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Living in Santa Catarina

A city-by-city guide with a source for every number, and move-in-ready homes with a licensed broker, CRECI-SC nº 78667.

Tall buildings along the Balneário Camboriú waterfront, seen from the seaBalneário CamboriúSCView of Praia Brava, in Itajaí, from Morro do Careca in the late afternoonPraia BravaItajaíLate afternoon at Cabeçudas beach, in Itajaí, with the breakwater and the harbor lighthouse in the backgroundCabeçudasItajaí
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Balneário Camboriú: Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Praia Brava: Photo: Eduardo Marquetti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Cabeçudas: Photo: Lfcp.fernando, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Featured homes

A selection with large photos and the price up front. Tap to see the full listing.

Oceanfront towers of Balneário Camboriú seen from the sea

Who moves to SC

354k

more people moved to Santa Catarina than left between 2017 and 2022, the largest net gain in Brazil (IBGE, 2022 Census).

14 cities with over 100,000 people, compared with sources and dates

8.8 homicides per 100,000 in SC, the lowest estimated rate among Brazil's states (Atlas da Violência 2026)

SC's 14 cities

The 14 cities in SC with more than 100,000 people, in alphabetical order. Tap a city to see its numbers; the comparison tool puts up to 3 side by side.

  • Balneário Camboriú

    Residents
    139,155
    Average rent
    US$ 12.64 (R$ 63.70)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    9.4
    See the city
  • Blumenau

    Residents
    361,261
    Average rent
    US$ 7.07 (R$ 35.60)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    5.8
    See the city
  • Brusque

    Residents
    141,385
    Average rent
    US$ 7.17 (R$ 36.10)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    2.6
    See the city
  • Camboriú

    Residents
    103,074
    Average rent
    no data
    Homicides per 100,000
    9.7
    See the city
  • Chapecó

    Residents
    254,785
    Average rent
    US$ 6.95 (R$ 35.00)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    13.0
    See the city
  • Criciúma

    Residents
    214,493
    Average rent
    US$ 5.78 (R$ 29.10)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    7.5
    See the city
  • Florianópolis

    Residents
    537,211
    Average rent
    US$ 10.78 (R$ 54.30)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    9.7
    See the city
  • Itajaí

    Residents
    264,054
    Average rent
    US$ 11.33 (R$ 57.10)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    16.4
    See the city
  • Jaraguá do Sul

    Residents
    182,660
    Average rent
    US$ 6.41 (R$ 32.30)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    2.0
    See the city
  • Joinville

    Residents
    616,317
    Average rent
    US$ 6.19 (R$ 31.20)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    8.1
    See the city
  • Lages

    Residents
    164,981
    Average rent
    US$ 4.59 (R$ 23.10)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    8.7
    See the city
  • Palhoça

    Residents
    222,598
    Average rent
    US$ 7.23 (R$ 36.40)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    6.9
    See the city
  • São José

    Residents
    270,299
    Average rent
    US$ 7.78 (R$ 39.20)/m²
    Homicides per 100,000
    10.0
    See the city
  • Tubarão

    Residents
    110,088
    Average rent
    no data
    Homicides per 100,000
    5.2
    See the city
View sources

Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census, SIDRA table 4709 (2022); A Corrida dos Bairros, apartment listings (value = median of listings, excluding condo fee and property tax) (Sep 2026, accessed Sep 26, 2026); Atlas da Violência 2026 (Ipea/FBSP), estimated homicide rate, via NSC Total (2024 data, published May 26, 2026). Tubarão and Camboriú have no rent data from a reliable source.

Marcelo, from Mudei pra SC, with the Balneário Camboriú beachfront behind him

I'm Marcelo

Real estate broker since 1995, CRECI-SC nº 78667. Read my story and watch every city on the channel (in Portuguese).

Frequently asked questions

What is the best city to live in Santa Catarina?

It depends on what matters most to you: safety, rent, wages, schools, the beach or work. The site shows the numbers for the 14 cities in SC with over 100,000 people, with sources and dates, and the comparison tool lets you change the weight of each criterion.

Do you sell off-plan properties?

Not in this showcase. The site lists move-in-ready homes (or delivered this year) and exclusive listings by Marcelo. Whole properties only: no fractions, shares or timeshares.

Where do the numbers come from?

Public sources: IBGE, INEP, the Ministry of Health, Atlas da Violência, ANP, FipeZap and public property listings. The source and date are under each block.

Moving to SC? Talk to me

Tell me the city, the type of property and your timeline. I reply personally on WhatsApp, in English, with what I have checked, including what doesn't fit. We don't have an email list yet: when it opens, we'll announce it here.

Chat on WhatsApp

WhatsApp +55 (47) 99119-8143 · Marcelo · licensed real estate broker · CRECI-SC 78667. WhatsApp opens with a ready-made message; this site does not store your data. See the privacy policy.

Approximate values converted at the Central Bank of Brazil PTAX rate of Oct 23, 2026 (US$ 1 = R$ 5.0377). Prices are set in Brazilian reais (R$).

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