Best Places to Live in Central Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are St. Cloud ($400,000 median), Lakeland ($315,000 median), Zephyrhills ($322,000 median), Tavares ($314,745 median), Orlando ($395,000 median), Wesley Chapel ($420,000 median), Eustis ($339,900 median), Kissimmee ($360,000 median), Clermont ($435,750 median), Dunnellon ($275,000 median). 137 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.

137 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. St. Cloud Osceola	57.3	$400,000	$2,804	39%	+4.1%	+20.2%	5.3	1,171
2. Lakeland Polk	56.6	$315,000	$2,263	39%	+5.3%	+13.8%	4.8	1,285
3. Zephyrhills Pasco	56.6	$322,000	$2,288	49%	+9.5%	+15.3%	5.2	628
4. Tavares Lake	56.4	$314,745	$2,257	44%	+6.8%	+18.9%	5.5	267
5. Orlando Orange	56.1	$395,000	$2,785	42%	+6.3%	+9.0%	5.4	4,360
6. Wesley Chapel Pasco	56.1	$420,000	$2,963	33%	+4.2%	+15.3%	4.8	751
7. Eustis Lake	56.1	$339,900	$2,431	48%	+8.6%	+18.9%	4.5	226
8. Kissimmee Osceola	55.9	$360,000	$2,532	45%	+2.6%	+20.2%	8.2	3,069
9. Clermont Lake	55.6	$435,750	$3,095	42%	+4.5%	+18.9%	4.7	794
10. Dunnellon Marion	55.6	$275,000	$1,855	43%	+8.0%	+11.3%	4.7	458
11. San Antonio Pasco	55.5	$360,489	$2,553	39%	+7.1%	+15.3%	6.2	165
12. Eagle Lake Polk	55.5	$277,740	$2,007	26%	+3.0%	+13.8%	4.4	78
13. Ocala Marion	55.4	$279,000	$1,881	36%	+0.5%	+11.3%	5.2	2,802
14. Groveland Lake	55.4	$375,000	$2,674	39%	+3.8%	+18.9%	4.2	256
15. Sorrento Lake	55.2	$419,000	$2,979	37%	+4.2%	+18.9%	5.0	76
16. Tampa Hillsborough	55.1	$430,000	$3,031	53%	+7.8%	+8.0%	5.1	3,755
17. Davenport Polk	55.1	$355,000	$2,539	41%	+0.7%	+20.2%	8.0	1,765
18. Palm Bay Brevard	55.0	$318,325	$2,308	39%	+6.7%	+7.6%	18% pending	1,167
19. Belleview Marion	55.0	$265,990	$1,796	41%	+7.8%	+11.3%	5.7	167
20. Minneola Lake	55.0	$501,145	$3,548	44%	+6.5%	+18.9%	3.3	120
21. Fruitland Park Lake	55.0	$295,990	$2,127	40%	+5.2%	+18.9%	6.6	81
22. St. Petersburg Pinellas	54.9	$420,000	$3,083	53%	+11.4%	+0.3%	5.2	2,573
23. Holiday Pasco	54.8	$221,000	$1,593	39%	+3.0%	+15.3%	5.2	326
24. Land O' Lakes Pasco	54.7	$404,990	$2,859	29%	+1.8%	+15.3%	3.9	490
25. Lady Lake Lake	54.6	$304,900	$2,189	46%	+4.6%	+18.9%	4.7	169

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 2026-11-05; 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. St. Cloud, Osceola County

Recorded median sale $400,000 (-0.5% year over year), 2,425 sales in 12 months, 5.3 months of supply (balanced market), median 45 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,804 a month, 39% of the local median household income of $86,900; typical rent is $2,276. 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

2. Lakeland, Polk County

Recorded median sale $315,000 (-0.3% year over year), 2,881 sales in 12 months, 4.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 53 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,263 a month, 39% of the local median household income of $69,738; typical rent is $1,977. Prices compounded +5.3% 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

3. Zephyrhills, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $322,000 (+3.0% year over year), 1,345 sales in 12 months, 5.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 58 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,288 a month, 49% of the local median household income of $55,556; typical rent is $1,878. 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

4. Tavares, Lake County

Recorded median sale $314,745 (-0.9% year over year), 538 sales in 12 months, 5.5 months of supply (buyer's market), median 69 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,257 a month, 44% of the local median household income of $61,815; typical rent is $1,964. 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

5. Orlando, Orange County

Recorded median sale $395,000 (-1.2% year over year), 8,587 sales in 12 months, 5.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,785 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $79,942; typical rent is $1,924. 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

6. Wesley Chapel, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $420,000 (+0.0% year over year), 1,693 sales in 12 months, 4.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 47 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,963 a month, 33% of the local median household income of $107,565; typical rent is $2,255. Prices compounded +4.2% 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

7. Eustis, Lake County

Recorded median sale $339,900 (+0.2% year over year), 540 sales in 12 months, 4.5 months of supply (balanced market), median 52 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,431 a month, 48% of the local median household income of $60,750; typical rent is $1,570. Prices compounded +8.6% 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

8. Kissimmee, Osceola County

Recorded median sale $360,000 (-1.4% year over year), 4,248 sales in 12 months, 8.2 months of supply (buyer's market), median 61 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,532 a month, 45% of the local median household income of $67,677; typical rent is $1,966. 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

9. Clermont, Lake County

Recorded median sale $435,750 (-1.5% year over year), 1,776 sales in 12 months, 4.7 months of supply (balanced market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,095 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $88,474; typical rent is $1,984. Prices compounded +4.5% 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. Dunnellon, Marion County

Recorded median sale $275,000 (+5.8% year over year), 1,182 sales in 12 months, 4.7 months of supply (healthy market), median 58 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,855 a month, 43% of the local median household income of $51,542; typical rent is $1,705. Prices compounded +8.0% a year over five years; the county grew +11.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Marion County property tax

Questions people ask

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

St. Cloud ranks first on our composite: $400,000 median, about $2,804 a month to own (39% of local median income), +4.1% 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?

Silver Springs has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,331 a month on a $194,900 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 +7.7%.

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 2026-11-05 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.