What it's like to live in New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach is a small city in Florida with crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a highly educated workforce, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. New Smyrna Beach deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How New Smyrna Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to New Smyrna Beach
Based on New Smyrna Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,424
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,480 a year
- 54% of New Smyrna Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$79,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,530
- Homes cost 4.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 21% above US
$1,712/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,712 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $395,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $395,300 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 58% below US
167 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 848/100k · New Smyrna Beach Police Department · 2022 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 53°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 12% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 40% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Canaveral National Seashore (21 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
New Smyrna Beach's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,712/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
See all the data for New Smyrna Beach →·All Florida cities →
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