Cheapest places to live in Florida (2026): 20 cities

Cheapest places to live in Florida at a glance

By Zillow's typical home value for August 2026, the ten cheapest Florida cities of 10,000 or more people are Lauderdale Lakes, Holly Hill, Avon Park, Lauderhill, Palatka, Sebring, Lake Wales, South Daytona, Daytona Beach and Lake City. All ten are at least $110,000 below the Florida typical value of $375,470.

Two patterns stand out. The very lowest figures, in Broward County, likely reflect a high share of condos, so they tell you more about apartments than houses. The cheapest places for a house are inland in Highlands, Polk, Putnam and Columbia counties, and in the Daytona Beach area on the Atlantic coast.

How this list was built

We took every Florida city with a Census Bureau 2025 population estimate of 10,000 or more and Zillow home value and rent data for August 2026, 169 cities in all, and sorted them by Zillow's typical home value (ZHVI). That single measure is the cleanest way to compare what it costs to buy across the state. We show rent next to it because many people moving to a cheaper area rent first.

Zillow's typical value covers houses and condos together and reflects the middle of the market, not the cheapest listing. It does not include insurance, property tax or HOA fees, which can change the real monthly cost a lot. The mortgage figures below assume 10% down, a 30-year loan and the Freddie Mac average rate of 7.03% for the week of September 24, 2026.

The 20 cheapest cities in Florida by home value

#	City	County	Typical value	Typical rent	1-yr change	Population
1	Lauderdale Lakes	Broward County	$135,344	$2,065	-8.7%	36,898
2	Holly Hill	Volusia County	$202,585	$1,483	-1.4%	13,268
3	Avon Park	Highlands County	$207,755	$1,493	-1.4%	10,514
4	Lauderhill	Broward County	$208,707	$1,878	-5.4%	75,668
5	Palatka	Putnam County	$210,629	$1,384	+1.1%	10,872
6	Sebring	Highlands County	$238,671	$1,527	-1.8%	12,059
7	Lake Wales	Polk County	$243,335	$1,651	-2.3%	18,650
8	South Daytona	Volusia County	$249,214	$1,578	+2.0%	13,894
9	Daytona Beach	Volusia County	$252,622	$1,533	-2.3%	88,471
10	Lake City	Columbia County	$264,618	$1,494	+0.4%	12,788
11	Ocala	Marion County	$265,333	$1,575	-2.5%	71,753
12	Callaway	Bay County	$266,423	$1,878	+0.6%	14,369
13	Pensacola	Escambia County	$266,727	$1,657	+1.2%	53,817
14	Palm Springs	Palm Beach County	$269,242	$2,190	-0.7%	28,303
15	Titusville	Brevard County	$272,395	$1,613	-0.8%	49,800
16	Winter Haven	Polk County	$272,484	$1,698	-2.7%	62,313
17	Deerfield Beach	Broward County	$272,563	$2,426	-3.0%	89,339
18	Leesburg	Lake County	$275,435	$1,744	-3.6%	38,905
19	Hallandale Beach	Broward County	$276,723	$2,419	-3.8%	42,698
20	Fort Pierce	St. Lucie County	$277,504	$1,980	-1.7%	51,737

What each cheap Florida city offers

1. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Lauderdale Lakes is a small central Broward County city west of Fort Lauderdale. Zillow's typical value blends condos and houses, and a citywide figure this low usually reflects a large share of condos and smaller units, so price the home type you want before you count on it. It also had the steepest one-year price fall of the 20.

Typical home value: $135,344, $240,126 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $2,065 a month (+0.8% over the year)
Value change: -8.7% in one year, +15.4% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $813

2. Holly Hill, Volusia County

Holly Hill sits on the Halifax River between Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach in Volusia County. You get the Daytona area's beaches and jobs within a short drive at the second-lowest typical value on the list.

