Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
South Daytona is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, ranked 398th of 634 in Florida, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 53% of Florida towns. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $248K, 3.5 years of the Deltona metro’s $71K median household income. South Daytona is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. 14% of residents are under 18 in South Daytona, against 20% in Florida’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Reed Canal Park, at 36 acres.
Where South Daytona beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far South Daytona is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
![Florida [Sarasota County (part) - Washington County] -- Georgia [Appling County - Effingham County (part)]](https://images.townratings.com/story/2218/7aed06cb56e9e6b2b37c-l.jpg)
Census counts: 571 in 1940, 12,865 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 4 maps from 1952 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Daytona. Close and well known come first.
4 mi MuseumMotorsports Hall of Fame of America
8 mi LighthousePonce de Leon Inlet Light
37 mi Theme parkMarineland of Florida
4 mi MuseumMary McLeod Bethune Home
16 mi National SeashoreCanaveral National Seashore2.5M visitors a year
25 mi State parkBlue Spring State ParkMotorsports Hall of Fame of America: WillRStroh97, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ponce de Leon Inlet Light: ErgoSum88, Public domain · Marineland of Florida: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5 · Mary McLeod Bethune Home: Lvklock, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Canaveral National Seashore: Joneboi at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Spring State Park: Rizka, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Daytona, 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 South Daytona.
South Daytona has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Daytona Beach and other neighbors.
In South Daytona, the typical rent is $1,379 a month. The typical home value in the town is about $248,000, up 2.3% in a year, 34% below the Florida typical home. Also worth knowing: the share of households in South Daytona who live in a home they own: 64%.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,379 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Volusia school district. Enrollment at South Daytona’s public school: 794 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Daytona Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 794 | C+ |
| On Track School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 478 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
1,358 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 341 properties have flooded more than once.
Of the losses FEMA expects in South Daytona, 49% come from hurricanes and 31% from inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, South Daytona sits above 69% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 1982: 1,358.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Deland 1 Sse weather station, 21 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 310 days, longer than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 50.1°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.8°.
For South Daytona, the January low is 50°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 50°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearly a quarter of South Daytona residents are 65 or older. Population is up 8.1% in the town since 2020, to 13,894 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. In South Daytona, the median age is 48.5 years. A bachelor’s degree or higher: 25% of adults 25 and older, vs 34% across Florida.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.5 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 31% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.4 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| South Daytona | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.1% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.9% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.5% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.3% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.4% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
South Daytona has about as many jobs (4,644) as working residents, but only 315 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.8 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
The average trip to work in South Daytona is 21 minutes. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 6% of working residents work locally. 17% of residents live below the poverty line locally. This Florida town had 4,644 jobs in 2023, up 1,362 from 2013.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,901 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Daytona’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Against the Florida average, South Daytona comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 7. In South Daytona, 16% of adults report frequent physical distress.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | South Daytona | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12.2% | 15.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
South Daytona's reported crime rate is close to Florida's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 26 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 13.5 per 1,000 residents | 18.1 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Count the trails in 9 parks and preserves and they come to 1.1 miles. South Daytona’s density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| South Daytona | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Reed Canal Park | 0.7 mi | 36 |
| 2. Blaine O'Neal Park | — | 11 |
| 3. James Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5 within 15 miles of the center of South Daytona
About 4 of every 100 South Daytona residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
City in Florida, United States
South Daytona is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,865 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with South Daytona.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Daytona | #398 | C | C | — | B− | C+ |
| Port Orange | #390 | C | D | — | B− | B |
| Daytona Beach | #503 | D | C− | — | B− | C− |
South Daytona, Port Orange and Daytona Beach report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Daytona with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Daytona grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #398 of 634 in Florida. It grades C+ for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
