The 9 Best Neighborhoods to Live in Miami

Miami is mainly known for its beaches, Jersey shore, and Bitcoin love. However, this city offers so much more: an amazing tech scene, a booming economy, cultural diversity, and the shopping experience to match Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

Miami has something for everyone, and you’ll see it in many neighborhoods across the city. Want to be surrounded by concrete jungle with a mesmerizing waterfront view? Brickel is for you. Want to feel like you’re in a tiny Italian village? Check out Coconut Grove. Want to experience Latin-American food and learn a little Spanish along the way? Say hola to Little Havana.

Whether you're moving to Miami for its beaches that’ll make you want to live your Baywatch fantasy, or you want to work in the thriving Downtown Miami. Or, you're attending some of Florida's famous universities. Miami is a popular place to live.

It gets even better when you’re in the right location for your needs. However, this is tricky business. Miami is getting real popular, real fast, especially in the last few years. Prices are going up, and good apartments are being snatched up even quicker.

To help you find the perfect neighborhood–whether you're a student, a Marlins’ fan, or a work-hard and play-harder type–we've put together a comprehensive list of 9 top neighborhoods to consider. Even better, we've built a ranking system for each one to make this decision feel as easy as the salty breeze in hot summer months:

• Atmosphere: nightlife & entertainment, shopping & restaurants, and beauty & parks

• Amenities: schools, public transit, and points of interest

• Experience: safety, affordability, and walkability

The result is a comprehensive list of the best places to move to in Miami, Florida.

Why should you listen to us? Not to toot our own horn, but our experience with our top-ranked rentals across the US makes us the equivalent of what LeBron James was for the Miami Heat, but for rentals.

Perfect for those that want that luxurious and idyllic beach life.

Bal Harbour is a luxurious enclave in Miami Beach. It's famous for its wide variety of luxury shops and beautiful oceanfront resorts.

Not many will think of this neighborhood when they think of young professionals, but truth be told, once you get familiar with it, you can see why it’s a popular option. You’ve got the ultra-luxury Bal Harbour Shops, and the Indian Creek country club for those that enjoy golf. Plus, access to the rest of Miami is a breeze with the A1A or NE 123rd street.

In terms of nightlife, it’s definitely more on the quiet side of things. There are some great restaurants and a few bars peppered along the coast, but no clubs or discos. The Ritz Carlton bar is the preferred place by residents to have a few nightcaps. However, if you enjoy more of a buzz and want to show off your dancing skills, you'll have to hop to the mainland. This gives it a two out of five in Nightlife.

Although some of Bal Harbour’s shops are very luxurious, a few more budget-friendly restaurants and shops give it a two out of five in Affordability. Additionally, if you’re perfectly content catching a tan on a beautiful Floridian beach, all you'll need is a towel, sunscreen, and your favorite pair of shades–a budget-friendly weekend ready when you are.

Bal Harbour is not necessarily ideal for finding the best schools. It gets a two out of five in Schools because although the ones you can find here are not bad, most of the good schools in Miami are on the mainland.

Let’s talk highs. Bal Harbour scores a four out of five points for Attraction, you’ve got beaches, golf, and some fantastic shopping and dining options. But, for more cultural events like concerts, museums, or galleries, you'll have to go elsewhere.

This beach-side neighborhood is truly the perfect place for those wanting to live in Miami without the hustle and bustle of ‘dry-land.’ Keep in mind, you’ll need to be ready to evacuate a few times per year since it is a high hurricane-risk area–don't worry too much; specially built buildings and insurance packages are ready to keep you safe.

Bal Harbour's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals looking to live just a stone's throw away from Downtown Miami.

Midtown is the collective term for the Edgewater and Wynwood neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, just north of Downtown Miami, have excellent waterfront views and are gaining popularity thanks to the newly built skyscrapers, luxury residential developments, and modern loft apartments.

Wynwood is known for its colorful street art and thriving art scene. This neighborhood receives a four out of five in Shopping and Restaurants thanks to its many local eateries, food trucks, art galleries, and boutiques–definitely a place to go bar hopping, and one for the more artsy folk in Miami.

On the other hand, Edgewater is primarily a quiet, and residential waterfront neighborhood. It's ideal for young families and professionals. The area has its own identity, and it's perfect for those that favor a serene, residential lifestyle—with excellent access to all the eclectic offerings Miami’s so famous for.

