Florida’s Most & Least Affordable Counties to Own a Home (2026)
Sticker price only tells part of the story. Once you add property taxes and Florida’s steep home insurance, the real cost of owning a home swings dramatically across the state. Momentum Realty analyzed median home prices, county millage rates, and average home-insurance premiums to calculate the true monthly cost to own the median home in 23 Florida counties. Here’s where it’s cheapest — and most expensive — to own in 2026.
Key findings
- Putnam County is Florida’s most affordable place to own at about $1,421/month for the median home — while Palm Beach County is the most expensive at $4,955/month, about 3.5x more.
- The cheapest five counties to own — Putnam, Alachua, Pasco, Volusia, Clay — all come in under $2,286 a month.
- Insurance doesn’t follow price. Martin County has the highest average home-insurance premium ($2,580/yr) despite mid-range prices, while pricier Baker County pays the least ($836/yr) — coastal and wind exposure, not home value, drives the cost.
- Property tax scales with price and millage: the priciest counties (Palm Beach, Broward) carry $12K–$11K annual tax bills before homestead savings.
The true monthly cost to own, ranked (23 counties)
Most affordable at the top. ‘Monthly cost to own’ = principal & interest on the median home (20% down, 7% 30-year) plus property tax and home insurance.
| County | Median price | Property tax/yr | Insurance/yr | Monthly cost to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Putnam | $205,000 | $2,617 | $1,345 | $1,421 |
| 2. Alachua | $309,000 | $4,288 | $1,020 | $2,087 |
| 3. Pasco | $325,000 | $4,442 | $1,659 | $2,238 |
| 4. Volusia | $320,000 | $5,188 | $1,807 | $2,286 |
| 5. Clay | $342,000 | $4,395 | $1,189 | $2,286 |
| 6. Escambia | $320,000 | $4,735 | $2,364 | $2,295 |
| 7. Duval | $335,000 | $5,092 | $1,315 | $2,317 |
| 8. Polk | $340,000 | $4,694 | $1,931 | $2,362 |
| 9. Baker | $363,000 | $4,827 | $836 | $2,404 |
| 10. Lake | $350,000 | $4,994 | $1,756 | $2,425 |
| 11. Hernando | $350,000 | $5,591 | $1,699 | $2,470 |
| 12. Osceola | $372,000 | $4,905 | $1,735 | $2,533 |
| 13. Santa Rosa | $392,000 | $4,380 | $2,444 | $2,655 |
| 14. Seminole | $405,000 | $5,389 | $1,572 | $2,736 |
| 15. Hillsborough | $401,000 | $5,520 | $1,816 | $2,746 |
| 16. Brevard | $396,000 | $5,399 | $2,348 | $2,753 |
| 17. Orange | $424,000 | $6,236 | $1,409 | $2,894 |
| 18. Pinellas | $425,000 | $7,270 | $1,911 | $3,027 |
| 19. Flagler | $462,000 | $6,035 | $1,626 | $3,097 |
| 20. Nassau | $480,000 | $5,709 | $1,159 | $3,127 |
| 21. Martin | $575,000 | $8,121 | $2,580 | $3,952 |
| 22. Broward | $630,000 | $11,509 | $1,561 | $4,442 |
| 23. Palm Beach | $710,000 | $12,355 | $1,753 | $4,955 |
Why insurance, not price, decides affordability
The surprise in the data: Florida’s home-insurance crisis scrambles the usual map. Panhandle and coastal counties with modest home prices — like Martin — can cost more to insure than wealthy counties, because premiums track wind and flood risk, not value. For buyers, that means a ‘cheap’ county on price can be expensive to own, and vice versa. See our insurance-crisis report.
Methodology
Median home prices are aggregates from Momentum Realty’s MLS data per county (counties with at least 10 tracked communities). Property tax uses each county’s typical total millage with the Florida $50,000 homestead exemption applied. Insurance is the Citizens (state insurer) average annual premium per county. Monthly cost to own is principal and interest on the median home at a 7% 30-year rate with 20% down, plus tax and insurance. Figures are estimates as of 2026-06-16 and change over time.
Run your own numbers
- True cost of ownership calculator
- Home affordability calculator
- Cost of living & relocation guides by city
Common questions
What is the most affordable Florida county to own a home in?
What is the most expensive Florida county to own a home in?
Why does home insurance vary so much between Florida counties?
How was the cost to own calculated?
Source: Momentum Realty analysis of MLS median prices, county millage rates, and Citizens average home-insurance premiums, as of 2026-06-16. Estimates only; your actual cost depends on rate, down payment, exemptions, and your specific home and insurer. Equal Housing Opportunity.