Typical home value: $202,585, $172,885 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,483 a month (+7.3% over the year)
Value change: -1.4% in one year, +13.1% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,217

3. Avon Park, Highlands County

Avon Park is in Highlands County on the Lake Wales Ridge, along US 27 in the middle of the peninsula. It is the lowest-priced city on the list outside Broward County, with five-year price growth of almost 30%.

Typical home value: $207,755, $167,715 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,493 a month (+3.0% over the year)
Value change: -1.4% in one year, +29.6% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,248

4. Lauderhill, Broward County

Lauderhill is in central Broward County next to Lauderdale Lakes and Plantation. As with its neighbor, check whether the listings you see are condos or houses, because the two are priced very differently. It gives you South Florida jobs and airports at a fraction of the Broward County norm.

Typical home value: $208,707, $166,763 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,878 a month (-3.0% over the year)
Value change: -5.4% in one year, +17.9% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,253

5. Palatka, Putnam County

Palatka is the Putnam County seat on the St. Johns River, between Jacksonville and Gainesville. It has the lowest typical rent of any Florida city of 10,000 or more in the Zillow data.

Typical home value: $210,629, $164,841 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,384 a month (-2.1% over the year)
Value change: +1.1% in one year, +14.2% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,265

6. Sebring, Highlands County

Sebring is the Highlands County seat, set around Lake Jackson and known for Sebring International Raceway. Like Avon Park up the road, prices rose strongly over five years from a low base.

Typical home value: $238,671, $136,799 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,527 a month (+1.2% over the year)
Value change: -1.8% in one year, +27.4% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,433

7. Lake Wales, Polk County

Lake Wales is in eastern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge, home to Bok Tower Gardens. It sits within reach of both Lakeland and the Orlando area, and its population grew about 16% since 2020.

Typical home value: $243,335, $132,135 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,651 a month (+1.8% over the year)
Value change: -2.3% in one year, +22.5% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,461

8. South Daytona, Volusia County

South Daytona borders Daytona Beach to the south, along the Halifax River. It was one of only a few cities on this list with a price gain over the last year.

Typical home value: $249,214, $126,256 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,578 a month (+0.5% over the year)
Value change: +2.0% in one year, +17.7% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,497

9. Daytona Beach, Volusia County

Daytona Beach and Lauderhill are the only cities of more than 50,000 people in the top 10, and Daytona is the one with an ocean beach and a larger job base close by. Rents are among the lowest in the state too.

Typical home value: $252,622, $122,848 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,533 a month (+0.8% over the year)
Value change: -2.3% in one year, +12.4% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,517

10. Lake City, Columbia County

Lake City is the Columbia County seat where I-75 meets I-10, north of Gainesville. It had one of the strongest five-year price gains on the list, and values edged up over the last year as well.

Typical home value: $264,618, $110,852 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,494 a month (+4.7% over the year)
Value change: +0.4% in one year, +29.2% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,589

11. Ocala, Marion County

Ocala is the Marion County seat on I-75, with about 72,000 residents in Census estimates. It also tops our best places to live in Florida score.

Typical home value: $265,333, $110,137 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,575 a month (-0.4% over the year)
Value change: -2.5% in one year, +22.7% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,594

12. Callaway, Bay County

Callaway is on the east side of Panama City in Bay County, close to Tyndall Air Force Base. Its values rose over the year, unlike most of Florida.

Typical home value: $266,423, $109,047 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,878 a month (+0.9% over the year)
Value change: +0.6% in one year, +20.1% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,600

13. Pensacola, Escambia County

Pensacola is the Escambia County seat on Pensacola Bay. It is one of the few cities in the ranking where prices rose over the year, and Census estimates show a small population decline since 2020.

Typical home value: $266,727, $108,743 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,657 a month (+2.5% over the year)
Value change: +1.2% in one year, +18.5% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,602

14. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Palm Springs is a village in central Palm Beach County, west of Lake Worth Beach. It is the lowest-priced Palm Beach County city in the ranking, though rents are higher than most cities on this list.

