The Cheapest Cities in Florida to Buy a Home

Florida is a great place to live, it is chosen by people of all ages, professions and nationalities. The cities of the state offer many opportunities for education, employment, treatment and pastime. Each of these has theme parks, nature reserves, beaches, golf clubs, universities, schools, hospitals, shopping and entertainment centers, restaurants and much more. In addition, you can find affordable housing in all of them.

Jacksonville

Jacksonville is one of the most populous cities in Florida. It is located on the coast in the northeastern part of the state. Local residents have access to Interstate 95 and the airport. This is the most populous city in Florida more than 910 thousand people.

In addition to green areas, nature reserves and a zoo, it has an art museum, city beaches, shopping malls and restaurants. Jacksonville also has good medical care. Thus, there are 190 public and more than 600 private schools in and near the city. Further education can be obtained at local colleges and universities, among which one of the best in the state is the University of North Florida.

The cost of living in the city is 7% lower than the national average, and 50% lower than in New York. Both buying and renting housing are available locally:

the ratio of the average cost of housing to the median annual family income: $173 thousand /$55 thousand.
the ratio of income to rent and utility bills: $55 thousand/$13 thousand.
76% of local residents own their homes in Jacksonville.

The following are considered the best areas to live in:

Northside with the cost of houses from $200 thousand to $1 million. Families with children usually settle here.
Riverside, in which the range of housing costs is even wider – from $100 thousand to $ 3 million. The area is often chosen by young professionals.
San Marco, where house prices reach up to $5 million! This is an area of art, galleries, restaurants, shops and other entertainment.
Orange Park offers, perhaps, the most budget houses – the upper limit of $650 thousand. It is located in the suburbs, you can say, in the countryside.
Southside is also considered a budget ($150-850 thousand), but a promising area suitable for those who purchase their first home.

The unemployment rate in Jacksonville in 2022 is 4% (below the national average of 6%.) But the poverty rate is higher than the national average – 15% versus 11%, respectively. Among the most prestigious employers of the city are two naval aviation stations, hospitals and banking structures. Another 14 thousand people are employed in public schools in Duval County. The locals get to work in approximately 25 minutes.

St. Petersburg

Located in the central part of the state on the west coast. It is connected to other major areas by highways. There are several small airports in the city, and St. Pete Clearwater and Tampa International airports are half an hour away. More than 265 thousand people live in American St. Petersburg. The city has a picturesque pier area with many restaurants, the Salvador Dali Museum, various beaches and nature trails. It is also home to more than 30 medical institutions, 45 public and more than 150 private schools, colleges and the campus of the University of South Florida. However, the local educational infrastructure is rated below average.

The cost of living in the city is 1% lower than the national average, 47% lower than in New York, and 5% lower than in Jacksonville. Buying your own house and renting does not burden local residents:

the ratio of the average cost of housing to the median annual family income: $205 thousand /$57 thousand;
the ratio of income to rent and utility bills: $57 thousand /$14 thousand.
61% of citizens own their house.

Analysts recommend choosing housing in the following areas.

Bayway Isles. The range of the cost of houses is really large - from $150 thousand to $ 3.5 million. The city center is only 12 minutes away.
Casa Del Mar, which mainly focuses on condominiums, can offer housing from $175 thousand to $575 thousand.
In Colonial Place, houses can be found for both $100 thousand and $730 thousand.
Harcourt – here you can buy a house in the range of $250-600 thousand. There are many variants of single-family houses in the area.
Forbes Park Roberta is probably the least expensive – real estate in it costs from $175 thousand to $300 thousand. But the objects here are small and, as a rule, are located on compact plots.

The unemployment rate in the city in 2021 is 4.6%, the poverty rate is 13.4%. The largest employers are Jabil, Raymond James and HSN. Also, local citizens are often employed in the field of financial services and retail trade. The average travel time to work is just over 23 minutes – this is the shortest time in the entire rating.

Cape Coral

Cape Coral is known by the nickname Waterfront Wonderland, as there are more than 640 km of navigable channels on its territory. It is located in southwest Florida on the Gulf coast. Interstate 75 connects the city with other major areas in the west of the state. And half an hour away is Southwest Florida International Airport. A large number of waterways lead to Cape Coral, there is a well-developed beach infrastructure. Interestingly, dolphins and other aquatic life are often seen in this area! In addition, there are various parks, ecotropes and the Four Mile Cove Nature Reserve on the territory of the city.

Cape Coral has a population of mare than 200 thousand (2021 estimate). At the same time, over ten years, the number has grown by 26%, which is many times more than the two previous participants in the rating. The educational infrastructure is considered high-class. Here, for example, you can study at a Technical college or the University of Florida Gulf Coast (it is half an hour away - in Fort Myers). There are also 27 public and 56 private schools in Cape Coral.

