brightFLORIDA HOMESPlan your move
APOLLO BEACH LIVING GUIDE

Is Apollo Beach, FL a good place to live? Pros, cons and what it costs

Apollo Beach is a good place to live if you want boat access to Tampa Bay from your back yard and can budget for what comes with it: Zillow's typical home value was $438,180 in August 2026, down 2.8% on the year, and typical rent was $2,233 a month, up 4.9%. The main trade-offs are storm surge exposure, flood and homeowners insurance, CDD fees in newer communities and a drive of 35 minutes or so to work. Which street you choose matters as much as the town.

Researched September 25, 2026 · Bright Florida Homes
YOUR NEXT STEP01 / 02

Plan your Apollo Beach home search.

Narrow your Apollo Beach search by the house, its obligations and your regular journeys.

No obligation to choose an agent.

Is Apollo Beach a good place to live? The short answer

For buyers who value the water, often yes. Apollo Beach is an unincorporated community of 22.3 square miles on the east shore of Tampa Bay, built around an estimated 55 miles of canals, with newer master-planned communities inland. It costs more than neighboring Riverview and the flood questions are sharper, so the right answer depends on the lot.

Four numbers frame it:

  • Typical home value: $438,180 (Zillow, August 2026), down 2.8% over the year and up 13.9% over five years.
  • Typical rent: $2,233 a month, up 4.9% over the year.
  • Living wage: MIT's calculator puts the before-tax living wage for one adult with no children in Hillsborough County at $51,346 a year.
  • Hot days: the NOAA station at the National Weather Service office in Ruskin, just south, averages about 97 days a year at 90°F or above (1991 to 2020 normals).

Below, each pro and con comes with its source. For buying and selling specifics, see the Apollo Beach real estate guide.

Pros of living in Apollo Beach

1. Boat access from home

The canal system dug from the 1950s onward was designed to connect lots to Tampa Bay, and it now runs an estimated 55 miles. Many canal homes have private docks, which is rare this close to a major metro. Check each lot's route to open water and the condition of the seawall before you rely on it.

2. Prices are below their 2022 level

Zillow's typical value peaked at $504,360 in August 2022 and has fallen every August since, to $438,180 in 2026. That is 13.1% lower than four years ago, which gives buyers more room than they had during the run-up.

3. Free manatee viewing every winter

Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center on Dickman Road opens daily from November 1 to April 15, with free admission and parking. Manatees gather in the warm water released by the Big Bend Power Station. The site also has a boardwalk, a 50-foot tower, a coastal habitat trail and a ray touch tank.

4. A county nature preserve on the bay

The 63-acre Apollo Beach Nature Preserve on Surfside Boulevard has a 2-acre sand beach for picnics and sunbathing, a 37-foot wheelchair-accessible observation tower, shoreline fishing and restrooms. It opens at 8 a.m. every day.

5. No state income tax

Florida's constitution bars a state tax on the income of residents, so wages, pensions and retirement withdrawals are not taxed by the state. Sales tax in Hillsborough County is 7.5%, made up of the 6% state rate and three half-cent county surtaxes.

6. Newer homes with shared amenities

Waterset, a master plan of more than 1,300 acres, lists several clubhouses, pools, sports courts, over 12 miles of trails and more than 10 parks. New homes come with current building code standards and builder warranties.

7. Straight road links north and south

US 41 runs through the middle of Apollo Beach and I-75 crosses its eastern side, with Exit 246 at the northern edge. Downtown Tampa is about 17 miles north and Bradenton about 25 miles south.

8. Two hospitals next door in Riverview

AdventHealth Riverview and St. Joseph's Hospital-South are both in neighboring Riverview, so emergency and inpatient care do not require a trip into Tampa.

9. New schools have opened as the area grew

Schools serving Apollo Beach include Apollo Beach Elementary, Inez Doby Elementary, Waterset Charter School for kindergarten to 8th grade, and SLAM! Apollo Beach, which became K-12 in January 2026. Check assignment for any address with Hillsborough County Public Schools.

10. Mild winters

From December through February, average highs at the Ruskin station run from 71.8°F to 74.7°F, with lows around 51°F to 54°F and about 2.2 to 2.7 inches of rain a month.

Cons of living in Apollo Beach

1. Storm surge and evacuation orders

Hillsborough County expanded evacuation Zone A along the whole coastline for 2026, including more of Apollo Beach, after the surge and inland flooding of the 2024 season. Inland parts of Apollo Beach south of Big Bend Road moved into Zone E. If you live here, you plan around the possibility of leaving your home during a storm.

