MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne is No. 1 in the nation when it comes to the best places to live near the beach, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
The ranking was released in a report by U.S. News & World Report. Nine Florida cities were listed in the top 20, including Daytona Beach and Port St. Lucie.
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Rounding out the top five were San Diego (No. 2), Sarasota (No. 3) Honolulu (No. 4) and Charleston, South Carolina (No. 5).
"The 20 Best Places to Live Near the Beach in the U.S." were culled from the magazine's overall "Best Places to Live list," which includes factors such as affordability, job market, morning commute and access to quality health care.
"Along with year-round warm weather and ample public beaches, the Melbourne metro area also is home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center," the report said.
"If you're interested in playing a bigger role than just watching rockets launch into space, plenty of aerospace employers accompany other large companies in the health care and manufacturing fields."
Best places to live near the beach:
1. Melbourne
2. San Diego
3. Sarasota
4. Honolulu
5. Charleston, South Carolina
6. Fort Myers
7. Jacksonville
8. Pensacola
9. Santa Barbara, California
10. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
11. Tampa
12. Port St. Lucie
13. Daytona Beach
14. Virginia Beach, Virginia
15. Los Angeles
16.Corpus Christi, Texas
17. Miami
18. Salinas, California
19. Brownsville, Texas
20. San Juan, Puerto Rico