Neon sign, Colony Hotel, 1980
South Beach’s story
South Beach in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
Explore the history →South BeachFL
3,063 residents make their home in this town in Florida.
Population
3,063
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$901K
Census ACS
Household income
$194K
median
Median age
68.3
years
Jobs based here
767
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#87 of 634 in FL
Is South Beach a good place to live?
South Beach grades B overall, better than three fifths of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 87th of 634 in Florida. Its best grade is for health (A): it is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns. Incomes are a strength too — the median household earns $194K. What counts against it is cost of living (D): the typical home is worth about $901K, 12.3 years of the Sebastian metro’s $73K median household income. It also trails on hazard risk (D−): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Oyster Bar Marsh Conservation Area, at 151 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 56% of residents are 65 or older locally, above both Florida’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
What makes South Beach stand out
Where South Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Get outside
3 miles of trails in South Beach
4.3% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
3
Round Island Oceanfront Park0.2 mi of trails · 5 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How South Beach grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far South Beach is from typical.
Hazard riskHurricanes top the listD−Open →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →HealthCleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital 6.6 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedA−Open →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.2 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to South Beach: who provides what
South Beach is unincorporated, so Indian River County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFPL14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Vero Beach water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesIndian River CountyIndian River County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereIndian River Supervisor of ElectionsIndian River County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code3296332963 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Beach.
South Beach is a second-home town and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
78%of FL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Edward's School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 652 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
HealthA
A smaller share of adults in South Beach report frequent mental distress than in the typical Florida or U.S. town
Its A for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Vero Beach South (B+) comes closest. Against the 1,057 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Beach’s, it is less healthy than 74%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
For adults in South Beach, the share who have high blood pressure is 41%. Only 6 of the 636 Florida towns we compare have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than South Beach. Of 31 CDC measures, South Beach beats the Florida average on 22 and trails it on 5.
91%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| South Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 37% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Florida
22 better4 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | South Beach | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 3.5% | 16.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 3.1% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.8% | 9.1% |
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital
6.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
95th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Compared with most of Florida and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in South Beach is higher
FEMA puts 87% of South Beach’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 8% to inland flooding. Flood insurance has paid out on 5 claims locally since 2004.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
5
paid flood claims since 2004
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With only 0.7 jobs per working resident, most people in South Beach work out of town
Jobs based here grew from 455 in 2013 to 767. 46.7% of workers work from home, against 15.7% across Florida.
The top destinations are Vero Beach (22%), Fort Pierce (4%) and Vero Beach South (3%). Only 8% of working residents stay in South Beach for work; the rest commute out. 4.7% of residents live below the poverty line here. Jobs based in South Beach grew to 767 in 2023, 312 more than in 2013.
8%work in town
| South Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $194,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In South Beach8%
Vero Beach22%
Fort Pierce4%
Vero Beach South3%
Orlando3%
21 mi
median commute distance
767
jobs based in South Beach
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 53% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsA
Conservation land takes up 4.3% of South Beach
Across 3 parks and preserves: 2.6 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in South Beach: 3, covering 167 acres.
#274for trails in FL
| South Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
4.3%
conserved · 190 of 4,386 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oyster Bar Marsh Conservation Area | 1.8 mi | 151 |
| 2. Round Island Riverside Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
| 3. Round Island Oceanfront Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In South Beach, expect mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 53.5°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.8°. The Vero Beach 4se weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 56 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 92% of Florida places with climate records.
In South Beach, the midsummer high is 90°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
90°summer high
| South Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 54°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter55–74°
Spring64–81°
Summer74–89°
Fall69–84°
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
A home in South Beach sells for about $1,000K at the median
At 12.3 years of the Sebastian metro’s $73K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 98% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $6,431, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The share of households in South Beach who are owner-occupiers: 99%. Among 630 Florida towns, just 5 have a higher midpoint rent than South Beach. Homes sold in South Beach spent a median 109 days on the market.
$1,000Kmedian sale price
| South Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 99% | 72% | 73% |
Market temperature
109
days on market
91.5%
sale-to-list price
6
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 21 attractions →Urca de Lima and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Beach. Close and well known come first.
6 mi Ancient siteUrca de Lima
6 mi MuseumNational Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
18 mi Stadium & arenaFirst Data Field
4 mi GardenMcKee Botanical Garden
9 mi MuseumA. E. Backus Gallery & Museum
5 mi MuseumVero Beach Museum of Art
6 mi MuseumNational Navy UDT-SEAL Museum18 mi Stadium & arenaFirst Data Field4 mi GardenMcKee Botanical Garden9 mi MuseumA. E. Backus Gallery & Museum5 mi MuseumVero Beach Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · First Data Field: JoeCondon, Public domain · McKee Botanical Garden: Robert Lawton, CC BY 2.5 · A. E. Backus Gallery & Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vero Beach Museum of Art: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Beach
18pages on South Beach
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Beach
Indian River State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Fort Pierce10.7 mi$2,764 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 South Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave South Beach for work
Where South Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
767jobs based in South Beach
8%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About South Beach
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
South Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) on North Hutchinson Island in Indian River County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Beach had a population of 3,703. It is ranked tenth in Florida locations by per capita income as of 2010. South Beach is part of the Sebastian–Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5 ft
- Area code
- 772
South Beach’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with South Beach.
Vero BeachFlorida RidgeVero Beach SouthSouth Beach
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Beach | #87 | B | D | — | A− | A |
| Vero Beach | #72 | B | D | A | A− | B+ |
| Florida Ridge | #277 | C+ | C | — | A− | B |
| Vero Beach South | #193 | B− | C | — | A− | B+ |
South Beach, Florida Ridge and Vero Beach South report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Beach with a neighbor →
Questions about South Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Beach, FL a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. South Beach grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #87 of 634 in Florida. It grades A for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is South Beach, FL expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $901,000, 140% above the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.