2. Flood insurance and elevation matter

The county's coastal flood maps were redrawn in 2021. If a lot is in a high-risk zone, a mortgage lender will require flood cover. The county's new Class 4 Community Rating System standing cuts NFIP premiums by 30% from October 1, 2026, but the base premium still depends on the home's elevation. Ask for the elevation certificate.

3. Homeowners insurance

Citizens Property Insurance's average multiperil homeowners premium in Hillsborough County was $2,918 in its 2026 rate filing. Roof age, construction and distance from the water all move the quote, so price the exact address. The Florida homeowners insurance guide explains the market.

4. CDD and HOA charges on newer homes

Homes by WestBay's current Waterset homesites carry CDD assessments of $3,555.31 to $4,148.19 a year plus HOA dues. In MiraBay, the Harbor Bay CDD bills both bond payments and operating costs on the tax roll. These charges can add several hundred dollars a month to the cost of a home.

5. Rent is rising

Typical rent of $2,233 was up 4.9% over the year to August 2026, while rent in Riverview slipped. Keeping that rent at 30% of gross income takes about $89,320 a year.

6. Long drives to work

The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimate of the mean commute for Apollo Beach workers is 35.3 minutes. Most trips funnel onto US 41, Big Bend Road and I-75, so a crash or construction on one of them is felt widely.

7. Four hot, wet months

From June to September, average highs at the Ruskin station are 89.8°F to 91.0°F and about 32.6 inches of rain falls, around 61% of the 53.6-inch annual total.

8. No swimming beach and an industrial neighbor

Despite the name, the county beach does not permit swimming. Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station sits on the northern edge and is visible across the bay, so check the view from any home you are considering.

What Apollo Beach is like day to day

The climate figures below come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Tampa Bay Area weather office in Ruskin, the closest long-term station.

Winter and spring (December to May)

January averages a high of 71.8°F and a low of 50.7°F. By May the average high is 87.6°F, and rainfall stays around 2 to 3 inches a month.

Summer and the rainy season (June to September)

August is the warmest and wettest month, with an average high of 91.0°F, a low of 73.9°F and 8.79 inches of rain. Expect around 18 to 23 days a month at 90°F or above in these months, and afternoon thunderstorms.

Fall (October and November)

October averages 85.3°F and November 78.8°F, and rainfall drops to 2 to 3 inches a month. Hurricane season runs through November, so evacuation planning is not over until then.

Getting around

You will need a car for most errands. US 41 carries local traffic north to Gibsonton and south to Ruskin, and I-75 is the fast route to Tampa, Brandon and Bradenton. Canal homes add a second route: by boat to Tampa Bay.

Things to do

Fishing and boating are the obvious draws. Add the Manatee Viewing Center in winter, the nature preserve's tower and beach, clubhouse amenities in the newer communities, and mountain biking and horseback trails at Alafia River State Park in Lithia to the east.

What salary do you need to live in Apollo Beach?

MIT's Living Wage Calculator estimates the pre-tax income a household needs to cover basic costs in Hillsborough County, without savings or extras (updated February 15, 2026):

HouseholdHourly living wageYearly, before tax
Single adult$24.69$51,346
Single adult, one child$40.53$84,294
Two adults, one earner$32.57$67,752
Two adults, both earning, two children$27.25 each$113,340

Is $100,000 enough to live in Apollo Beach?

For most household types, yes on MIT's measure, but it depends on how you house yourself. Zillow's typical $2,233 rent would take about 26.8% of $100,000 in gross income. Buying the $438,180 typical home with 10% down at the 7.03% average 30-year rate means principal and interest of about $2,632 a month, or 31.6% of that income, and about 38.8% once homesteaded property tax of roughly $604 a month is added. Insurance, HOA and any CDD come on top.

How much do you need to live comfortably?

No official measure of comfortable exists, so here is the arithmetic. Keeping the typical rent at 30% of gross pay takes about $89,320 a year. Keeping the typical home's principal, interest and homesteaded tax at 30% takes about $129,440, before insurance and fees. Townhomes and homes away from the water bring those figures down; see new construction in Apollo Beach for builder starting prices.

Why people are moving to (and leaving) Apollo Beach

Apollo Beach has grown fast. The census counted 14,701 residents in 2010 and 26,002 in 2020, a 77% increase, and the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey estimate is 33,355. The 2020 census also counted 11,100 housing units, 9.3% of them vacant at the time.

Hillsborough County as a whole is still growing, but more slowly. In the year to July 2025 the county lost 15,620 more residents to other US counties than it gained from them, after a net domestic loss of 10,825 the year before. Arrivals from abroad (a net 13,621) and 5,000 more births than deaths kept the total rising slightly.

