Cheapest Places to Live in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Lauderdale Lakes ($118,935 median), Lauderhill ($140,000 median), Margate ($161,000 median), Palm Springs ($170,000 median), Tallahassee ($199,950 median), Silver Springs ($194,900 median), Interlachen ($193,500 median), Daytona Beach ($211,000 median), DeFuniak Springs ($230,000 median), Holiday ($221,000 median). 296 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 cities by monthly cost to own, lowest first

Place	Cost to own / mo	Median price	Share of income	Typical rent	Own minus rent / mo	Citizens avg premium	5-yr appreciation / yr	Homes for sale
1. Lauderdale Lakes Broward · list-based	$903	$118,935	21%	$1,947	$-1,044	$1,561	+4.3%	326
2. Lauderhill Broward · list-based	$1,054	$140,000	23%	$1,947	$-892	$1,561	+4.3%	610
3. Margate Broward · list-based	$1,205	$161,000	23%	$2,095	$-889	$1,561	+4.3%	451
4. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	$1,275	$170,000	25%	$1,956	$-681	$1,753	+4.7%	137
5. Tallahassee Leon · list-based	$1,299	$199,950	25%	$1,475	$-175	$990	—	328
6. Silver Springs Marion · list-based	$1,331	$194,900	35%	$1,290	$41	$1,263	+3.8%	65
7. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	$1,386	$193,500	37%	$1,175	$211	$1,345	+2.6%	72
8. Daytona Beach Volusia	$1,577	$211,000	31%	$1,615	$-37	$1,807	+2.3%	963
9. DeFuniak Springs Walton	$1,582	$230,000	37%	—	—	$1,942	+5.3%	202
10. Holiday Pasco	$1,593	$221,000	39%	$1,707	$-114	$1,659	+3.0%	326
11. Deerfield Beach Broward · list-based	$1,623	$219,000	36%	$2,565	$-942	$1,561	+4.3%	767
12. Sunrise Broward · list-based	$1,666	$225,000	29%	$2,384	$-719	$1,561	+4.3%	713
13. Port Richey Pasco	$1,689	$235,000	44%	$1,681	$8	$1,659	+3.4%	425
14. Ocklawaha Marion · list-based	$1,691	$249,900	42%	$1,650	$41	$1,263	+3.8%	123
15. Coconut Creek Broward · list-based	$1,698	$229,450	36%	$2,620	$-923	$1,561	+4.3%	424
16. Williston Levy	$1,727	$239,900	36%	—	—	$1,385	+4.3%	104
17. Tamarac Broward · list-based	$1,737	$234,900	35%	$2,075	$-338	$1,561	+4.3%	703
18. Inverness Citrus	$1,751	$249,888	36%	$1,508	$243	$1,410	+3.0%	185
19. Palatka Putnam	$1,753	$246,325	44%	$1,371	$382	$1,345	+4.7%	119
20. South Daytona Volusia · list-based	$1,784	$240,000	40%	$1,510	$274	$1,807	+2.9%	89
21. Ellenton Manatee · list-based	$1,796	$243,450	33%	$2,117	$-322	$2,019	+2.3%	104
22. Belleview Marion	$1,796	$265,990	41%	$1,450	$346	$1,263	+7.8%	167
23. Sun City Center Hillsborough	$1,798	$250,000	32%	$2,151	$-353	$1,816	+0.5%	365
24. Avon Park Highlands · list-based	$1,809	$249,945	47%	—	—	$1,753	+4.6%	62
25. Lake Wales Polk	$1,855	$255,668	41%	$1,565	$290	$1,931	+3.0%	424

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.

The top 10, in detail

1. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Median asking price $118,935 across 326 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 124 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $903 a month, 21% of the local median household income of $51,918; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

2. Lauderhill, Broward County

Median asking price $140,000 across 610 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 119 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,054 a month, 23% of the local median household income of $55,071; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

3. Margate, Broward County

Median asking price $161,000 across 451 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 88 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,205 a month, 23% of the local median household income of $62,930; typical rent is $2,095. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

4. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $170,000 across 137 current listings, 4% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 77 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +2.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,275 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $61,218; typical rent is $1,956. Prices compounded +4.7% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

5. Tallahassee, Leon County

Median asking price $199,950 across 328 current listings, 0% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 36 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,299 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $63,123; typical rent is $1,475. Leon County property tax

6. Silver Springs, Marion County

Median asking price $194,900 across 65 current listings, 6% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 59 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.2% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,331 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $45,239; typical rent is $1,290. Prices compounded +3.8% a year over five years; the county grew +11.3% in population over five years. Marion County property tax

7. Interlachen, Putnam County

Median asking price $193,500 across 72 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 88 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +0.7% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,386 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $45,320; typical rent is $1,175. Prices compounded +2.6% a year over five years; the county grew +2.0% in population over five years. market data · Putnam County property tax

8. Daytona Beach, Volusia County

Median asking price $211,000 across 963 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 121 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -7.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,577 a month, 31% of the local median household income of $60,418; typical rent is $1,615. Prices compounded +2.3% a year over five years; the county grew +7.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Volusia County property tax

9. DeFuniak Springs, Walton County

Recorded median sale $230,000 (+0.4% year over year), 316 sales in 12 months, 6.9 months of supply (buyer's market), median 99 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,582 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $51,604. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +21.2% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Walton County property tax

10. Holiday, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $221,000 (-3.9% year over year), 651 sales in 12 months, 5.2 months of supply (buyer's market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,593 a month, 39% of the local median household income of $48,387; typical rent is $1,707. Prices compounded +3.0% 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 cheapest place to live in Florida?

Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County, at about $903 a month to own the $118,935 median home including tax and insurance, against a typical rent of $1,947. The next cheapest are Lauderhill, Margate, Palm Springs, Tallahassee.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in the cheapest Florida cities?

The own-minus-rent column answers it city by city: a negative number means owning the median home costs less per month than the typical rent. Insurance and property tax are what push Florida ownership costs above rent in the coastal cities.

Why is Florida so cheap in some places and not others?

Insurance and land. Inland counties carry lower Citizens premiums and lower land values; the coast carries wind exposure, flood zones and demand. The ranking includes the county's average Citizens premium so the gap is visible rather than hidden in the mortgage payment.

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.