homesbycounty

County housing intelligence

Florida Housing Market by County

Florida is not one housing market. Across 67 counties, the median county home value is $254,300 and the median county rent is $1,230/mo. The useful question is not whether Florida is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.

County median home value

$254,300

Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.

County median rent

$1,230/mo

Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.

Counties compared

67

Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.

Market brief

The state-level housing signal

These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.

Purchase price

State county median vs national benchmark

10% better
State$254,300
U.S.$281,900

Rent

State county median vs national benchmark

6% pressure
State$1,230
U.S.$1,163

Owner cost

State county median vs national benchmark

38% better
State$1,041
U.S.$1,672

Income base

State county median vs national benchmark

12% pressure
State$66,154
U.S.$74,755

Tax rate

State county median vs national benchmark

28% better
State0.74%
U.S.1.02%

The Florida Pattern

These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.

Price geography

Monroe County, Collier County, St. Johns County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Dixie County, Taylor County, Holmes County anchor the lower-cost end.

Rent reality

Monroe County, Palm Beach County, Broward County lead on rent, while Calhoun County, Jefferson County, Dixie County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.

Decision lens

Dixie County, Holmes County, Lafayette County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.

Best Counties by Housing Goal

Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.

Cheapest to buy

Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.

Best buy affordability

Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.

  1. 1. Dixie County

    2.0x home-value-to-income

  2. 2. Holmes County

    2.1x home-value-to-income

  3. 3. Lafayette County

    2.2x home-value-to-income

  4. 4. Liberty County

    2.2x home-value-to-income

  5. 5. Madison County

    2.2x home-value-to-income

Cheapest to rent

Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.

Lowest rent burden

Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.

  1. 1. Gilchrist County

    19.0% rent burden

  2. 2. Lafayette County

    19.0% rent burden

  3. 3. Suwannee County

    19.0% rent burden

  4. 4. Dixie County

    22.0% rent burden

  5. 5. Liberty County

    24.0% rent burden

Lowest tax-rate signal

Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.

  1. 1. Walton County

    0.45% effective tax rate

  2. 2. Washington County

    0.50% effective tax rate

  3. 3. Holmes County

    0.52% effective tax rate

  4. 4. Monroe County

    0.54% effective tax rate

  5. 5. Jackson County

    0.55% effective tax rate

Owner-cost advantage

Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.

  1. 1. Flagler County

    $524/mo cheaper to own than rent

  2. 2. Sarasota County

    $519/mo cheaper to own than rent

  3. 3. Walton County

    $454/mo cheaper to own than rent

  4. 4. Taylor County

    $411/mo cheaper to own than rent

  5. 5. Glades County

    $396/mo cheaper to own than rent

Income-backed value

Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.

  1. 1. Lafayette County

    $60,692 income, 2.2x value-to-income

  2. 2. Santa Rosa County

    $88,968 income, 3.4x value-to-income

  3. 3. Clay County

    $86,094 income, 3.3x value-to-income

  4. 4. Union County

    $64,922 income, 2.5x value-to-income

  5. 5. Wakulla County

    $74,183 income, 2.9x value-to-income

Tradeoffs to Check

The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.

SignalCountyWhat it means
Cheap price, weaker income baseDixie County

$96,900 home value, $47,655 income

Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low.
Affordable homes, higher tax rateDixie County

$96,900 home value, 0.74% tax rate

A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill.
Renter pressureGlades County

$927/mo rent, 42.00% rent burden

Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost.
Expensive, but income-supportedMonroe County

$723,800 home value, $82,430 income

Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation.

Compare Every Florida County

Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.

