Data Analysis

Florida consumer sentiment rose 0.7 point to 69.1 in October 2026, a second straight monthly gain, as Floridians grew more hopeful about the economy's future while views of their own finances slipped for a seventh month.

By Jon Brooks, Co-Founder, Momentum Realty · Updated November 11, 2026

UF's Florida Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 69.1 in October from a revised 68.4. It sits 6.0 points below October 2025 and 10.0 below February's high.

Florida consumer sentiment rose seven-tenths of a point to 69.1 in October 2026, up from a revised 68.4 in September, the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) reported on November 3, 2026. It was the second consecutive monthly increase. Three of the five index components rose and two fell. Expectations for the U.S. economy over the next five years posted the largest gain, up 2.7 points to 73.8, while Floridians' view of their personal finances compared with a year ago fell 0.2 point to 61.8, its seventh straight monthly decline. National consumer sentiment declined slightly over the same period, according to the release. The October reading is 6.0 points below October 2025 (75.1) and 10.0 points below the 12-month high of 79.1 in February 2026.

What was Florida consumer sentiment in October 2026?

The Florida Consumer Sentiment Index was 69.1 in October 2026. BEBR revised September to 68.4. The index is benchmarked to 1966, when a reading of 100 represents the same level of confidence, and its possible range runs from 2 to 150.

The 13-month table in BEBR's October report shows how far the index has come down this year. It rose from 72.5 in November 2025 to 79.1 in February 2026, then fell for six straight months to 67.4 in August. September (68.4) and October (69.1) are the first two increases since February.

Which parts of the index rose and which fell?

The index averages five survey questions. In October 2026, compared with September, according to BEBR:

The two questions about current conditions, personal finances today and buying conditions for big-ticket items, both fell. The three questions about the future all rose. Hector H. Sandoval, director of BEBR's Economic Analysis Program, said Floridians' expectations improved again in October, particularly their long-run outlook for the national economy, while their assessments of current conditions became more pessimistic.

Why do Floridians feel worse about their own finances?

Sandoval pointed to prices. He described an economy that keeps growing while elevated inflation and rising energy costs squeeze household budgets. In the release he cited U.S. growth at a 3.4 percent annual rate in the third quarter and consumer prices up 3.7 percent over the year in September. The personal finances component, which compares a household's situation now with a year ago, has fallen for seven consecutive months and, according to the release, posted the largest decline of any component since the start of the year.

Borrowing costs are part of that picture. Sandoval noted that the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged in October, which keeps credit expensive. Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed mortgage average was 7.18 percent for the week ending November 5, as covered in our November 5 mortgage rates article, and the October CPI article covers the latest inflation release.

Did Hurricane Isaias affect Florida consumer sentiment?

The release discusses it. Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida in early October, bringing destruction, power outages and loss of life to parts of the Panhandle and northwest Florida. Sandoval said the effects of hurricanes on sentiment are often short-lived and that persistent inflation and high borrowing costs could keep confidence subdued in the months ahead. The release does not report a separate reading for the Panhandle. Today's market brief on Isaias insurance claims covers the storm's claim counts by county.

How does Florida sentiment compare with the national reading?

BEBR said national consumer sentiment declined slightly in October while Florida's rose. The national benchmark most often cited, the University of Michigan index, is on a different scale and is not directly comparable to Florida's level. Michigan's final October reading was 48.0, covered in our October consumer sentiment article. Sandoval also noted that national job growth has slowed while Florida's unemployment rate has continued to decline; the state's September rate is in our Florida unemployment article, and the October jobs report article covers the national payroll count.

What does this mean for Florida home buyers and sellers?

The buying-conditions question in the index asks about major household items such as furniture and appliances, not homes, so it is not a direct read on housing demand. The pattern still lines up with what housing data show: people are more willing to say the future will improve than to act on current prices and rates. The latest Redfin October housing market article reported pending sales down 15.1 percent from a year earlier nationally.

For local figures, see the Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Pensacola market pages, and the Florida news hub for the week's releases.

People also ask

What is the Florida Consumer Sentiment Index for October 2026?

The University of Florida's Florida Consumer Sentiment Index was 69.1 in October 2026, up 0.7 point from a revised 68.4 in September.

Is Florida consumer confidence going up or down?

It rose in September and October 2026 after falling from 79.1 in February to 67.4 in August. The October reading of 69.1 is still 6.0 points below October 2025.

Who publishes Florida consumer sentiment?

The University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research publishes the index monthly from a cellphone survey of Florida residents.

When is the next Florida consumer sentiment release?

BEBR publishes on a posted monthly schedule, typically early in the following month. Check the BEBR Florida Consumer Sentiment page for the November 2026 date.

Limitations

The index comes from a survey of 970 Floridians reached on cellphones and conducted September 1 to October 29, according to the release, weighted by county of residence, age group and sex. Monthly changes of under a point are small for a survey of this size, and BEBR does not publish a margin of error or significance test in the release, so this article does not treat any single component change as meaningful on its own. September was revised to 68.4; the release does not give the originally published September figure. The economic figures attributed to Sandoval (third-quarter growth, September inflation) are as stated in the release and are not independently recomputed here. No forecast is made.

Sources

University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, "Florida Consumer Sentiment," October 2026 report, released November 3, 2026, bebr.ufl.edu/florida-consumer-sentiment. University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, final October 2026. Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week ending November 5, 2026. Redfin, October 2026 U.S. Housing Market Report, November 10, 2026.

Disclosure: Jon Brooks is a co-founder of Momentum Realty, a Florida real estate brokerage that owns and funds Florida Housing Intelligence. Momentum has a financial interest in Florida real estate transactions, including in markets named here. See our editorial standards.