It’s the biggest little city you’ve never heard of, located between motorsports-crazed Daytona Beach and Orlando of Disney Magic fame. Somehow, Deltona Beach (yes, you read that name right!) is a quiet residential town smack in between the bigger tourist destinations, and clearly, people love it, because it continues to grow.
The U.S. Census reported in 2024 that Florida’s population as a whole is booming. The state was number one in the U.S. for total net migration, meaning more people are flocking to the state than are leaving. Specifically, Deltona has seen its own growth as people looking for affordable housing and budget-minded proximity to larger hubs have flocked there. Situated in Volusia County, directly across Lake Monroe from historic Sanford, Central Florida’s best-kept secret town, Deltona is one of the top 10 most affordable cities in Florida based on median home-to-income ratios and property taxes.
Interestingly, the city was planned out some six decades ago as a completely residential area colloquially known as a bedroom community, which means most residents commuted outside the city to work and there weren’t many local businesses. As the Orlando Sentinel put it, “Deltona was pine woods and moonshine stills when the bulldozers began arriving in the early 1960s.” But the town’s bedroom community vibe has shifted toward more infrastructure, fostering a thriving economic hub. It’s now full of gardens, golf clubs, recreation areas, sports, and eateries, boasting proximity to great beaches, an environmental center, and a nature preserve. Plus, Amazon is building its second facility in the area, meaning the suburbs will continue to expand. Visitors and prospective residents who want a cheaper, quiet destination away from the bustle of Orlando may look to Deltona as a good place to stay.
Deltona is a bedroom community growing into something more
Deltona invented itself as an inland Florida bedroom community miles away from Orlando and Daytona Beach. Now, it’s reinventing itself, expanding infrastructure projects like a freshwater intake facility, building new medical provider centers, and bolstering education centers while big corporations like Amazon help grow its economy. Although it’s likely still some years away from being a regular landing place for tourists, Deltona is a fairly crime-free community with a lot of potential and proximity to appealing destinations. The area’s suburban sprawl offers visitors and residents most of the quintessential suburban amenities, like major chain restaurants and grocery stores.
To get to Deltona, you can fly into Daytona Beach Airport (DAB), about half an hour’s drive away, or into Orlando International Airport (MCO), about 45 minutes away. While Americans agree trains are the best way to travel, Florida is still working on its railway expansions, and there isn’t a train stop directly at MCO. Though Deltona doesn’t have its own stop on southern Florida’s SunRail, there are stops in nearby Volusia County’s DeBary and DeLand. DeLand also has an Amtrak station about 13 miles north of Deltona, giving the small Florida county an extra national connection. Orlando typically has more frequent and affordable flight options, but if you don’t want to rent a car from MCO, you can catch a local Lynx bus to the Orlando SunRail station and hop on the SunRail train to DeBary, another town in Volusia County just seven miles from Deltona.
Nature, parks, and free beach access are Deltona’s best-kept assets