The cost of living in the city is 4% higher than the national average, but 45% lower than in New York. There should be no financial problems with the purchase of housing:

the ratio of the average value of real estate to the median annual family income: $230thousand /$62 thousand.
the ratio of income to rent and utility bills: $62 thousand /$15 thousand.
75% of local residents own their homes.

The best areas to live in are:

Gator Circle with houses from $250 thousand to $450 thousand. The district is completely new – it was founded in 2004. It is surrounded by the Yellow Fever Creek Nature Reserve and the Del Tura Golf Club.
Sunset Pointe – here you can buy a house in the range of $300-525 thousand. It is also a relatively new area, in which single-family houses are mainly represented.
Casa Di Fiori is even cheaper – condominiums built mainly in 2012 cost $175-250 thousand. Now isolated family houses are gradually appearing here.
There are condominiums in Sandy Circle, and with the same price range as in the previous one, Casa Di Fiori. However, the local buildings are much older – 1975.
Blue Heron prices are no different from the two previous areas of Cape Coral.

The unemployment rate in the city in 2022 is 5%, the poverty rate is 11%. The largest employer in the area is Viking Construction. In addition to this corporation, local citizens get settled in Century 21 Sunbelt Realty and Sellstate Priority Realty. The average travel time to work is just under half an hour. Security in the city is on top.

Palm Bay

It is located in the central part of Florida on the east coast. Transport accessibility is good: there is an exit to Interstate 95, as well as the airport in nearby Melbourne a few minutes away. More than 116 thousand people live in the city. And this figure increased by 17% from April 2010 to July 2022. Palm Bay is very green – Castaway Point Park, Turkey Creek Nature Reserve and Fred Poppe Regional Park, as well as hiking trails with access to beaches and ocean views.

The educational infrastructure here is of an average level. It is represented by the campus of the Eastern College of Florida,25 public and 45 private schools. But the main trump card is the University of Central Florida, which, however, is an hour away. There are good hospitals in Palm Bay, and a regional medical center in nearby Melbourne.

The cost of living in the city is 11% lower than the national average. Real estate is also inexpensive:

the ratio of the average cost of housing to the median annual family income: $156 thousand/$52 thousand.
the ratio of income to rent and utility bills: $52 thousand/$13 thousand.
75% of local residents own their homes.

Analysts recommend choosing objects in these areas:

Waterstone with houses from $175 thousand to $350 thousand. This is a suburban area with a large number of single-family homes.
Parkside West, where house prices start at $250 thousand and reach $350 thousand.
Magnolia Park at Bayside Lakes has larger homes priced from $275 thousand to $350 thousand.
Riviera Key with a range of house values of $200-275 thousand. Despite the fact that the area is located near the highway, there are extensive natural areas next to it.
Port Malabar Country Club offers even more budget homes – from $150 thousand to $450 thousand.

The unemployment rate in Palm Bay is 4%, the poverty rate is 13%, which is higher than the national average. Major employers are MC Test Service, Advanced Magnet Lab and ISO Group, which are actively engaged in the maintenance and development of aerospace technologies. On average, people get to work in 27 minutes.

Palm Coast

Palm Coast is located an hour south of Jacksonville on the state's east coast. You can get here via Daytona Beach International Airport 45 minutes south of the city or via Interstate 95. Palm Coast is home to the least number of people from all cities in the rating - only 90 thousand. Here, as in all previous locations, there are many natural areas, parks and ecotropics, as well as beaches and golf clubs. In terms of education, Palm Coast is not inferior to similar-sized districts: the level of local colleges and a few schools 10 public and 25 private is above average.

The cost of living in the city is 4% lower than the national average, but 3% higher than, for example, in Jacksonville. Here's how things are here with the availability of real estate:

the ratio of the average cost of housing to the median annual family income: $210 thousand/$54 thousand.
the ratio of income to rent and utility bills: $55 thousand/$16 thousand.
75% of local residents own their homes.

The best areas to live in are:

Palm Harbor, where houses can be found for $150 thousand. The upper limit is $450 thousand. This is probably the most sought-after area in Palm Coast.
Cypress Knoll is a central district, and therefore houses in it are much more expensive – there is no housing up to $525 thousand, prices reach up to $700 thousand.
Lehigh Woods, where you can buy a house in the range of $225-475 thousand.
Fast-growing and located next to the Quail Hollow highway with prices ranging from $225-425 thousand.
Matanzas Woods is commensurate with the two previous districts in terms of prices.

The unemployment rate in 2022 is 5%, the poverty rate is 12%, which is higher than the national average. Many vacancies in Palm Coast can be found in the hotel sector, and many people also work on golf courses. On average, residents get to work in 26 minutes.