Study Finds the 12 Best Beaches in the Southeast US—Out of 1,300 Analyzed

In a first-of-its-kind study by Beach.com, analyzing over 1,300 beaches in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, Florida dominates the rankings for best beaches in the U.S. Southeast.

Using NASA satellite data, natural language processing, and proximity data, we identify the best beaches in the U.S. Southeast, supported by hundreds of thousands of data points.

A clear narrative emerges: Florida’s Atlantic coast, particularly Palm Beach County, is home to the bluest, clearest water and highest-rated experiences in the Southeast. Most of these beaches are on Florida’s East Coast. However, if you’re looking for beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast, you should check out our guide to Florida’s Best Gulf Coast Beaches.

What makes a beach “best” is not just difficult to measure but also highly subjective. To answer this question with the broadest scope and highest quality possible, we identified aspects that are most likely to contribute to a superior beach experience, for anyone. The following beaches are ranked based on 10 key factors, informed by data analytics and expert insights. Regardless of your ideal beach vibe, the following factors are likely important to you when planning the perfect beach vacation.

The following top-ranking beaches all score high in the following:

The data paints a perfect picture of the absolute #1 best beach in the southeast U.S. Ocean Reef Park, in Palm Beach County, Florida, boasts some of the bluest and clearest water in our entire analysis. It’s the kind of Instagrammable beach that everyone craves.

Beachgoers’ opinions also support the science; reviewers on Google Maps praise the park’s trash-free and environmentally clean environment. While access to the beach and its facilities is positively discussed, visitors rave about the overall experience, using very positive, strong language to describe their time here.

More Info: discover.pbcgov.org; 3860 N Ocean Dr, Riviera Beach, FL 33404

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the #2 best beach in the U.S. southeast is just a one-mile stone’s throw from our #1. With nearly identical, crystal-clear, and very blue water quality, Riviera Beach almost ties with Ocean Reef Park. As with our #1 beach, Riviera Beach boasts strong, very positive reviews for its environmental cleanliness and overall experience.

In fact, with over 4,600 reviews and a 4.7-star rating average on Google, Riviera Beach is clearly a crowd-pleaser. With that many reviews, its very positive rating for strong, emotion-laden reviews is a testament to the superb value this beach offers.

More Info: thepalmbeaches.com; 2500 N Ocean Ave, Riviera Beach, FL 33404

The real MVP of our analysis is Palm Beach County, where yet again, our #3 best beach in the U.S. southeast is located — John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. It’s a couple of miles north of Riviera Beach and hosts the same very blue, crystal clear water that rivals any tropical postcard.

What really sets this beach apart is that it earns the second-highest environmental score in our 1,300-beach analysis. This beach is so pristine that virtually nobody has anything negative to say about its well-kept coastline.

What also sets the John D. MacArthur Beach apart is seclusion. While our #1 and #2 beaches are idyllic, they can witness more crowds than the 438-acre MacArthur Beach State Park. If perfectly blue, crystal-clear water in an untouched environment, away from crowds, is your thing, then our #3 is your #1.

More Info: floridastateparks.org; 10900 Jack Nicklaus Dr, North Palm Beach, FL 33408

Heading north up the coast, about eight miles from John D. MacArthur, is Carlin Park in Jupiter, Florida, which, of course, is in Palm Beach County. Carlin Park earns its place with well-rounded placements in each of our ten categories. While the water color barely qualifies as very blue in our results and has very clear, but not crystal clear, water, the rest of the metrics propel it to its rank.

Carline Park has higher-rated beach facilities than all the beaches that rank above it. Visitors also frequently use very strong, positive emotions to describe their experiences at this beach. In fact, Carlin Park elicits the fifth-strongest positive emotions from beachgoer reviews. Additionally, it earns a very positive rating for environmental cleanliness and overall experience.

More Info: discover.pbcgov.org; 400 Jimmy Buffett Mem Hwy, Jupiter, FL 33477

Nestled between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale is the Pompano Beach Fisher Family Pier in Pompano Beach, Florida. With the duo of both crystal-clear and very blue water, this beach is a visual knockout, and the data backs it up.

Pompano Beach earns very positive scores for environmental cleanliness, strong positive reviews, and an overall excellent experience. The beach only earned a positive rating for its facilities. However, it’s worth mentioning that no beach in our analysis earned a very positive rating for facilities. In fact, Pompano Beach has the fourth-best facilities rating in the entire analysis.

More Info: parks.pompanobeachfl.gov; 222 N Pompano Beach Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Off to the Gulf side of things, where Pensacola Beach makes its mark. The beach boasts clear and blue waters (not the very clear and very blue of its higher-ranked competitors). While the water is not quite as blue and transparent as some spots in Southeast Florida, it is a highly reviewed and beloved beach.

