What Brevard city was named one of the best rising cities by Southern Living Magazine?

Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today
Updated ·2 min read
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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?

A late afternoon kayaker at Turkey Creek Sanctuary Park, located at 1518 Port Malabar Blvd. in Palm Bay. Established in 1981, this 130 acre location features 1.85 miles of boardwalk,1.5 miles of jogging trails, bike trails, and can be accessed by canoe or kayak.
A late afternoon kayaker at Turkey Creek Sanctuary Park, located at 1518 Port Malabar Blvd. in Palm Bay. Established in 1981, this 130 acre location features 1.85 miles of boardwalk,1.5 miles of jogging trails, bike trails, and can be accessed by canoe or kayak.

“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?

The tiki bar on the south side of Lazy Turtle Riverfront Tiki Sky Bar & Grill.
The tiki bar on the south side of Lazy Turtle Riverfront Tiki Sky Bar & Grill.

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?

  1. Wilmington, North Carolina

  2. Franklin, Tennessee

  3. Spartanburg, South Carolina

  4. Huntsville, Alabama

  5. Columbia, South Carolina

  6. New Braunfels, Texas

  7. Bowling Green, Kentucky

  8. Cary, North Carolina

  9. Alpharetta, Georgia

  10. Bentonville, Arkansas

  11. Covington, Louisiana

  12. Gulfport, Mississippi

  13. Palm Bay, Florida

  14. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

  15. Georgetown, Texas

  16. Frederick, Maryland

  17. Gainesville, Georgia

  18. Clarksville, Tennessee

  19. Hattiesburg, Mississippi

  20. Morgantown, West Virginia

  21. North Port, Florida

  22. Lake Charles, Louisiana

  23. Reston, Virginia

  24. Edmond, Oklahoma

  25. 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