Miami Awards & Accolades

The Miami area commonly receives awards and accolades for its top-rated beaches, thriving business community, quality healthcare and high-quality of life for residents and tourists alike. View recent awards below.

• 2024

  Miami Ranked as the 3rd “Most Fun City” in America – WalletHub

• 2023

  Miami Ranks as a Top 10 “Best Place to Live” in Florida – Forbes
  Miami Named a “Best Place” for Single Boomers to Retire – US News & World Report 
  Miami Recognized as the 3rd “Best Large City to Start a Business” – WalletHub 

• 2022

  Miami Named the #1 “Healthiest City” in America – Mindbody

Top Reasons to Relocate to Miami

1. Miami Offers Top-Rated Beaches

   Miami offers tourists and residents alike the very best when it comes to the beach experience. Miami Beach’s iconic South Beach, lined with art-deco style buildings and colorful awnings for outdoor eating, is commonly ranked as top beach in the state each year by publications such as TripAdvisor and Conde Nast Traveler.

2. Miami is a “Best City” to Retire In the U.S.

   Miami was recently ranked as #5 on WalletHub’s “Best Places to Retire in the U.S.” list in late 2023. This study, which examined 180 of the largest areas U.S. metropolitan areas, was based upon 46 key indicators including retiree-friendliness, the annual cost of living and the number of healthcare facilities per person. View the Best U.S. Cities to Retire In Rankings.

   

3. Miami is a Top Rated Real Estate Market

   As a popular Florida retirement destination, Miami’s real estate market has been appreciating steadily in recent years due to persons relocating to the area. At the start of April 2024, the average Miami home price is $571,215 which represents a 8.4 year-over-year increase. To find out exact housing and living costs, as well as the most popular neighborhoods people are moving into, contact Laura Reynolds, our Miami relocation expert listed on this page.

4. Florida Has No State Income Tax

   One of the largest benefits to living in the sunshine state is not having to pay a state income tax. In lieu of a state income tax though, the state of Florida earns revenues from the millions of tourists that visit the state every year (approx 120 million) through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) from revenues on rental properties and hotel visits that are for a perdiod of six months or less. Once you declare your Florida residency, you’ll quickly appreciate all the tourists who pay your share of state taxes.

5. Miami is a Top City to Start a Business In

   According to a recent study by WalletHub (2023), Miami ranked 3rd in the nation as a “Best Large City to Start a Business in.” This study, which comapred 100 large cities nationwide, analyzed multiple factors such as the current business environment and growth rate, access to funding and resources as well as actual business operating costs such as rent and labor. View City Rankings List

6. Miami Has Strong Employment Market

   Miami’s economy has been very strong in recent years with an unemployment rate of 2.5% in the 1st quarter of 2024, well below the national unemployment rate of 3.9%. Top sectors in the Miami economy include tourism, financial services, agriculture, education, and healthcare. Largest employers in the greater Miami area include Miami-Dade Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Government, Baptist Health South Florida and University of Miami.

7. Miami Has Top-Rated Healthcare & Hospitals

   The greater Miami area has several top rated hospitals including Baptist Health South Florida, Mercy Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center. Recently, US News & World Report ranked Baptist Hospital of Miami as the Top 10 Best Hospitals in the state of Florida. View Florida Hospital Rankings.

8. Miami Has Endless Events to Explore

   Miami offers residents an active calendar of outdoor events to attend year-round. Choose from food and craft beer festivals, musical performances, boat and car shows and film festivals just to name a few. Popular Miami events include the South Beach Jazz Festival, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Carnaval Miami, the South Beach Comedy Festival and the Miami International Boat Show. If you like attending sporting events, Miami is also home to the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Heat and the Miami Marlins.

9. Miami Offers a Year-Round Playground

   With an average year-round temperature of 77′ degrees and 248 sunny days each year, Miami is a top Florida city for outdoor enthusiasts. If you enjoy watersport activities, try kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) on Biscayne Bay, South Beach’s Sunset Islands or at the Oleta River State Park. If you prefer recreation by land, Miami offers miles of biking, jogging and pet-friendly trails including Snake Trail, Rickenbacker Trail and along Virginia Key. If you enjoy observing the native sea life and wild birds, visit Crandon Park or Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne.

10. Miami Offers Endless Dining & Cuisine Options
    From casual, pet-friendly sidewalk cafes to fancy, five-star restaurants, the greater Miami area offers a wide variety of cuisines for all teates and budgets. There’s also a growing scene of craft pubs and beer gardens to check out such as Lincoln’s Beard Brewing, MIA Beer Company, District Brew House and Tap79 Gastropub. Many of these local pubs are pet-friendly, have live entertainment and some even offer corn hole, darts and foosball while you enjoy a fresh, locally-crafted brew.