How we turn payment, insurance, and tax into one honest monthly number for each Florida county.
Methodology version 1 · last reviewed 2026-07-04
In Florida, the mortgage quote is the smallest part of the story. Homeowners insurance and property tax often rival the loan payment itself, so a buyer who budgets off the quoted payment is often wrong by a large margin. The true cost to own puts all three in one number, per county, so you can compare places honestly.
Each piece is computed for the county's typical home, then added into one monthly figure. Every county page also shows the Florida average so you can see where an area sits.
| Component | How it is computed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Principal and interest | The typical home value, financed at 20 percent down over 30 years at the current fixed rate. | Zillow Home Value Index; prevailing 30-year rate (dated on each page) |
| Homeowners insurance | The county's typical annual premium, divided by twelve. | Filed Florida homeowners insurance rates (2026 renewal cycle) |
| Property tax | The county's median annual real estate taxes paid, divided by twelve. | U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (table B25103) |
Assumptions: the county's typical home value, 20 percent down, a 30-year fixed loan at the current rate, and homesteaded ownership.
Excludes: because it assumes 20 percent down, it carries no mortgage insurance. It also excludes HOA and CDD dues, maintenance, utilities, and closing costs. This keeps it a clean, like-for-like comparison of the core carrying cost between counties, not a full budget for one specific home. Master-planned communities with a CDD can add one to two thousand dollars a year on top.
It is not a loan quote. It uses a typical home value and a market rate, not your credit, your down payment, or a lender's pricing.
It is not a property valuation. This is a county-level estimate, not an appraisal or an estimate of what any individual home is worth. For a specific property, a licensed agent can prepare a hand-reviewed number.
Two counties with the same list price can carry very different monthly costs once insurance and tax are in. A coastal county with high premiums can cost hundreds more per month than an inland county at the same price. Seeing the full carrying cost up front is the difference between a comfortable purchase and a stretched one.
The number is recomputed when its inputs refresh, and every county page carries an as-of date. A current-but-dated figure is defensible; an undated one is not, which is why the date is always shown. If a number looks wrong, tell us and we will check the source and correct it. See our full data methodology and correction policy.
See the live numbers on True Cost to Own by Florida County, run your own on the carrying-cost calculator, and read how our Momentum Market Score is built.