With over 8,000 Google reviews, it has nearly double the reviews of the second-most rated beach in the top 12. Despite the impressive volume of reviews, the beach maintains a near-perfect 4.8-star rating. Data aside, this is one of the beaches in the U.S. Southeast that I can personally attest to as a stellar experience.

visitpensacolabeach.com; 41 Fort Pickens Rd, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561

Back to the Florida east coast, but further north. Just an hour’s drive from Daytona Beach is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park in Palm Coast, Florida. Coquina rock formations, manicured rose gardens, giant towering oak trees and tide pools — this is what this beach brings to the table.

Washington Oaks also features blue (though not very blue) and clear (though not crystal clear) waters. Yet, the environment is so pristine that the beach ranks #3 overall in our environmental cleanliness category. Washington Oaks is such a well-rounded experience that it ranks #1 overall in the entire analysis in the overall experience category.

More Info: floridastateparks.org; 6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137

Down to Florida’s Treasure Coast, where Jaycee Park in Vero Beach, Florida, punches well above its weight. What makes Jaycee Park a standout is its excellent beach access. Only one of two beaches in the top 12 ranks earns a very positive rating for its access; you can rely on ample parking, mere steps away from the shore.

With clear, blue waters and very positive scores for environmental cleanliness, overall experience and strong, positive reviewer language, Jaycee Park may be small, but with over 2,500 reviews and a 4.7 average star rating, this beach earns the right to play with the big dogs.

More Info: covb.org; 4200 Ocean Dr, Vero Beach, FL 32963

Back to the Gulf coast, nestled in between Destin and Panama City Beach, is Grayton Beach State Park. Satellite analysis reveals that this beach consistently has very clear blue waters. Reviews for environmental cleanliness rank it #8 overall in that category.

Although the beach is about an hour away from the closest airport, it offers 2,000 acres of pristine scenery. This beach can require a little more effort to reach, but if seclusion and avoiding the crowds is a top factor in what makes a beach best for you, then Grayton Beach State Park should be in your top three to visit in the southeast U.S.

More Info: floridastateparks.org; 357 Main Park Rd, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Just 15 miles north of Fort Lauderdale is the very pedestrian-friendly Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. This beach receives the highest marks in our water analysis, earning a designation of crystal-clear and very blue waters. In fact, Lauderdale-by-the-sea has the 15th clearest waters in the entire analysis.

At just around 15 miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, you don’t have to go too far out of your way to access this local gem full of coastal town charm. While access, particularly parking, can be a bit tricky here sometimes, it’s not the hardest city beach to get to. Although it receives a fair amount of traffic, the beach facilities rank as the 12th best in the entire analysis.

More Info: discoverlbts.com; 4229 N Ocean Dr, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL 33308

This one’s a hidden gem. Tucked away in the far northeast corner of Palm Beach County, Florida, is Coral Cove Park in the village of Tequesta. It may be tucked out of sight and is not as frequently reviewed on Google as its higher-ranking competitors, but don’t let that fool you. The beach boasts very clear and very blue waters, like all the other beaches in the top 12.

Additionally, Coral Cove Park is extremely accessible. It earns the eighth-best score for accessibility among all the beaches in our analysis, receiving a very positive rating, and is only the second beach in this top 12 to achieve a very positive access rating. It also has the 11th-best beach facilities out of over 1,300 beaches studied.

More Info: discover.pbc.gov; 19450 County Hwy 707, Tequesta, FL 33469

Rounding out our top 12, we end where we began in Palm Beach County, Florida. As you’ve likely noticed, the last four beaches in our analysis are all tied for ninth place. Juno Beach Park in Juno Beach, Florida, is a dog-friendly coastline with crystal-clear, very blue waters, a picnic area and a pier. It earns a very positive rating in the environmental cleanliness, overall experience and the strong, positive language categories.

Just a 30-minute drive from West Palm Beach airport, but far enough away from the West Palm Beach metro to escape most of the hustle and bustle of the city. Although there is plenty of parking, the beach doesn’t rank very high for beach access, with many citing the crowded conditions that can be found here. However, with over 3,000 reviews and a 4.8 average star rating on Google, few can find anything bad to say about Juno Beach Park.

More Info: discover.pbcgov.org; 14775 U.S. Hwy 1, Juno Beach, FL 33408

If you’re looking for the best beaches in the U.S. Southeast, the data points definitively towards Florida, specifically Palm Beach County. Every beach in the top 12 list above is located in the Sunshine State, and six are in Palm Beach County, including the top three best beaches — Ocean Reef Park, Riviera Beach, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, and Carlin Park.

However, that is not to say that the other states in the Southeast don’t have standout postcard-perfect beaches. Our study analyzed over 1,300 beaches, with just over 350 making it into the final results. Of those, 267 were located in Florida, 46 in North Carolina, 35 in South Carolina, and 17 in Georgia.

For instance, Bonnet Street Public Beach Access in Nags Head, North Carolina, ranks #1 in the entire study for its accessibility and also #1 for the most-positive, strong opinions category. In other words, Bonnet Street Public Beach Access is a true crowd-pleaser, eliciting the strongest and most positive emotions from reviewers among all the beaches we examined.

The Great Dunes Pavilion in Jekyll Island, Georgia, ranks #1 in the facilities condition category. While facilities alone are no reason to visit a beach, you won’t find any in better shape across the whole southeastern U.S.

