What Brevard city was named one of the best rising cities by Southern Living Magazine?
A Brevard city is being recognized by Southern Living Magazine as one of the South’s top rising cities in 2024.
Palm Bay ranked No. 13 on the list of 25, which was compiled based on research, editors’ experiences and reader input.
“These reader-selected cities have excellent food scenes, cool yet quaint downtown districts, incredible natural beauty, thriving arts communities, and the warmth our region is known for,” according to Southern Living Magazine.
It also noted the South is the most populous region in the country and accounted for 87% of the country’s growth in 2023.
What did Southern Living Magazine say about Palm Bay?
“Saltwater fishing and unspoiled nature have long been the draw of this sleepy Space Coast town. But big things are on the way with a major development project called Ashton Park that is projected to add thousands of homes and about 5 million square feet of retail and commercial space to the area.”
The publication boosted about Palm Bay’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon as well as its accessibility to Orlando. It also mentioned the opportunities to fish, kayak and enjoy nature at Turkey Creek Sanctuary and Micco Scrub Sanctuary.
Several local restaurants also were recommended including Lazy Turtle, Memaw’s-Bar-B-Q and The Shack Riverfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar.
Any other Florida cities make the Southern Living Magazine top rising list?
There was just one other city in Florida that made the Southern Living Magazine best cities in the South on the rise in 2024.
That went to North Port, which ranked No. 21. North Port is a city of almost 90,000 in Southwest Florida’s Sarasota County.
What other cities made Southern Living Magazine’s top rising cities in the South for 2024?
Wilmington, North Carolina
Franklin, Tennessee
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Huntsville, Alabama
Columbia, South Carolina
New Braunfels, Texas
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Cary, North Carolina
Alpharetta, Georgia
Bentonville, Arkansas
Covington, Louisiana
Gulfport, Mississippi
Palm Bay, Florida
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Georgetown, Texas
Frederick, Maryland
Gainesville, Georgia
Clarksville, Tennessee
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Morgantown, West Virginia
North Port, Florida
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Reston, Virginia
Edmond, Oklahoma
Dover, Delaware
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at Mspitzer@Floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay, Florida ranks on Southern Living Magazines rising cities