Best place to raise kids in Florida: Venice Gardens

Nearby city: Bradenton
Population: 6,822
Median family income: $57,652
Runner-up: Willow Oak

Affordable homes in Venice Gardens make the community a popular destination for first-time home buyers and active older adults. Home values in Venice Gardens, which has a voluntary homeowners association with a community pool and clubhouse, averaged about $114,300 in August, according to Zillow.com. The area is removed from the more bustling shopping and business districts in Venice but provides easy access to them, according to the website of real estate broker Michael Saunders & Co.