While the average home price in Florida is just below the national average, the prices are rising due to increased demand over the last few years, insurance rates going up and interest rates going up. So, we’ve compiled a list of our top affordable places to live in Florida.
Dunedin
Median Home Sold Price: $422,777
Done-ee-din is how you say it and it’s a hidden gem just north of Clearwater. Here you can find the #1 state park with awesome beaches called Honeymoon Island State Park.
Although not a huge part of its early days, Dunedin held onto its Scottish founding by naming roads and neighborhoods like Scotland Street, Louden Avenue, Highland Avenue, Locklie Street, Aberdeen Street, Beltrees Street, Brae-Moor, Loch Lomond, Lake Highlander, and Stirling Heights.
We love the quaint downtown in Dunedin featuring many nice breweries, restaurants and shops. It’s a nice area to visit after possibly catching a spring training game at the Toronto Blue Jays ballpark or nice day at the beach. The proximity to mini Miami (Clearwater) is a plus as well if you’d like a little change of scenery.
Here are some other things you can do in Dunedin:
- Attend a Scottish festival or event: Dunedin hosts quite a few Scottish festivals and events throughout the year.
- Visit the Dunedin Botanical Garden: This garden has a wide variety of plants from around the world.
- Take a bike ride or walk on the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail: It’s a 47-mile trail that runs through Dunedin and connects to other trails in the area.
- Visit Caladesi Island State Park: This park is known for its white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and abundant wildlife.
- Visit the Dunedin Museum of Art: This museum features a variety of art from around the world.
Englewood
Median Home Sold Price: $370,125
This is one of the most affordable oceanfront towns around. The quality of life compared to cost of living is top notch here.
A unique thing to do in Englewood is search for shark teeth. Simply scoop sand just past the water line and sift. Places like Blind Pass Beach Park and Manasota Key Beach are areas you can find them.
Of course you have the standard array of beaches like Stump Pass State Park and a downtown area with a historic street (Dearborn). Enjoy the beaches during the day and cross the bridge to downtown for boutique shops and restaurants.
Lakeland
Median home price: $323,050
A favorite for Michigander snow bird’s or migrants because it’s the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers. The location is conveniently located about 40 minutes away from both Orlando and Tampa. The Pasco County sheriff is known for being tough on crime, so it’s one of the safest places around.
Despite being a smaller town, Lakeland is home to some larger companies including Publix which is the main supermarket chain in Florida. The combo of jobs, affordable housing and small-town living makes Lakeland pretty popular.
You’ll want to make sure to visit museums like the Florida Air Museum or the Florida Children’s Museum, check out Hollis Garden and spend time at Lake Parker.
- Total population: 110,401
- Median household income: $52,972
- Average sale price per square foot: $197
- Average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment: $1,161
North Port
Median Home Sold Price: $370,116
When you talk about North Port, you have to mention one of the hottest developments in all of Florida, Wellen Park. It’s a new “downtown area” currently under construction that will feature entertainment, shopping, dining and even a lake for kayaking or admiring wildlife. Some are comparing it to Disney Springs.
The recently built Cool Today Park is the Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility which also hosts a weekly Farmers Market and variety of other events. Residents appreciate not only the beaches but also the Myakka River that flows nearby and the Myakka State Forest with 8500 acres to explore along with 40 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails.
Throw in the state’s only natural warm spring at Warm Mineral Springs and a close proximity to Sarasota and you have yourself an attractive affordable city with a ton of stuff to do in a great location. A great choice for anybody moving to Florida.
Cape Coral
Median Home Sold Price: $399,818**
The city of Cape Coral is the third largest in Florida and stands to benefit from the redevelopment of the Fort Myers downtown area from Hurricane Ian. It will be a short drive away from all the exciting new opportunities there and the more upscale Naples.
It boasts over 400 miles of waterways and some highly rated public and private schools. The city has four public high schools and some charter schools which tend to rank high in terms of test scores. You’ll also find several nearby colleges and universities. Over 6,000 businesses call Cape Coral home. Not to mention the second lowest index crime rate of Florida cities with populations over 150k.
If you like festivals, Cape Coral has one of the biggest Oktoberfest’s each year which spans two weekends and an average of 30,000. Also, the Cape hosts the Burrowing Owl festival. A great option for all to consider.
Conclusion
We hope you found this information useful. If you have any questions and/or would like to set up a discovery call with us, feel free to reach out anytime.
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