As the second half of the summer starts, people continue to use the warm weather as a reason to go to the beach. Many beaches are on inland lakes, while others are on the ocean. Many beach cities have a mix of permanent residents and people who are visitors. As a matter of fact, many beach towns rely on tourists for the majority of their economic activity.

There are a number of ways to measure America’s favorite beaches. Some have well-liked attractions like casinos and theme parks. Others are isolated and private. Some are affordable. Others, which are havens for the rich, like Nantucket, are dominated by people with sky high incomes.

The Family Vacation looked at beaches along America’s ocean coast to answer the question “What Is The Most Beautiful Beach In The US?” The researchers looked at Trip Advisor data and Instagram posts to decide on the best beach in America. Reviews have to include the word “beautiful.”

Each beach was given a score from 1 to 10. The top four beaches were all in Florida. They include Panama Beach (score 9.52), Pensacola (9.12), St. Pete (8.68), and Navarre Beach (8.37). Notably, none of these beaches are in large cities.

Panama Beach is in an isolated part of Florida along the Panhandle area, west of state capital Tallahassee. It is far from Florida’s large coastal cities which include Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville. Its population is only 18,294 permanent residents, according to the Census. Obviously, the area is much larger when part time residents and tourists are included.

Interestingly, Panama City is middle class–at best. Median household income was $65,253. The median value of a home is $266,900, well below the national average.

It is hard to say why smaller beach cities do so well. For Panama City, it does not matter.

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