Swipe sideways to compare all metrics.
CountyHome ValueRentIncomeValue/IncomeTax Rate
Dixie County$96,900$792/mo$47,655
2.0x
0.74%
Holmes County$101,400$823/mo$48,236
2.1x
0.52%
Lafayette County$131,600$880/mo$60,692
2.2x
0.65%
Liberty County$117,600$968/mo$53,824
2.2x
0.88%
Madison County$105,900$819/mo$48,176
2.2x
0.88%
Taylor County$100,200$878/mo$44,985
2.2x
0.72%
Hamilton County$110,400$819/mo$47,696
2.3x
0.73%
Hardee County$129,400$954/mo$54,231
2.4x
1.05%
Jackson County$113,900$846/mo$47,327
2.4x
0.55%
Union County$160,400$846/mo$64,922
2.5x
0.58%
Calhoun County$134,000$680/mo$46,901
2.9x
0.55%
Suwannee County$160,900$849/mo$55,479
2.9x
0.73%
Wakulla County$216,300$1,155/mo$74,183
2.9x
0.65%
Bradford County$180,300$838/mo$59,740
3.0x
0.57%
DeSoto County$151,500$910/mo$50,868
3.0x
0.87%
Glades County$114,800$927/mo$38,905
3.0x
1.01%
Washington County$156,000$884/mo$52,723
3.0x
0.50%
Gilchrist County$191,000$855/mo$61,070
3.1x
0.68%
Putnam County$147,300$902/mo$47,256
3.1x
0.81%
Baker County$225,000$1,011/mo$70,833
3.2x
0.63%
Highlands County$177,900$980/mo$55,581
3.2x
0.73%
Levy County$171,400$826/mo$53,805
3.2x
0.65%
Clay County$281,500$1,464/mo$86,094
3.3x
0.74%
Columbia County$186,400$915/mo$55,070
3.4x
0.74%
Gadsden County$154,700$792/mo$46,047
3.4x
0.55%
Okeechobee County$179,000$974/mo$52,288
3.4x
0.75%
Santa Rosa County$302,100$1,445/mo$88,968
3.4x
0.60%
Gulf County$235,700$1,161/mo$67,361
3.5x
0.57%
Jefferson County$198,800$790/mo$56,984
3.5x
0.68%
Escambia County$234,200$1,234/mo$65,715
3.6x
0.60%
Hendry County$189,700$958/mo$53,044
3.6x
0.80%
Hernando County$240,700$1,209/mo$63,193
3.8x
0.72%
Marion County$220,800$1,174/mo$58,535
3.8x
0.75%
Polk County$240,000$1,272/mo$63,644
3.8x
0.74%
Bay County$276,900$1,424/mo$70,188
3.9x
0.60%
Nassau County$351,100$1,335/mo$88,900
3.9x
0.73%
Pasco County$265,800$1,372/mo$67,384
3.9x
0.76%
Brevard County$304,400$1,456/mo$75,817
4.0x
0.70%
Citrus County$223,200$1,069/mo$55,355
4.0x
0.59%
Duval County$274,900$1,385/mo$68,447
4.0x
0.78%
Franklin County$254,300$1,044/mo$62,734
4.1x
0.62%
Lake County$287,900$1,468/mo$69,956
4.1x
0.79%
Okaloosa County$324,800$1,475/mo$79,097
4.1x
0.60%
Volusia County$278,000$1,368/mo$66,581
4.2x
0.78%
Leon County$279,800$1,230/mo$65,074
4.3x
0.82%
Seminole County$357,300$1,686/mo$83,030
4.3x
0.70%
St. Johns County$457,600$1,775/mo$106,169
4.3x
0.78%
Charlotte County$291,000$1,289/mo$66,154
4.4x
0.89%
Hillsborough County$333,300$1,543/mo$75,011
4.4x
0.84%
Indian River County$314,700$1,284/mo$71,049
4.4x
0.73%
St. Lucie County$305,800$1,489/mo$69,027
4.4x
0.95%
Alachua County$266,800$1,255/mo$59,659
4.5x
0.98%
Lee County$326,300$1,597/mo$73,099
4.5x
0.83%
Pinellas County$319,000$1,525/mo$70,293
4.5x
0.73%
Flagler County$333,400$1,687/mo$72,923
4.6x
0.79%
Osceola County$317,600$1,651/mo$68,711
4.6x
0.79%
Sarasota County$373,100$1,715/mo$80,633
4.6x
0.76%
Manatee County$359,800$1,549/mo$75,792
4.7x
0.79%
Orange County$358,300$1,675/mo$77,011
4.7x
0.78%
Walton County$376,400$1,674/mo$79,281
4.7x
0.45%
Martin County$386,500$1,499/mo$80,701
4.8x
0.81%
Sumter County$356,000$1,225/mo$73,297
4.9x
0.83%
Palm Beach County$407,300$1,818/mo$81,115
5.0x
0.88%
Broward County$380,400$1,804/mo$74,534
5.1x
0.95%
Collier County$486,800$1,752/mo$86,173
5.6x
0.66%
Miami-Dade County$425,400$1,731/mo$68,694
6.2x
0.83%
Monroe County$723,800$1,959/mo$82,430
8.8x
0.54%

Questions This Page Answers

Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.

What is the typical home value in Florida by county?
The median county home value in Florida is $254,300. County medians vary widely, so the best comparison is county-to-county rather than one statewide average.
What is the typical rent in Florida by county?
The median county rent in Florida is $1,230/mo. The lowest-rent counties in the current data include Calhoun County, Jefferson County, Dixie County.
Which Florida counties are most affordable to buy in?
Dixie County, Holmes County, Lafayette County have some of the lowest home-value-to-income ratios in Florida, which makes them stronger purchase-affordability screens than home value alone.
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
A low home value can come with lower local income, higher property-tax rates, weaker services, or thin data coverage. Check price, rent burden, income, and tax rate together before comparing counties.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.