In Edgewater and Wynwood, you'll never run out of things to do–getting a perfect five in Nightlife and Entertainment and Points of Interest. The big and beautiful Margaret Pace Park has sports courts and waterfront access for water sports. You’ll also find the Miami Design District and the Original Selfie Museum, perfect places to show off your artistic vibes on Bumble.

Check out Edgewater and Wynwood if you never want to be bored again, and want to live without the hectic traffic and high prices of Downtown Miami. Get your laptop ready and move into these neighborhoods with art, coffee, beaches, and plenty of co-working spaces for the modern professional.

Edgewater & Wynwood's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals or students looking to live in a picturesque and serene area in the heart of Miami.

Coconut Grove is the oldest neighborhood in Miami. It has a serene bayside community with a wide variety of offerings for young professionals.

The neighborhood boasts several charming parks, hip cafés, and plenty of mom-and-pop shops for you to explore. With a perfect score in walkability, and the eternal-summer weather of Florida, you're in for a treat.

Something very special about Coconut Grove is its Italian renaissance-style villas and the Vizcaya Museum and gardens–a perfect place for weddings or the popular quinceañera celebrations. Just look around, and you'll forget you're in the US and think you're in a peaceful Italian town—for a minute. The only thing missing is an Aperol Spritz when the clock hits five.

When it comes to Nightlife and Entertainment, the area gets a three out of five due to the limited options on offer. Thankfully, for a happening Nightlife experience, you're just minutes away from Downtown Miami and other more bustling neighborhoods.

Whether you're a young professional or a student at University of Miami–it's just around the corner–Coconut Grove is a great shout if you're looking to live the Miami lifestyle with a large scoop of Italian architecture.

Coconut Grove's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for active young professionals or small families that want to enjoy island life–full of nature.

Key Biscayne is south of Brickell. It’s an excellent place for young professionals and small families. The area is a short drive away from Brickell and Central Business District (Downtown), giving someone a sense of living away from their workplace without it being too far.

Key Biscayne, or the Key as its residents refer to it, is similar to Bal Harbour, but it offers much more options for entertainment and living arrangements.

The Key is an island surrounded by two-waterfront parks, golf courses, and the Miami Seaquarium. It's also where the famous Miami Open tennis tournament is played, and celebrities, athletes, and important figures will drive down to the Key to witness such a sporting event–not a bad chance for you to meet the love of your life, Georgina-style.

For young families, this area is a great place to be. It's incredibly safe and offers many activities for kids–ahem, be out in nature and learn at the Miami Seaquarium. However, in terms of schools, it's not 100% ideal. With just a few schools on the island, most kids will have to commute to get to outstanding schools, and with Miami's traffic and sunny days, that might feel like punishment.

Oh, and don't forget that if you enjoy golfing, you're in for a treat with Crandon's Golf, which is supposedly one of the most challenging golf courses in Florida!

Key Biscayne also offers a wide variety of independent and unique shops, as well as restaurants to calm any craving you might have–giving this island an almost perfect score in Shopping and Restaurants and Points of Interest. Don't forget to visit the go-to waterfront restaurant, the Rusty Pelican, for some amazing waterfront views.

If you're into swimming, running, cycling, or just having a stroll through the beach on the daily, Key Biscayne is waiting for you.

Key Biscayne's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals and families looking for a tranquil and outdoorsy area in Miami-Dade County.

Pinecrest is not the usual Miami vibe. There are not many Latinos living in the area, and you'd have to drive a few miles to see a high-rise building. It has more of a typical Floridian village feel, with big homes, palm tree-lined streets, and parks for you to keep a healthy lifestyle.

Pinecrest gets a perfect five in Beauty and Parks because it boasts some beautiful small parks, and there's not a block without some classic Florida greenery. The R Hardy Matheson Country Preserve, just past the edge of the neighborhood, is great for those that enjoy biking and jogging, and even better for those wanting to live right by the ocean's edge.

Pinecrest has a great community feel. You'll know all of your neighbors and become part of a very close-knit and helpful community. Its police force makes it a super safe area. Plus, no park goes a week without hosting a family picnic or two—no matter the time of year.

Pinecrest Gardens is the hub of community life. In it, parties and community get-togethers are constantly taking place. The Farmers Market is one of the best ones in Miami and is the perfect opportunity for you to sample some of the Sunshine State's finest.

