Pensacola MSA has move up from #96 to #76 on America’s Best Cities List – the smallest city in the rankings, earning #24 for outdoors, #42 for labor force participation.
The smallest city in our ranking shines as bright as its Gulf of Mexico beaches. Historic lineage to New Orleans helps explain the vibe: Southern hospitality, ironwork balconies and storied bars.
Over the course of its 443-year history, Pensacola has been ruled by the British, the Spanish, the French, the Confederacy and the United States—hence its nickname of “The City of Five Flags.”
It has rigorously preserved its historic architecture, ranking #74 in our Sights & Landmarks subcategory and an impressive #48 for Culture.
Two new adaptive reuse boutique hotels, the former church Lily Hall and the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel, are must-stays.
Of its 52 miles of sugar-white beaches, Pensacola Beach is the pearl, helping power the city to #24 in our Outdoors subcategory. Its pier is one of the longest in the Gulf and the nearby Gulf Islands National Seashore is the longest stretch of protected seashore in the U.S.
But people do work here. More than 500 companies in town specialize in aerospace and defense, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing or professional services (indicative of the city’s #42 Labor Force Participation ranking), with more remote talent arriving daily in pursuit of the beach and no state personal income tax.
It’s a best “Metro Area” list. We all know that the population of the City of Pensacola is not 510,000 as described in the details. MSA = All of Escambia County and all of Santa Rosa County too. Also, importantly, the company in “Canada” that put this together – and the purpose seems related to generating business contacts for it – the methodology does not include public safety (or the weather). Yes, U.S. News & World Report and Mayor Reeves and Quint Studer have all claimed that in 2020 the City of Pensacola was the 4th safest city in the United States. Those of us live here know that’s hogwash. In 2020, Pensacola’s per capita crime rate was 56% higher than the state average and 3.6 times higher than the rate in Santa Rosa County. This is why PPD Officers to include the senior leadership and Police Chief Randall refuse to live “in” the city. The last time the city’s crime rate was “below” the state average was in 2001. A very good question for someone to ask Governor DeSantis is why FDLE has not issued accurate, complete per capita crime statistics for 2021, 2022 and 2023. What are they hiding in Tallahassee?