Best Places to Live in Central Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Zephyrhills ($345,000 median), San Antonio ($330,000 median), Tavares ($329,990 median), Lady Lake ($231,500 median), Tampa ($430,000 median), Palm Bay ($318,325 median), St. Cloud ($414,990 median), Orlando ($415,000 median), Groveland ($372,113 median), Kissimmee ($387,990 median). 130 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.

130 cities in Central Florida, 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. Zephyrhills Pasco	57.1	$345,000	$2,362	51%	+9.5%	+15.3%	4.6	638
2. San Antonio Pasco	57.1	$330,000	$2,263	35%	+7.1%	+15.3%	4.4	150
3. Tavares Lake	56.7	$329,990	$2,282	44%	+6.8%	+18.9%	4.4	271
4. Lady Lake Lake	56.7	$231,500	$1,624	34%	+4.6%	+18.9%	4.4	178
5. Tampa Hillsborough	56.4	$430,000	$2,926	44%	+7.8%	+8.0%	4.0	3,559
6. Palm Bay Brevard	56.3	$318,325	$2,230	37%	+6.7%	+7.6%	5.3	1,154
7. St. Cloud Osceola	56.3	$414,990	$2,806	39%	+4.1%	+20.2%	3.2	1,146
8. Orlando Orange	56.2	$415,000	$2,822	42%	+6.3%	+9.0%	4.2	4,073
9. Groveland Lake	55.8	$372,113	$2,564	37%	+3.8%	+18.9%	4.5	255
10. Kissimmee Osceola	55.6	$387,990	$2,628	47%	+2.6%	+20.2%	6.6	2,959
11. Wesley Chapel Pasco	55.6	$425,000	$2,894	32%	+4.1%	+15.3%	3.8	673
12. Eustis Lake	55.2	$372,234	$2,565	51%	+8.6%	+18.9%	7.2	213
13. Ocala Marion	55.1	$292,070	$1,896	37%	+1.3%	+11.3%	4.4	2,681
14. Clermont Lake	55.1	$438,065	$3,004	41%	+4.5%	+18.9%	3.5	733
15. St. Petersburg Pinellas	54.9	$439,000	$3,112	54%	+11.4%	+0.3%	4.2	2,379
16. Leesburg Lake	54.8	$282,000	$1,962	44%	+2.6%	+18.9%	4.9	626
17. New Port Richey Pasco	54.7	$265,000	$1,831	42%	+2.4%	+15.3%	4.8	957
18. The Villages Sumter · list-based	54.4	$369,500	$2,428	39%	+3.8%	+18.9%	14% pending	328
19. Titusville Brevard	54.3	$292,000	$2,057	38%	+6.4%	+7.6%	5.6	299
20. Winter Park Orange	54.2	$449,000	$3,050	37%	+5.7%	+9.0%	4.5	364
21. Riverview Hillsborough	54.1	$362,000	$2,477	30%	+2.5%	+8.0%	4.6	762
22. Haines City Polk · list-based	54.1	$310,000	$2,153	43%	+3.3%	+13.8%	26% pending	515
23. Port Richey Pasco	54.1	$236,250	$1,640	43%	+3.4%	+15.3%	4.4	346
24. Holiday Pasco	54.1	$225,000	$1,565	39%	+3.0%	+15.3%	4.0	269
25. Melbourne Brevard	53.9	$385,000	$2,670	37%	+6.2%	+7.6%	3.2	714

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 2026-09-25; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Counties covered: Brevard, Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, Sumter, Volusia.

The top 10, in detail

1. Zephyrhills, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $345,000 (-1.2% year over year), 836 sales in 12 months, 4.6 months of supply (buyer's market), median 58 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,362 a month, 51% of the local median household income of $55,556; typical rent is $1,865. Prices compounded +9.5% 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. San Antonio, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $330,000 (-5.4% year over year), 335 sales in 12 months, 4.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 49 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,263 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $77,950; typical rent is $2,009. Prices compounded +7.1% a year over five years; the county grew +15.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Pasco County property tax

3. Tavares, Lake County

Recorded median sale $329,990 (-4.5% year over year), 435 sales in 12 months, 4.4 months of supply (buyer's market), median 69 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,282 a month, 44% of the local median household income of $61,815; typical rent is $2,057. Prices compounded +6.8% 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

4. Lady Lake, Lake County

Recorded median sale $231,500 (+3.7% year over year), 317 sales in 12 months, 4.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 46 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,624 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $57,536; typical rent is $1,555. Prices compounded +4.6% 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

5. Tampa, Hillsborough County

Recorded median sale $430,000 (+3.6% year over year), 5,135 sales in 12 months, 4.0 months of supply (balanced market), median 38 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,926 a month, 44% of the local median household income of $79,850; typical rent is $1,898. Prices compounded +7.8% a year over five years; the county grew +8.0% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Hillsborough County property tax

6. Palm Bay, Brevard County

Recorded median sale $318,325 (-2.6% year over year), 398 sales in 12 months, 5.3 months of supply (buyer's market), median 53 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,230 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $71,827; typical rent is $1,982. Prices compounded +6.7% a year over five years; the county grew +7.6% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Brevard County property tax

7. St. Cloud, Osceola County

Recorded median sale $414,990 (+0.1% year over year), 2,213 sales in 12 months, 3.2 months of supply (healthy market), median 45 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,806 a month, 39% of the local median household income of $86,900; typical rent is $2,298. Prices compounded +4.1% 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

8. Orlando, Orange County

Recorded median sale $415,000 (-2.4% year over year), 6,171 sales in 12 months, 4.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,822 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $79,942; typical rent is $1,938. Prices compounded +6.3% 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

9. Groveland, Lake County

Recorded median sale $372,113 (-1.1% year over year), 319 sales in 12 months, 4.5 months of supply (balanced market), median 45 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,564 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $82,478; typical rent is $2,354. Prices compounded +3.8% 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

10. Kissimmee, Osceola County

Recorded median sale $387,990 (-2.6% year over year), 2,523 sales in 12 months, 6.6 months of supply (buyer's market), median 61 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,628 a month, 47% of the local median household income of $67,677; typical rent is $1,986. Prices compounded +2.6% 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

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in Central Florida by the numbers?

Zephyrhills ranks first on our composite: $345,000 median, about $2,362 a month to own (51% of local median income), +9.5% 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 Central Florida?

Fort Mc Coy has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,186 a month on a $179,500 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in Central Florida?

St. Petersburg, at +11.4% 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 2026-09-25 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.