9.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.8% | 12.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.8% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical value, about $251K, is 13% below its December 2022 peak.
The typical Daytona Beach home is worth about $251,000, down 1.6% in a year, 33% below the Florida typical home. The median rent in Daytona Beach is $1,328 a month.
| Daytona Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 72% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 59% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,328 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 47.5% of households own their home, against 67.6% across Florida.
Daytona Beach has grown 24% since 2020, to 88,471 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Daytona Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.3 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.1 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.9, men 38.7.
| Daytona Beach | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.4% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.8% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.7% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.8% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.4% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.7% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Deland 1 Sse weather station, 17 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 310 days, longer than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 48.4°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.4°.
Daytona Beach has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Daytona Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 48°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1,683 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 296 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 1,683 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Daytona Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Daytona Beach's reported crime rate is well above Florida's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 716 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
5 within 15 miles of the center of Daytona Beach
About 14 of every 100 Daytona Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
61,005 counted in 2010 and 72,647 in 2020; an estimated 88,471 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 23.6% since 2020, after 19.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
27 places in Daytona Beach on the National Register of Historic Places.
51 notable people were born in Daytona Beach.
City in Florida, United States
Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, and is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. Daytona Beach is historically known for its beach, where motorized vehicles are permitted on some hard-packed sand beaches. Motorsports on the beach became popular, and the Daytona Beach and Road Course hosted races for over 50 years, replaced in 1959 by Daytona International Speedway. The city is the headquarters of NASCAR.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Daytona Beach.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Holly Hill (C−) is closest.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytona Beach | #503 | D | C− | — | B− | C− |
| Daytona Beach Shores | #316 | C | D− | — | B− | B |
| Ormond Beach | #361 | C | D | — | B− | B |
| Holly Hill | #480 | C− | C | — | B− | C− |
| South Daytona | #398 | C | C | — | B− | C+ |
| Port Orange | #390 | C | D | — | B− | B |
Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, South Daytona and Port Orange report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Daytona Beach with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Daytona Beach grades D overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #503 of 634 in Florida. It grades C− for health and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($71,277 across the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
51 notable people were born here, including Bob Ross and Vince Carter.
