Cheapest Places to Live in Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Lauderdale Lakes ($119,000 median), Lauderhill ($145,000 median), North Fort Myers ($158,000 median), Palm Springs ($170,000 median), Margate ($169,900 median), Fort Mc Coy ($179,900 median), Interlachen ($220,000 median), Deerfield Beach ($216,000 median), Holiday ($224,999 median), Lady Lake ($225,000 median). 284 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	$855	$119,000	19%	$1,877	$-1,022	$1,561	+4.8%	347
2. Lauderhill · list-based	$1,079	$145,000	—	—	—	—	—	618
3. North Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$1,138	$158,000	25%	$1,668	$-530	$2,197	+2.3%	351
4. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	$1,206	$170,000	24%	$2,060	$-854	$1,753	+5.3%	145
5. Margate · list-based	$1,242	$169,900	—	—	—	—	—	471
6. Fort Mc Coy · list-based	$1,308	$179,900	—	—	—	—	—	69
7. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	$1,481	$220,000	39%	—	—	$1,345	+3.3%	67
8. Deerfield Beach Broward · list-based	$1,514	$216,000	34%	$2,581	$-1,067	$1,561	+4.8%	718
9. Holiday Pasco	$1,529	$224,999	38%	$1,725	$-196	$1,659	+4.0%	314
10. Lady Lake Lake	$1,545	$225,000	32%	$1,557	$-12	$1,756	+5.9%	174
11. Sunrise Broward · list-based	$1,558	$222,500	41%	$1,966	$-408	$1,561	+4.8%	672
12. Port Richey Pasco	$1,610	$237,500	42%	$1,691	$-80	$1,659	+3.8%	333
13. Coconut Creek · list-based	$1,636	$230,000	—	—	—	—	—	432
14. DeFuniak Springs Walton · list-based	$1,638	$254,900	38%	$1,738	$-100	$1,942	+2.9%	217
15. Fort Myers Lee · list-based	$1,642	$235,900	27%	$1,777	$-135	$2,197	+2.3%	1,295
16. North Miami Miami-Dade · list-based	$1,667	$239,750	35%	$2,429	$-762	$1,891	+6.6%	268
17. Tamarac · list-based	$1,669	$235,000	—	—	—	—	—	645
18. Ocklawaha Marion · list-based	$1,670	$262,950	42%	—	—	$1,263	+4.7%	148
19. Belleview Marion · list-based	$1,682	$264,950	—	—	—	$1,263	+4.7%	148
20. Lake Wales Polk · list-based	$1,715	$250,000	35%	$1,862	$-148	$1,931	+3.8%	357
21. Inverness Citrus · list-based	$1,715	$260,000	—	—	—	$1,410	+3.9%	165
22. Palatka Putnam · list-based	$1,757	$262,200	44%	$1,381	$376	$1,345	+3.3%	121
23. Sun City Center Hillsborough · list-based	$1,762	$259,950	31%	$2,168	$-406	$1,816	+4.2%	362
24. South Daytona Volusia · list-based	$1,771	$252,450	40%	$1,548	$223	$1,807	+3.5%	62
25. Avon Park Highlands · list-based	$1,774	$259,995	—	—	—	$1,753	+5.6%	64

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. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Median asking price $119,000 across 347 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 127 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $855 a month, 19% of the local median household income of $55,071; typical rent is $1,877. Prices compounded +4.8% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

2. Lauderhill, County

Median asking price $145,000 across 618 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 108 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,079 a month.

3. North Fort Myers, Lee County

Median asking price $158,000 across 351 current listings, 25% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 64 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -5.4% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,138 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $54,198; typical rent is $1,668. 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

4. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $170,000 across 145 current listings, 5% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 60 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -0.1% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,206 a month, 24% of the local median household income of $61,218; typical rent is $2,060. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

5. Margate, County

Median asking price $169,900 across 471 current listings, 6% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 78 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,242 a month.

6. Fort Mc Coy, County

Median asking price $179,900 across 69 current listings, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 45 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,308 a month.

7. Interlachen, Putnam County

Median asking price $220,000 across 67 current listings, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 59 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +0.9% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,481 a month, 39% of the local median household income of $45,320. Prices compounded +3.3% a year over five years; the county grew +2.0% in population over five years. market data · Putnam County property tax

8. Deerfield Beach, Broward County

Median asking price $216,000 across 718 current listings, 8% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 92 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -2.8% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,514 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $53,413; typical rent is $2,581. Prices compounded +4.8% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

9. Holiday, Pasco County

Recorded median sale $224,999 (-2.4% year over year), 204 sales in 12 months, 4.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 42 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,529 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $48,387; typical rent is $1,725. Prices compounded +4.0% 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

10. Lady Lake, Lake County

Recorded median sale $225,000 (+1.1% year over year), 265 sales in 12 months, 4.3 months of supply (balanced market), median 41 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,545 a month, 32% of the local median household income of $57,536; typical rent is $1,557. Prices compounded +5.9% 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

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in Florida?

Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County, at about $855 a month to own the $119,000 median home including tax and insurance, against a typical rent of $1,877. The next cheapest are Lauderhill, North Fort Myers, Palm Springs, Margate.

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 2026-09-07 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.