When it comes to the cornerstone of this study, water color and clarity analysis via satellite data, not all beaches are created equal. According to our data, which examined five years of MODIS-Aqua satellite information, there are a total of 39 beaches in the Southeast that strike the perfect balance of very blue and crystal-clear water; it’s the ideal combination of low chlorophyll-a concentrations and high blue-band reflectance.

Amazingly, there is one beach in the southeast that takes #1 for both the bluest water and the clearest water. Delray Public Beach in (you guessed it) Palm Beach County, Florida, has the most optically pristine beach waters in the analysis, out of 1,300 beaches analyzed. This is what the perfect water of Delray Public Beach looks like:

Separating water color from clarity, 148 beaches in our analysis have blue or very blue water color, while another 218 have slightly green, murky green, or deep green waters. On the clarity side, 127 beaches have clear, very clear, or crystal clear water. Funny enough, another 127 have fairly turbid or very turbid waters.

When we consider environmental conditions from a crowd perspective, Crescent Beach in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, takes the top spot. No other beach in the entire analysis is as highly praised for its clean and pristine environment. This is even despite the fact that Crescent Beach has slightly green and fairly turbid waters, proving that what is best is truly subjective.

Satellite data tells one story, but what do real beachgoers say?

For starters, the most reviewed beach in our analysis is Siesta Beach in Siesta Key, Florida, with over 25,000 Google reviews. Despite the volume, it maintains a 4.8-star average rating on Google. Despite its typically slightly green and fairly clear waters, Siesta Beach is clearly a crowd favorite, thanks to its excellent beach facilities and the strong, positive emotions elicited from reviewers. We already have your vacation planned. Check out our dreamy three-day Siesta Key itinerary and pack your bags!

The beaches with the highest average star rating on Google are Frisco Beach in Hatteras, North Carolina, and Cumberland Island National Seashore in St. Marys, Georgia; each has a 4.9 average. However, it’s worth noting that both of these beaches have some of the fewest reviews in the analysis, and Frisco Beach, with only 153 reviews, is the least reviewed of the final 365 beaches.

Nevertheless, of the final 365 beaches, every single beach, save one, had positive or very positive average sentiments in our strong opinions category, which means that when reviewers choose to elicit strong emotions about a beach, they’re overwhelmingly positive strong emotions for 365 of these beaches.

Only 19 beaches received a very positive designation for easy, quick, and painless beach accessibility, making it one of the more challenging categories for beaches to rank well in. A whopping 133 beaches received a very positive designation for environmental cleanliness. Still, 95% of the beaches in our final analysis landed at least a positive designation in the access and environment categories.

The weakest categorical link is the provision of beach facilities. The most frequent criticism of beach conditions is the state of beach facilities. However, 86% of the final 365 beaches analyzed received at least a positive rating for facility cleanliness.

For something like the conditions of bathrooms and showers in a public area, an 86% positivity rate is pretty good. In fact, most of these beaches are idyllic. Negative sentiments were almost non-existent across all categories for all beaches. Only two beaches received a negative designation, and both were in the environmental cleanliness category.

The Southeast has no shortage of spectacular beaches. Although Florida clearly delivers the clearest, bluest waters and best-reviewed shorelines, and dominates the results, you can hardly go wrong with the pristine beaches of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, too. Check out our more niche selection, such as the Best Beaches in North Carolina for Families, for example.

We are your go-to source for all your beach travel inspiration. From hidden gems to the best of the best, join us at Beach.com, where we will connect you with your ideal beach destination in the U.S. and beyond. So what are you waiting for? The shore is calling, let’s go!

To identify and rank the best beaches in the U.S. Southeast, we compiled a comprehensive list of coastal beaches using OpenStreetMap data and a buffer-based coastal filter implemented via GeoPandas. We cross-referenced this list with EPA BEACON records, ultimately identifying 1,346 unique beaches across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

We then collected Google Maps reviews for each beach, filtering by 340 custom keywords related to accessibility, environmental cleanliness, amenities, and public sentiment. This yielded 223,877 relevant review excerpts across 711 beaches. We applied natural language processing using the RoBERTa Base sentiment model to analyze sentiment at the sentence level, assessing how each keyword was discussed. Beaches with fewer than 10 qualifying reviews in any category were excluded, leaving 397 for scoring.

To assess water quality, we analyzed MODIS-Aqua satellite data via Google Earth Engine, focusing on chlorophyll-a, turbidity (Kd_490, estimated using a published model), and water color. We collected five years of summer-only data (2019–2023) and used direct sampling, offshore nudging, or buffered spatial averaging to extract values for 739 beaches.

For airport accessibility, we calculated straight-line distances from each beach to the nearest commercial airport using Haversine geometry.

Finally, we scored each beach using a weighted composite of nine metrics, including satellite-derived water data, public sentiment, and Google Maps ratings, to produce an overall ranking. Manual quality checks ensured only true beaches remained, resulting in 365 beaches included in the final analysis.

When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Beach.com.