A transparent 0 to 100 buyer-value index for every Florida county and ZIP code.
Methodology version 1 · last reviewed 2026-07-04
The Momentum Market Score answers one question: relative to the rest of Florida, how much value and negotiating room does a buyer have in this area today? A higher score means more buyer leverage. A lower score means a frothier, more seller-favored market.
We built it because the housing numbers buyers see are usually raw and out of context. A median price alone does not tell you whether an area is cheap or expensive for the people who live there, whether sellers are cutting prices, or whether supply is loosening. The score folds those signals into one comparable number so a buyer can weigh two areas honestly.
It is not a price prediction. We do not forecast future prices. The score measures conditions that exist right now, from data we can verify.
It is not a property valuation. The Momentum Score is a county and ZIP level market index. It is not an appraisal, an automated valuation, or an estimate of what any individual home is worth. For a specific property, talk to a licensed agent who can prepare a hand-reviewed valuation.
Each component below is percentile-ranked across all Florida areas at the same level, county against county and ZIP against ZIP, so the score is internally comparable. The ranked components are then weighted and summed. If an area is missing a component, that component is dropped and the remaining weights are renormalized, so a partial-data area still scores honestly rather than being penalized for a gap.
| Component | Weight | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapness vs local income | 25% | The typical home price measured against local median household income, inverted so that more affordable relative to incomes scores higher. |
| Price-cut share | 20% | The share of active listings that have taken a price reduction. More cuts means more buyer leverage. |
| Inventory growth (YoY) | 20% | Year-over-year change in active listings. Rising supply favors buyers. |
| Affordability | 20% | The annual principal and interest to own the typical home at 20 percent down and the current 30-year rate, as a share of median income. Lower burden scores higher. |
| Rental cap rate | 15% | Gross annual rent divided by the typical home value. Higher yield signals better underlying value. |
Migration and population momentum are intentionally excluded from version 1. They require two comparable Census vintages to measure honestly, and are on the roadmap rather than estimated today.
Because the score is ranked against the rest of Florida, it is a relative measure. An area scoring 30 is not a bad place to live. It means that, on today's numbers, a buyer has less negotiating room there than in most of the state.
Every input is public and verifiable. Each area's page shows the as-of date for its figures, and stale data is labeled rather than hidden.
| Input | Source |
|---|---|
| Typical home value | Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) |
| Typical rent | Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) |
| Median household income | U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey) |
| Mortgage rate | Prevailing 30-year fixed rate, dated on each page |
| Inventory and price cuts | Active-listing counts and price-reduction share |
The score is recomputed when its underlying data refreshes. Because it is built only from verifiable inputs and carries an as-of date, a figure that is current-but-dated is still defensible, while an undated figure is not, which is why every score page shows its date. If you believe a number is wrong, tell us and we will check the source and correct it. See our full data methodology and correction policy.
Live scores appear on our Florida housing data pages, including the county market scorecards and ZIP scorecards. Compare areas on the Florida median home prices table.