Data Analysis
Homes mapped inside a FEMA flood zone made up 2,623 of 6,954 active listings in Pinellas County on October 30, 2026, and ran at 6.1 listings per contract against 3.9 outside one.
Pinellas flood zone listings had been on the market about 51 days longer than others. Where the gap is widest, and what it means for insurance budgets.
On October 30, 2026, our live Stellar MLS map showed 2,623 of 6,954 active listings in Pinellas County, about 38 percent, mapped inside a FEMA special flood hazard area (zones A or V). Those listings were matched by 427 pending or under-contract homes, about 6.1 listings per contract. Listings outside a flood zone ran at 4,331 against 1,118, about 3.9 to 1. The median flood zone listing had been on the market 113 days, against 62 days outside. For single-family homes alone, the gap was 4.7 to 1 against 2.9 to 1. All MLS figures are ours, computed from Stellar MLS records; information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
This is a carrying-cost story, so it sits beside our earlier Pinellas coverage. Our October 28 article on St. Petersburg condos under contract covered the condo market by city, and our October 27 article on St. Petersburg new construction closings covered builders. Completed-month prices are in our St. Petersburg median price and St. Petersburg days on market articles, and the full series is on the St. Petersburg market data hub.
Which Pinellas cities have the most listings in a flood zone?
| City | Active listings | In a flood zone | Share | Flood zone listings per contract | Other listings per contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | 2,249 | 905 | 40% | 5.6 | 4.1 |
| Clearwater | 1,092 | 292 | 27% | 6.3 | 3.6 |
| Clearwater Beach | 215 | 172 | 80% | 10.8 | 6.1 |
| Treasure Island | 179 | 138 | 77% | 7.7 | 5.1 |
| St. Pete Beach | 163 | 140 | 86% | 7.8 | 4.6 |
| Madeira Beach | 114 | 77 | 68% | 3.7 | 12.3 |
| Gulfport | 128 | 68 | 53% | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| Largo | 443 | 69 | 16% | 9.9 | 3.3 |
| Pinellas County | 6,954 | 2,623 | 38% | 6.1 | 3.9 |
Source: Momentum Research, computed from Stellar MLS records, live map snapshot, October 30, 2026. Flood zone means the listing's mapped location falls in a FEMA zone beginning with A or V. City follows the listing's mailing city. Contracts combine pending and under contract. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The beach towns carry most of the exposure. In South Pasadena, 79 of 87 active listings were in a flood zone, and in Indian Shores 63 of 69. Madeira Beach and Gulfport were the two places where flood zone listings were going under contract faster than other listings, though both had small counts outside a flood zone. In St. Petersburg itself, flood zone listings asked a median of $349,900 against $467,000 for other listings, because 474 of the 905 flood zone listings there were condos. Largo showed the sharpest single gap: 69 flood zone listings with only 7 contracts.
Do flood zone homes sell slower at every price?
| Single-family asking price | In flood zone: active / contracts | Ratio | Outside: active / contracts | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300,000 | 36 / 25 | 1.4 | 209 / 133 | 1.6 |
| $300,000 to $499,999 | 196 / 53 | 3.7 | 958 / 314 | 3.1 |
| $500,000 to $999,999 | 240 / 47 | 5.1 | 734 / 229 | 3.2 |
| $1 million to $1,999,999 | 202 / 33 | 6.1 | 234 / 70 | 3.3 |
| $2 million and up | 163 / 21 | 7.8 | 86 / 13 | 6.6 |
Source: Momentum Research, live map snapshot, October 30, 2026, single-family listings in Pinellas County. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Below $300,000 the two groups moved at about the same pace. The gap opened above $500,000 and was widest from $1 million to $1,999,999, where flood zone homes ran at 6.1 listings per contract against 3.3 outside. Flood zone exposure also rises with price: 46 percent of single-family listings between $1 million and $1,999,999 and 65 percent of those at $2 million or more were mapped in a flood zone, against 15 percent under $300,000.
Condos showed a much smaller gap, because the whole Pinellas condo market is slow. Flood zone condo listings ran at 7.3 per contract and other condos at 6.9. Townhouses split more clearly, at 6.3 against 4.0. Among all active listings, 791 flood zone listings had been on the market 180 days or more, against 687 outside, even though flood zone listings are the smaller group.
Why would flood zone homes take longer to sell?
The listing data cannot show buyers' reasons, but the cost lines are clear. A home in a FEMA special flood hazard area bought with a federally backed mortgage requires flood insurance, which is billed separately from the homeowners policy. Our Clearwater home insurance cost page, updated October 29, 2026, estimates about $2,320 a year for a typical Clearwater home before flood coverage, scaled from the Citizens Property Insurance average for Pinellas County of $2,480, down 5.8 percent for 2026. Our Largo home insurance cost page puts a typical Largo home at about $2,360. From January 1, 2027, every Citizens home policy with wind coverage must carry flood insurance, a rule we covered in our Citizens flood requirement article.
New construction did not avoid the issue either: 148 of the 435 active new-construction listings in Pinellas were mapped inside a flood zone, with a median asking price of $1,517,000 against $975,000 for new construction outside one.
What should Pinellas buyers and sellers do with this?
Buyers comparing two homes at the same price should price the flood policy, the homeowners policy and any association fee before choosing. Use our flood insurance calculator, the Pinellas County HOA fees by community page and the Pinellas County condo communities directory, and ask the seller for an elevation certificate where one exists. Sellers of flood zone homes above $500,000 are competing with roughly twice as many listings per buyer as sellers outside one, so documents that lower a buyer's insurance quote, such as an elevation certificate, a wind mitigation report and permits for any post-storm repairs, can matter as much as the price.
People also ask
How many homes for sale in Pinellas County are in a flood zone?
On October 30, 2026, 2,623 of the 6,954 active listings in Pinellas County, about 38 percent, were mapped inside a FEMA zone A or V.
Do flood zone homes sell slower in St. Petersburg?
In our October 30, 2026 snapshot, yes. Flood zone listings with a St. Petersburg mailing address ran at 5.6 listings per contract, against 4.1 for other St. Petersburg listings.
How much is home insurance in Pinellas County?
The Citizens Property Insurance average for Pinellas County is $2,480 for 2026. Our estimate for a typical Clearwater home is about $2,320 a year, before any separate flood policy.
Limitations
Figures are a single live map snapshot taken October 30, 2026, not monthly totals. Flood zone status comes from matching each listing's mapped location to FEMA zone data; it is not a flood determination for any property, and listings whose location could not be matched are counted outside a flood zone. City follows the mailing city on the listing, which can extend past city limits. Contracts combine pending and under contract, and our Stellar map feed can undercount pending listings, which would raise both ratios; the comparison between flood zone and other listings uses the same feed on both sides. Days on market is the listing's current count and may reset when a listing is relisted. Insurance figures are our estimates, not quotes. This article is general information, not advice about any specific property, policy or transaction.
Sources
- Momentum Research, computed from Stellar MLS records, Pinellas County, live map snapshot, October 30, 2026. Listings courtesy of Stellar MLS as distributed by MLS GRID. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
- Momentum Research, Clearwater home insurance cost and Largo home insurance cost, updated October 29, 2026, based on Citizens Property Insurance 2026 approved rates.
- St. Petersburg market data hub, Momentum Research.
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.
Market statistics in this article are computed from MLS data licensed by Momentum Realty, and are current as of the date shown. Data may be preliminary and subject to revision by its source. This article is general information, not advice about any specific property, transaction, or financial decision, and is not a representation about any specific property, community, builder, or association.
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