The Census Bureau does not collect reasons for moving. The draws people commonly name here, boat access, newer homes and no state income tax, are covered above, as are the costs that push the other way: insurance, storm exposure and higher prices than before 2020.

Is Apollo Beach a good place to retire?

It depends on your budget and how you feel about hurricane planning. The facts that matter:

  • Age-restricted option: Regency at Waterset by Toll Brothers is a gated 55+ community, the only one in the Waterset plan, with duets and single-family homes listed from $329,000 and a pool, fitness center and lifestyle director.
  • Taxes: no state income tax on Social Security, pensions or retirement withdrawals. Homestead can remove up to $50,000 of a primary home's assessed value, and later increases are capped at 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.
  • Healthcare: AdventHealth Riverview and St. Joseph's Hospital-South are in neighboring Riverview.
  • Costs to plan for: insurance, evacuation plans, and HOA or CDD charges in planned communities.

Sun City Center, to the southeast, and other large 55+ communities are compared in the Tampa-area 55+ communities guide.

Where to live in Apollo Beach

Most choices fall into four groups:

  • The original canal streets between US 41 and the bay, first built from 1958, for private docks and older homes.
  • MiraBay, a waterfront community run by the Harbor Bay CDD, with seawalls maintained by the district.
  • Waterset, a newer master plan with seven builders and a 55+ section.
  • Newer inland communities such as Taylor Morrison's Indigo Creek, which the builder lists with no CDD fees.

If your budget is lower, neighboring Riverview had a typical value of $363,568 in August 2026. The best suburbs of Tampa guide compares more options.

Should you move to Apollo Beach?

Moving here makes sense when the trade-offs below work for you. Run through them for each home you consider:

  • Storm plan: do you know the address's evacuation zone and flood zone, and where you would go?
  • Full monthly cost: have you added insurance, flood cover, HOA and any CDD to the mortgage and tax?
  • Waterfront upkeep: for a canal home, have you seen the seawall, dock permits and lift, and priced repairs?
  • Commute: have you driven to work at rush hour on I-75 or US 41?
  • Summer: are you ready for four months of highs near 91°F and daily storms?
  • Income: does your household clear MIT's living wage for its size with room to save?

If most answers are yes, Apollo Beach deserves a closer look, and we can introduce you to a local agent who knows the canals.

Common questions

What are the pros and cons of living in Apollo Beach, Florida?+

Pros include boat access through about 55 miles of canals, prices 13.1% below the 2022 level, free winter manatee viewing, a bayfront nature preserve, no state income tax and newer amenity-rich communities. Cons include storm surge and evacuation risk, flood and homeowners insurance, CDD fees, rising rent, long commutes and hot, wet summers.

Is Apollo Beach wealthy?+

We report only income and home values. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey estimate of median household income in Apollo Beach is $127,617, with a margin of error of $10,070, and the median value of owner-occupied homes is $472,700. Zillow's typical home value in August 2026 was $438,180.

What is the crime rate in Apollo Beach?+

Apollo Beach is unincorporated, so it has no city police department and no separate crime rate of its own in state reports. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office publishes a crime search map by address, and FDLE publishes annual crime data by reporting agency. Compare incident types and dates for the streets you are considering.

Does Apollo Beach flood?+

Parts of it can. Hillsborough County expanded evacuation Zone A along the coast for 2026, including more of Apollo Beach, and waterfront lots need a FEMA flood zone check. Check the address in the county's HEAT tool and on FEMA's flood map, and ask for flood claims and an elevation certificate.

How far is Apollo Beach from Tampa?+

Downtown Tampa is about 17 miles north of Apollo Beach, reached by US 41 or I-75. Bradenton is about 25 miles south. Apollo Beach workers average a 35.3-minute commute, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates.

Is $100,000 a good salary in Apollo Beach?+

It clears MIT's Hillsborough living wage for most households. Typical rent of $2,233 would take about 26.8% of it. Buying the typical $438,180 home with 10% down at 7.03% takes about 31.6% of gross pay for principal and interest alone, before tax and insurance.

Is Apollo Beach a good place to retire?+

It depends on whether you want life on the water and can plan for storms. There is a gated 55+ section, Regency at Waterset, listed from $329,000, no state income tax on retirement income, and two hospitals in neighboring Riverview. Budget for insurance, evacuation and any HOA or CDD charges.

Sources

YOUR NEXT PROPERTY DECISION

Start with your location and your goal.

Request a conversation about the move you are planning.

Start my enquiry ↗
Plan your Florida move ↗
Find an agent →
BEFORE YOU GO

Still comparing Apollo Beach areas? Tell us where you are looking and what the home needs to do.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Plan your Apollo Beach home search.