Florida Area Named Best Spot For Boating

Approximately 100 million Americans enjoy boating each year. With 825 miles of coastline, the Sunshine State has plenty of boating options along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Regal Boats named Anna Maria Island the Florida area that is best for boating.

Boating is a huge industry; it earned $49.3 billion dollars in 2020, according to SI Yachts. In their report, they state there are 44.6 boats per 1,000 people in Florida. Florida also has the highest percentage of registered boats that are used for recreation, with 8.133%. "In March of 2022, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that Florida boat registrations had surpassed 1 million," SI Yachts continues.

Anna Maria Island on the coast of Manatee County in known for its broad beaches. Regal Boats describes this area as "Complete with a quaint beach town that is never over-run by tourism, this island is seven miles of pure white sand and crystal clear water." Places like the Bradenton Beach Marina in Bradenton Beach cater to boating residents and visitors. In addition, to docks and storage, tourists can rent hurricane boats or pontoons here. If your boat needs service or repair, Bradenton Beach Marina on southern Anna Maria Island has you covered there, too.

Specific to the Tampa region, Regal Boats highlights Caladesi Island in Clearwater, John’s Pass Sand Bank near Treasure Island, and Egmont Key in St. Petersburg as great boating destinations. In fact, most of the secret spots Regal Boats highlight are on the west coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Egmont Key is only accessible by boat. This Tampa Bay island is known for its wildlife as much as its boat excursions.

Florida is the country's third most populated state with over 22 million people. The weather, plus the coastlines, make the area attractive to those seeking warmth year-round.  You might think that coastal living is prohibitively expensive. But that's not always the case. Thrillist recently reported on affordable coastal towns and the results show two Florida beach towns are the most affordable in the country.

In order to create this list, Thrillist researched Zillow information to find "which US beach towns have some of the lowest real estate prices at the current moment." They note that while major markets like Miami saw a significant increase in real estate prices since the pandemic, there are plenty of more quaint beachside towns where you can find reasonably priced waterfront properties.

This Atlantic-facing, east coast beach destination had a median home price of $256,550. In fact, Daytona Beach is the first spot mentioned on Thrillist's list. They highlight Daytona's close proximity to Orlando and Jacksonville if you crave some bigger city happenings. The area intends to change its image from being a spring break destination to something a bit more high-end.

The last spot featured by Thrillist was Deerfield Beach. With a median home price of $297,138, Deerfield Beach benefits from being close to large markets like Palm Beach where prices have significantly increased. "Not only does this spot feel more local than many others along the coast, it’s also home to one of the best beaches in the area (it’s even been awarded the “Blue Wave” designation)," the article explains.

The other towns highlighted here were spread throughout the country. Port Arthur and Freeport, Texas offered the cheapest real estate price for their bayside and gulf area. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Swansboro, North Carolina were two other southern Atlantic coast destinations that are affordable (but more expensive than Florida).

Though these two Florida beach towns are amongst the most affordable, they are also unique in their own right. Let's take a dive into the waters of each one.