Living in Maitland, FL: homes, prices and the commute to Orlando

At a glance

What kind of place Maitland is

Maitland was incorporated as a city in 1959 and covers about 6.5 square miles, of which roughly 1.1 square miles is water. Lake Maitland, at 451 acres, is the largest of its 21 lakes. Maitland Center, a 226-acre office district next to I-4 that dates from 1982, holds more than 45 office buildings.

Cultural sites include the Art & History Museums in Maitland, which run the Maitland Art Center, a National Historic Landmark, plus a history museum, the Waterhouse Residence Museum and a telephone museum. The Enzian, an independent cinema that hosts the Florida Film Festival, is also in Maitland.

How Maitland prices compare with nearby options

Figures are Zillow's typical home value for August 2026. Maitland's small size means a handful of lakefront sales can move the average, so treat the citywide number as a starting point. Ask a local agent for closed sales on your street type: lakefront, off-water single-family, townhome or condo. The Orlando housing market page covers the wider metro trend.

Property tax: the city millage adds to the county bill

Homes inside Maitland city limits pay the city's millage on top of Orange County, school board and other levies. For fiscal year 2026 the City Council adopted an operating rate of 5.0465 mills and a combined rate of 5.2425 mills, which includes voted debt service. Each mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, so the city portion alone on a home with $400,000 of taxable value would be about $2,097 at the combined rate.

• Confirm the parcel is inside Maitland city limits on the Orange County Property Appraiser record. Some addresses with a Maitland mailing name are not.
• Estimate your tax on your purchase price, not the seller's capped assessment.
• File for homestead if eligible: it can cut taxable value by as much as $50,000.

See the Orange County property tax guide for the county side of the bill.

Getting to Orlando from Maitland

Maitland sits on the SunRail line between Altamonte Springs and Winter Park, with its station on US 17-92. Maitland and downtown Orlando are both in Orange County, so a one-way adult SunRail ticket within one county is $2.00. I-4 runs along the Maitland Center side of the city for drivers.

Before relying on the train, check the timetable against your working hours and how you will get from the destination station to your office.

Lakefront homes: what to check

Much of Maitland's appeal is its lakes, and lakefront homes need extra checks.

• Look up the parcel's FEMA flood zone and ask whether the lender will require flood insurance.
• Get a flood insurance quote before you finalise your offer, even outside a high-risk zone.
• Ask the city about dock, seawall and shoreline permits before planning any work on the water.

The city's FY2026 capital plan includes flood mitigation work, which is a reminder to ask about drainage history on any low-lying street.

Checking school zoning in Maitland

Maitland is in Orange County Public Schools. Public schools in the city include Dommerich Elementary, Lake Sybelia Elementary and Maitland Middle School. Assignment depends on the exact address, so use OCPS's Find My School tool before you buy. The best schools in Orlando page explains how to read Florida school grades.

Also compare Lake Mary to the north and the in-town Audubon Park and College Park neighborhoods. We can introduce you to a local agent once you have a shortlist.

Common questions

Sources

• Wikipedia: Maitland, Florida
• Citizen Portal: Maitland council adopts fiscal 2026 budget, sets millage rates
• Art & History Museums - Maitland: home page
• SunRail: Stations
• SunRail: Fares
• Orange County Public Schools: Departments (Find My School)
• Florida Department of Revenue: Property tax exemptions
• Zillow Research: Zillow Home Value Index (August 2026)