Florida
Florida cities rank among best coastal small towns in United States
Stuart ranked No. 2 for best coastal small town in the United States.
Stuart ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for best coastal small town.
The Treasure Coast city has been recognized as one of the best coastal small towns in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for several years. Stuart was ranked No. 2 in 2023, No. 1 in 2024 and No. 2 in 2025.
Stuart was praised for its access to the St. Lucie River; its parks, such as Flagler and Shepard; its museums, such as Stuart Heritage Museum and Road to Victory Military Museum and its restaurant-lined downtown.
Florida secured two spots on the top 10 list, with Stuart at No. 2 and Cedar Key at No. 10.
These rankings are determined by a panel of industry experts, invited weekly by USA Today 10BEST, who nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across different areas. 10BEST editors then vet the nominations before selecting a final set of nominees to be presented to the voting public for four weeks.
Best coastal small towns in the United States
These are the top 10 best coastal small towns in the United States, according to the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards:
- 1. Pismo Beach, California
- 2. Stuart, Florida
- 3. Morro Bay, California
- 4. Avalon, California
- 5. Castine, Maine
- 6. Cape May, New Jersey
- 7. Gulf Shores, Alabama
- 8. Beaufort, North Carolina
- 9. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
- 10. Cedar Key, Florida
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.