Sadly, there aren't many options in terms of nightlife or entertainment, which gives it a three out of five in these categories.

The area gets a three out of five in Public Transit because it's not well-connected, but they have a free community shuttle that will take you to your bus stop of choice. It gets the same score for Walkability because although it is safe, you’ll need to walk a few too many blocks to arrive at a grocery store or restaurant.

Pinecrest's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals that enjoy living next to where they work and play hard.

Welcome to our joint top-three! Downtown Miami and Brickell are some of the best neighborhoods in Miami for young professionals, and even in the USA. How do we know? It’s one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country! Only second to Texas. This boom shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Downtown Miami and Brickell are so trendy. They offer a variety of businesses and restaurants and beautiful high-rise apartments. Sitting on the water, this area provides its residents with absolutely gorgeous year-round views. However, prices in the area have gone up recently. When considering all that it has to offer and the perfect central location it has, we think its high prices are worth it.

Brickell has a booming job market and economy since it’s Miami's and South Florida's major financial district. This translates to plenty of jobs, lots of trendy cafés, and co-working spaces to die for.

Downtown and Brickell are a hub for international business, dining, entertainment, and art offers for all tastes. There's also the American Airlines Arena for internationally renowned events, the Mary Brickell Village and City Centre for all the shop-till-you-drop you can take, and the Bayfront Park for amazing waterfront views.

This large offering gives this area a perfect score in all of our entertainment categories. Boredom? It simply doesn't exist here!

The only thing that Downtown and Brickell don't offer is direct beach access, but worry not. Thanks to public transportation and the Metrorail, you'll be on your favorite beach in a matter of minutes.

If you work in Downtown or Brickell, the best thing you can do is move there. With Florida's traffic jams and hot weather, it's better to pay a little extra but save yourself from all that traffic stress. If you're ready to work hard and play harder, these two neighborhoods are the place for you.

Brickell & Downtown Miami's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for students, young families, and professionals looking for a safe community with great schools and entertainment.

Coral Gables is in our joint-top three places for a reason. It has parks, waterfront views, museums, galleries, and let's not forget the University of Miami alongside some of the best private schools in Miami.

Coral Gables, dubbed as "the City Beautiful" has a unique beauty that not many places have. For starters, it has the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, R Hardy Matheson County Preserve with some great views and boating and fishing opportunities, and the Riviera Country Club.

Want more? The charming Mediterranean revival architecture with the waterfront views in the background give it a perfect score in our Beauty and Parks category.

This city in Miami-Dade county also offers one of the country's most unique public swimming pools: the Venetian Pool. It has Italian-inspired architecture and freshwater flowing directly from Florida's aquifers. It has been serving Floridians for over a century, and plenty of stars, orchestras, and dance groups have visited this place to ignite it with their arts.

If you're looking for a place that will keep you outdoors for its beauty and safety and that offers you great dining and entertainment options, check out Coral Gables for sure.

Coral Gables' Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀

Perfect for those chasing the Latin-American dining experience and wanting to get better at salsa.

Little Havana, as its name suggests, originated with Cuban refugees. It offers a diverse community, plenty of Latin American dining options, and some of Miami's best Salsa dancing places. Get your colorful Hawaiian shirts, Cuban cigars, and best dancing shoes ready because you're in for a taste of our second place neighborhood in Miami.

When Fidel Castro brought communism to Cuba in 1959, hundreds of thousands of Cubans sought refuge in Miami. Although they settled in various areas of Miami, many settled in Little Havana and gave this area an authentic Cuban feel.

In terms of various cuisines, you'll be surprised by Little Havana. Not only is there Cuban food, but there's also Colombian, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, and plenty of other South American cuisines. Of course, there are some other cuisines and fast food chains. Whatever you're craving, you'll find in Little Havana–getting a delicious five out of five in our Shopping and Restaurant category.

Although this part of Miami boasts some incredible restaurants and shops and has beautiful streets with big-front porch houses. Safety is not its forte. When moving to this area of town, remember to be a little more street-smart. Thankfully, most crime is nonviolent, and the zone is okay to walk around during the daytime.

There are strong options for families moving to the area when it comes to schools. Mater Academy East, Ada Merritt K-8 Center, Miami Senior high School are some of the best schools in the area.