Typical home value: $269,242, $106,228 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $2,190 a month (+1.1% over the year)
Value change: -0.7% in one year, +28.4% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,617

15. Titusville, Brevard County

Titusville is the Brevard County seat on the Indian River, across from Kennedy Space Center. It is the cheapest Space Coast city in the ranking by typical value.

Typical home value: $272,395, $103,075 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,613 a month (+1.9% over the year)
Value change: -0.8% in one year, +18.9% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,636

16. Winter Haven, Polk County

Winter Haven is in Polk County, part of the Lakeland metro area, and one of the faster-growing cities of its size in Florida. Prices fell 2.7% over the year, which gives buyers some room.

Typical home value: $272,484, $102,986 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,698 a month (+1.9% over the year)
Value change: -2.7% in one year, +16.2% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,637

17. Deerfield Beach, Broward County

Deerfield Beach is a northern Broward County city with its own Atlantic beach. Its typical value is low for the coast, which suggests a big share of condos in the mix, and rents are well above the rest of the list.

Typical home value: $272,563, $102,907 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $2,426 a month (+1.3% over the year)
Value change: -3.0% in one year, +19.2% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,637

18. Leesburg, Lake County

Leesburg is in Lake County between Lake Harris and Lake Griffin, south of The Villages. Census estimates show about 44% population growth since 2020, the fastest on this list.

Typical home value: $275,435, $100,035 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,744 a month (+2.0% over the year)
Value change: -3.6% in one year, +16.6% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,654

19. Hallandale Beach, Broward County

Hallandale Beach is in southern Broward County on the Atlantic, next to Aventura. Much of its housing is in condo towers along the water, which helps explain a typical value that is low for the coast.

Typical home value: $276,723, $98,747 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $2,419 a month (+2.0% over the year)
Value change: -3.8% in one year, +13.7% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,662

20. Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County

Fort Pierce is the St. Lucie County seat on the Indian River Lagoon, with barrier-island beaches nearby. It rounds out the top 20 at just under $278,000.

Typical home value: $277,504, $97,966 below the Florida figure
Typical rent: $1,980 a month (+2.4% over the year)
Value change: -1.7% in one year, +25.6% in five
Estimated monthly principal and interest with 10% down: $1,667

Cheapest Florida cities to rent

If you plan to rent, the order changes. These are the ten Florida cities of 10,000 or more with the lowest typical rent in August 2026.

City	County	Typical rent	Typical value
Palatka	Putnam County	$1,384	$210,629
Tallahassee	Leon County	$1,470	$294,444
Holly Hill	Volusia County	$1,483	$202,585
Avon Park	Highlands County	$1,493	$207,755
Lake City	Columbia County	$1,494	$264,618
Lady Lake	Lake County	$1,513	$333,334
Sebring	Highlands County	$1,527	$238,671
Daytona Beach	Volusia County	$1,533	$252,622
Ocala	Marion County	$1,575	$265,333
South Daytona	Volusia County	$1,578	$249,214

Tallahassee and Jacksonville are the only large cities here, which matters if you need a wide choice of jobs. Jacksonville's cost of living page has a full breakdown.

How the Bright cities compare on price

Ranked on the same measure out of 169 cities:

City	Price rank	Typical value	Typical rent	Monthly P&I, 10% down
Jacksonville	25 of 169	$285,103	$1,601	$1,712
Gainesville	35 of 169	$295,760	$1,618	$1,776
Lakeland	48 of 169	$309,954	$1,722	$1,862
Cape Coral	59 of 169	$335,825	$1,949	$2,017
Plant City	67 of 169	$340,391	$1,803	$2,044
Orlando	88 of 169	$371,120	$1,896	$2,229
Tampa	92 of 169	$377,566	$1,957	$2,268
Sarasota	103 of 169	$409,878	$2,175	$2,462
Clermont	112 of 169	$428,604	$2,058	$2,574
Winter Garden	144 of 169	$566,535	$2,374	$3,403
Boca Raton	145 of 169	$576,824	$2,949	$3,464

Jacksonville, Gainesville and Lakeland are the most affordable of the cities we cover, all under $310,000. Plant City and Cape Coral sit in the middle.

