Best Cities to Live in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Wesley Chapel ($437,500 median), St. Cloud ($414,990 median), Jacksonville ($309,450 median), Fort Myers ($235,900 median), Lakeland ($329,900 median), Orlando ($407,500 median), Davenport ($385,000 median), Clermont ($438,065 median), Naples ($429,000 median), New Port Richey ($270,000 median). 52 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

Florida's 52 largest markets, ranked

Place	Score	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Share of income	5-yr appreciation / yr	County pop. growth	Months supply	Homes for sale
1. Wesley Chapel Pasco	57.3	$437,500	$2,907	32%	+5.6%	+15.3%	4.7	709
2. St. Cloud Osceola	57.0	$414,990	$2,739	38%	+3.4%	+20.2%	4.8	1,142
3. Jacksonville Duval	56.5	$309,450	$2,085	37%	+5.5%	+9.0%	3.7	4,036
4. Fort Myers Lee · list-based	55.8	$235,900	$1,642	27%	+2.3%	+10.3%	30% pending	1,295
5. Lakeland Polk · list-based	55.8	$329,900	$2,233	28%	+3.8%	+13.8%	10% pending	1,222
6. Orlando Orange	55.7	$407,500	$2,707	41%	+5.2%	+9.0%	4.2	4,128
7. Davenport Polk · list-based	55.6	$385,000	$2,590	42%	+4.0%	+20.2%	13% pending	1,714
8. Clermont Lake	55.4	$438,065	$2,934	40%	+5.2%	+18.9%	3.3	725
9. Naples Collier · list-based	55.2	$429,000	$2,731	35%	+4.8%	+6.5%	34% pending	1,853
10. New Port Richey Pasco	55.1	$270,000	$1,821	42%	+3.1%	+15.3%	5.0	1,021
11. West Palm Beach Palm Beach · list-based	54.8	$315,000	$2,177	33%	+5.3%	+4.2%	12% pending	1,723
12. Kissimmee Osceola	54.7	$394,500	$2,608	46%	+1.5%	+20.2%	6.2	2,918
13. Parrish Manatee	54.7	$375,000	$2,562	29%	+3.1%	+11.3%	3.3	752
14. Delray Beach Palm Beach · list-based	54.6	$285,000	$1,976	34%	+5.3%	+4.2%	9% pending	1,463
15. Ocala Marion · list-based	54.5	$294,900	$1,866	45%	+4.7%	+11.3%	14% pending	2,772
16. St. Augustine St. Johns	54.5	$453,314	$2,981	29%	+4.5%	—	3.2	1,069
17. Riverview Hillsborough	54.5	$367,000	$2,452	30%	+3.0%	+8.0%	4.5	748
18. Tampa Hillsborough	54.4	$437,000	$2,903	44%	+5.3%	+8.0%	3.7	3,518
19. St. Petersburg Pinellas	54.4	$454,000	$3,144	53%	+14.4%	+0.3%	4.1	2,394
20. Gainesville Alachua	53.9	$370,000	$2,427	48%	+7.8%	+7.1%	4.4	816
21. Pensacola Escambia	53.4	$330,500	$2,304	40%	+5.9%	+3.8%	4.2	839
22. Palm Bay Brevard · list-based	53.3	$349,000	$2,377	40%	+3.6%	+7.6%	21% pending	1,155
23. Sarasota Sarasota · list-based	53.2	$550,000	$3,563	38%	+2.3%	+8.9%	14% pending	2,548
24. Boynton Beach Palm Beach · list-based	53.2	$339,900	$2,344	37%	+5.3%	+4.2%	10% pending	1,363
25. Winter Haven Polk · list-based	53.0	$284,990	$1,942	43%	+3.8%	+13.8%	14% pending	820

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change. Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-09-07; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

The top 10, in detail

1. Wesley Chapel, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $437,500 (-5.5% year over year), 702 sales in 12 months, 4.7 months of supply (balanced market), median 48 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,907 a month, 32% of the local median household income of $107,565; typical rent is $2,289. Prices compounded +5.6% a year over five years; the county grew +15.3% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Pasco County property tax

2. St. Cloud, Osceola County

Recorded median sale $414,990 (-1.0% year over year), 1,837 sales in 12 months, 4.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 46 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,739 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $86,900; typical rent is $2,301. Prices compounded +3.4% a year over five years; the county grew +20.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Osceola County property tax

3. Jacksonville, Duval County

Recorded median sale $309,450 (-2.1% year over year), 8,892 sales in 12 months, 3.7 months of supply (balanced market), median 43 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,085 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $68,363; typical rent is $1,627. Prices compounded +5.5% a year over five years; the county grew +9.0% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Duval County property tax

4. Fort Myers, Lee County

Median asking price $235,900 across 1,295 current listings, 30% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 60 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -5.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,642 a month, 27% of the local median household income of $73,336; typical rent is $1,777. Prices compounded +2.3% a year over five years; the county grew +10.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Lee County property tax

5. Lakeland, Polk County

Median asking price $329,900 across 1,222 current listings, 10% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 40 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.7% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,233 a month, 28% of the local median household income of $96,723; typical rent is $2,129. Prices compounded +3.8% a year over five years; the county grew +13.8% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Polk County property tax

6. Orlando, Orange County

Recorded median sale $407,500 (-2.2% year over year), 4,823 sales in 12 months, 4.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 42 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,707 a month, 41% of the local median household income of $80,177; typical rent is $1,994. Prices compounded +5.2% a year over five years; the county grew +9.0% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Orange County property tax

7. Davenport, Polk County

Median asking price $385,000 across 1,714 current listings, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 50 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -3.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,590 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $74,485; typical rent is $1,785. Prices compounded +4.0% a year over five years; the county grew +20.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Polk County property tax

8. Clermont, Lake County

Recorded median sale $438,065 (-1.9% year over year), 795 sales in 12 months, 3.3 months of supply (balanced market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,934 a month, 40% of the local median household income of $88,474; typical rent is $2,060. Prices compounded +5.2% a year over five years; the county grew +18.9% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Lake County property tax

9. Naples, Collier County

Median asking price $429,000 across 1,853 current listings, 34% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 73 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -3.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,731 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $94,702; typical rent is $2,575. Prices compounded +4.8% a year over five years; the county grew +6.5% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Collier County property tax

10. New Port Richey, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $270,000 (+1.7% year over year), 819 sales in 12 months, 5.0 months of supply (balanced market), median 45 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,821 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $52,396; typical rent is $1,649. Prices compounded +3.1% a year over five years; the county grew +15.3% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Pasco County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Florida's big cities by the numbers?

Wesley Chapel ranks first on our composite: $437,500 median, about $2,907 a month to own (32% of local median income), +5.6% a year appreciation over five years. The ranking is housing economics only; the right place for you also depends on commute, lifestyle and budget, which is what an agent narrows.

What is the cheapest place to live in Florida's big cities?

Deerfield Beach has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,514 a month on a $216,000 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in Florida's big cities?

St. Petersburg, at +14.4% a year compounded over five years; over the past twelve months it moved +0.3%.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: affordability (annual cost to own the median home divided by median household income, 35%), five-year compound appreciation (15%), county population growth (15%), market balance (distance of months of supply from 5, 10%), sales volume (10%), and the gap between owning and renting (15%). Every input is printed in the table; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-09-07 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.