Best Places to Live in The Gulf Coast of Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Zephyrhills ($345,000 median), San Antonio ($330,000 median), Tampa ($430,000 median), Freeport ($385,471 median), Wesley Chapel ($425,000 median), Fort Myers ($235,900 median), Naples ($425,000 median), Milton ($319,900 median), St. Petersburg ($439,000 median), New Port Richey ($265,000 median). 107 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.

107 cities in the Gulf Coast of 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. Tampa Hillsborough	56.4	$430,000	$2,926	44%	+7.8%	+8.0%	4.0	3,559
4. Freeport Walton	55.7	$385,471	$2,476	38%	+3.2%	+21.2%	5.4	379
5. Wesley Chapel Pasco	55.6	$425,000	$2,894	32%	+4.1%	+15.3%	3.8	673
6. Fort Myers Lee · list-based	55.2	$235,900	$1,680	27%	+1.6%	+10.3%	29% pending	1,293
7. Naples Collier · list-based	55.1	$425,000	$2,775	35%	+4.2%	+6.5%	32% pending	1,833
8. Milton Santa Rosa	55.0	$319,900	$2,186	31%	+4.6%	+13.7%	2.9	411
9. St. Petersburg Pinellas	54.9	$439,000	$3,112	54%	+11.4%	+0.3%	4.2	2,379
10. New Port Richey Pasco	54.7	$265,000	$1,831	42%	+2.4%	+15.3%	4.8	957
11. North Fort Myers Lee · list-based	54.5	$154,950	$1,143	25%	+1.6%	+10.3%	29% pending	346
12. Riverview Hillsborough	54.1	$362,000	$2,477	30%	+2.5%	+8.0%	4.6	762
13. Port Richey Pasco	54.1	$236,250	$1,640	43%	+3.4%	+15.3%	4.4	346
14. Holiday Pasco	54.1	$225,000	$1,565	39%	+3.0%	+15.3%	4.0	269
15. Parrish Manatee	54.0	$375,000	$2,622	30%	+2.6%	+11.3%	3.3	645
16. Spring Hill Hernando	53.8	$299,900	$2,118	34%	+4.4%	+10.3%	3.4	383
17. Gulf Breeze Santa Rosa	53.8	$427,000	$2,867	35%	+4.5%	+13.7%	3.6	222
18. Land O' Lakes Pasco	53.7	$394,990	$2,694	27%	+1.8%	+15.3%	2.4	473
19. Lutz Hillsborough	53.7	$475,000	$3,224	36%	+6.3%	+8.0%	4.0	251
20. Brooksville Hernando	53.6	$300,400	$2,121	45%	+5.1%	+10.3%	4.6	461
21. DeFuniak Springs Walton · list-based	53.6	$251,400	$1,657	39%	+2.3%	+21.2%	17% pending	206
22. Brandon Hillsborough	53.4	$375,000	$2,563	40%	+6.6%	+8.0%	3.7	317
23. Pace Santa Rosa	53.4	$374,902	$2,536	34%	+4.6%	+13.7%	2.0	285
24. Crestview Okaloosa	53.3	$321,973	$2,218	37%	+4.6%	+6.7%	4.2	427
25. Apollo Beach Hillsborough	53.2	$501,250	$3,397	36%	+4.5%	+8.0%	5.2	350

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: Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton.

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. 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

4. Freeport, Walton County

Recorded median sale $385,471 (-3.2% year over year), 608 sales in 12 months, 5.4 months of supply (buyer's market), median 70 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,476 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $77,500; typical rent is $1,789. Prices compounded +3.2% a year over five years; the county grew +21.2% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Walton County property tax

5. Wesley Chapel, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $425,000 (-4.6% year over year), 1,350 sales in 12 months, 3.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 47 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,894 a month, 32% of the local median household income of $107,565; typical rent is $2,246. Prices compounded +4.1% 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

6. Fort Myers, Lee County

Median asking price $235,900 across 1,293 current listings, 29% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 57 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -4.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,680 a month, 27% of the local median household income of $73,336; typical rent is $1,754. Prices compounded +1.6% a year over five years; the county grew +10.3% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Lee County property tax

7. Naples, Collier County

Median asking price $425,000 across 1,833 current listings, 32% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 67 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,775 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $94,702; typical rent is $2,632. Prices compounded +4.2% a year over five years; the county grew +6.5% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Collier County property tax

8. Milton, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $319,900 (+2.1% year over year), 645 sales in 12 months, 2.9 months of supply (healthy market), median 63 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,186 a month, 31% of the local median household income of $84,957; typical rent is $1,941. Prices compounded +4.6% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

9. St. Petersburg, Pinellas County

Recorded median sale $439,000 (+0.3% year over year), 3,867 sales in 12 months, 4.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 43 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,112 a month, 54% of the local median household income of $69,704; typical rent is $2,216. Prices compounded +11.4% a year over five years; the county grew +0.3% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Pinellas County property tax

10. New Port Richey, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $265,000 (+1.7% year over year), 1,280 sales in 12 months, 4.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 44 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,831 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $52,396; typical rent is $1,728. Prices compounded +2.4% 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 the Gulf Coast of 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 the Gulf Coast of Florida?

North Fort Myers has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,143 a month on a $154,950 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in the Gulf Coast of 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.