Cheap and low-crime, $1,500 a month and the cheapest state

What is the cheapest and safest place to live in Florida?

We compare reported crime rates rather than label places safe. Of the 16 Florida cities with the lowest reported crime per resident in FDLE's 2025 data (see our Florida crime rates guide), the lowest-priced are Palm Bay ($303,910, 11.82 reported violent and property crimes per 1,000 residents), Punta Gorda ($332,696, 10.08) and Green Cove Springs ($339,573, 13.43). None of the 20 cheapest cities above had both complete FDLE reporting and a rate that low.

Can I live in Florida for $1,500 a month?

It is very hard. MIT's living wage budget for one adult in Florida allows $18,245 a year, about $1,520 a month, for housing alone, and its total after-tax budget is $42,711 a year, about $3,560 a month. Only Palatka ($1,384), Tallahassee ($1,470) and Holly Hill ($1,483) had typical rents under $1,500 among cities of 10,000 or more. You would need a room share, a smaller unit or income support to make $1,500 cover everything.

What is the #1 cheapest state to live in?

The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures price levels by state. In its 2024 regional price parities, Arkansas had the lowest overall price level at 86.9 (national average = 100), followed by Mississippi at 87.0. Florida is not among the cheapest states, but the Florida cities above cost well under the state average.

Before you move somewhere cheap

Get an insurance quote first

Homeowners insurance can wipe out a price advantage, particularly for older homes and near the coast. Ask for quotes on the specific address, and ask the seller for a wind mitigation report and 4-point inspection.

File for homestead

If the home is your permanent residence on January 1, the homestead exemption takes up to $51,411 off the assessed value for 2026 and caps future assessment increases. See the Florida property tax guide.

Check the flood zone

Several of the cheapest cities sit on rivers, lakes or the coast. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, because a lender will require flood insurance in a high-risk zone.

Look at jobs and drive times

The cheapest inland towns are some distance from the big job centers. Price the commute, or confirm you can work remotely, before you commit.

Common questions

What is the cheapest city to live in Florida?+

Among cities with at least 10,000 residents, Lauderdale Lakes had the lowest Zillow typical home value in August 2026 at $135,344, but that citywide figure mixes in a large number of condos. For a mostly single-family town, Avon Park in Highlands County was lowest at $207,755, with typical rent of $1,493 a month.

What is the most affordable place to live in Florida near the beach?+

Among coastal cities of 10,000 or more, Holly Hill ($202,585), South Daytona ($249,214) and Daytona Beach ($252,622) in Volusia County had the lowest Zillow typical values in August 2026. Holly Hill and South Daytona sit on the Halifax River next to Daytona Beach. Our beach towns guide ranks coastal cities in more detail.

Where is the cheapest place to rent in Florida?+

Palatka, the Putnam County seat, had the lowest Zillow typical rent of any Florida city with at least 10,000 residents in August 2026, at $1,384 a month. Tallahassee was next at $1,470 and Holly Hill at $1,483.

Are home prices falling in Florida?+

Slightly. Zillow's typical Florida home value was $375,470 in August 2026, down 1.5% on the year. Most of the 20 cheapest cities also fell, by up to 8.7% in Lauderdale Lakes, while Palatka, Lake City, South Daytona, Callaway and Pensacola rose.

How much is a mortgage payment on a cheap Florida home?+

On Avon Park's typical value of $207,755, with 10% down and a 7.03% 30-year rate, principal and interest come to about $1,248 a month. Property tax, homeowners insurance and any HOA fee come on top, so ask for quotes on the specific home.

Is it cheaper to live in north or south Florida?+

Generally north and central Florida. Among the 20 cheapest cities of 10,000 or more, five are in South Florida, all in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and their low figures lean on condos. The single-family bargains are mostly in the interior, the Panhandle and the Daytona Beach area.

Cheapest places to live in Florida: the 20 most affordable cities in 2026

Discuss your purchase or sale.