The action never really stops in Little Havana, but if you're looking for the epicenter of the action, you'll find Calle 8, or 8th Street, is where the fun is at. Bars, clubs, eateries, and salsa clubs are all on this street–as well as some fine Cuban cigar shops.

For the baseball fanatics, you must have heard of the Florida Marlins if you've come to Florida. Their stadium is in Little Havana, and game nights can't be missed.

Little Havana truly has everything you need from Miami, and if the hustle and bustle of the city seem too much for you, a walk down the Miami Wharf can be all you need to relax. If you love great food, affordable prices, and dancing your nights away–plus, being 5-minutes away from Downtown Miami–Little Havana is the place for you.

Little Havana's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Perfect for young professionals that thrive on Marina views and treat-yo-self weekends.

Aventura is a city in Miami-Dade County and a hidden gem. It's 12 miles north of Miami and 12 miles south of Fort Lauderdale, meaning it's geographically in the middle of metropolitan South Florida. Aventura has a lot more going for it than just the location, read on.

Aventura is mostly known thanks to Aventura Mall, which provides a full-on shopping experience. With over 300 stores, it's the 16th largest mall in the US, and it is 5-minutes away from anywhere in Aventura. This gives this area a fabulous five in shopping and restaurants.

Right next to the mall, you’ve got the Country Club Estates, a great place for golf fanatics, and a park with an exercise trail called Don Suffer, to help you hit those new year’s resolutions.

The main highway is Biscayne Blvd, and traffic there can be a bit tough at rush hour. Especially because the boulevard accesses the entrance to the Aventura Mall, so rush hour, plus mall, plus schools equals long car journeys. Nothing a good audiobook can't fix.

Aventura is a very walkable area, thanks to its police force that makes it super safe and the many walking paths. However, you're better off with a car for grocery shopping and general life errands. Although, many condos have their own little marketplace so you won’t have to spend gas grabbing that milk you forgot to buy the night before.

Aventura is full of restaurants, coffee shops, parks, and golf courses. Definitely a great place for small families and young professionals who enjoy high-rise living without the hustle and bustle. Plus, you'll be at the center of a very international community–learn some Russian, German, or Spanish from your next-door neighbors, and enjoy the multicultural advantages of living in Aventura.

Aventura's Rankings:

Weighted rankings were determined by scoring neighborhoods on a scale of 1-5 in the following categories, with 5 being the best.

• Affordability: 💸 💸 💸 💸

• Beauty & Parks: 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳

• Nightlife & Entertainment: 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

• Points of Interest: 📍📍📍📍

• Public Transit: 🚃 🚃 🚃 🚃

• Safety: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

• Schools: 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎 🍎

• Shopping & Restaurants: 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍 🛍

• Walkability:🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️

Time to look at the numbers of our top neighborhoods in Miami, Florida.

Let's take a look at the lower numbers first. Public Transit, and Affordability get an average of 3.3 and 3.1, respectively. Although public transport is not too bad, Miami is a city that requires you to have a car–no doubt. Affordability will depend on location. Although you'll find budget shopping and eating everywhere, high-rise living and being in Miami will come at a price–a price worth paying for 24/7 beach access.

Schools and Walkability also received some lower-ish numbers, with 3.6 and 3.9. Let's be honest, there are cities with better schools, but you can find some award-winning ones here too. When it comes to Walkability, you're better off with a car, it's safe, and you'll find things to do by foot, but with the high summer temperatures, you'll want to be in your cool car with AC and tunes to get you by.

Now, let's see the high points. Beauty and Parks, Shopping and Restaurants, Nightlife and Entertainment, Safety, and Points of Interest all get an average higher than four. With a score out of five, that's truly impressive. You'll be able to enjoy nature's beauty, shop ‘til you drop, and enjoy cuisines and culture from all around the world. Plus, Miami is actually a pretty safe place despite what CSI: Miami or Dexter show!

Miami averaged at 39.2/50 on our best neighborhoods to live in the USA ranking.

Miami is really turning around. Its population is growing, there are more businesses, and what used to be the land of expat Latinos and retirees is now a buzzing financial and tech hub. With companies like Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Line, monday.com, Visa, and plenty of others, you're sure to find a thriving job market.

Living by the beach is almost everyone's dream. Here you get sunny beaches with amazing high-rise buildings and incredible design and tech scene: Welcome to the Sunshine state's capital of work and play.