Measuring Starter Home Affordability in Florida

Affordability is top of mind for Floridians. For most residents, housing is the largest household budget item, and buying a home has grown increasingly out-of-reach financially.

Historically, Florida has been home to more affordable housing options for middle class families than elsewhere in the U.S. Yet as Florida’s population grows, in part due to a rise in residents moving here from other states, residents are increasingly finding it harder to buy their first home. Add in other costs of home ownership, such as insurance, property taxes, maintenance and utilities, and finding an affordable place to live is a daunting task.

We compiled the latest Zillow data to understand which parts of the state have the least expensive “starter homes,” or those that are more likely to be pursued by individuals and families looking to buy their first home, and which areas are most expensive.

Introducing: The Florida Starter Home Price Index

We pulled data from Zillow’s Home Value Index for the Sunshine State, specifically median prices for two-bedroom homes. These represent more entry-level properties that individuals or families just entering the market are more likely to be looking to buy.

Zillow measures property details such as size and location, sales history, tax assessments, and other public records to estimate home values by city, county, and state. By looking at how home values change over time across Florida, we can better understand the typical prices home buyers could see on the market.

This analysis focuses on the latest available data through August 2026.

The 10 Most and Least Expensive Cities

According to Zillow, Chattahoochee has the least expensive two-bedroom home, with median property values coming in at roughly $79,000, followed by Blountstown, Mangonia Park, Quincy, Lauderdale Lakes, Century Village, Fountain, Graceville, Jasper, and Lauderhill.

On the other side, Fisher Island is the most expensive, with the median two-bedroom home valued at roughly $3.4 million. It is followed by Bal Harbour, Boca Grande, Palm Beach, Gulf Stream, Anna Maria, Key Biscayne, Surfside, Captiva, and Summerland Key to round out the top ten.

The 5 Most and Least Expensive Counties

Monroe County, which is home to the Florida Keys, has the most expensive county-wide two-bedroom value ($752,063). Rounding out the top five are Walton County (including DeFuniak Springs and Miramar Beach), Nassau County (including Amelia Island), Miami-Dade County (including Miami and Coral Gables), and Collier County (including Naples).

Gadsden County (including the cities of Quincy and Chattahoochee) had the least expensive two-bedrooms in the state this year, coming in at $113,924, followed by Calhoun (including Blountstown), Jackson (including Marianna), Liberty (including Bristol), and Hamilton (including Jasper) Counties.

To look up your city or county, search it below.

Conclusion

Over the years, Florida has become an example to the rest of the nation of lower-cost living, in part driven by its historical ability to expand its housing supply. But in recent years a large influx of residents, including those moving from other states, has made it more difficult to keep up with demand.

Understanding base home values across the state is a first step to understanding how to help more families in all areas access housing options that meet their needs. Many factors go into the cost of starter homes, including location, school district, and proximity to desired amenities. Other factors like local rules, zoning requirements, permitting processes, land availability, and more contribute to the ease of building new homes when they are needed, which in turn can help create more affordable homes.

Simplifying land use regulations would make it easier to build new housing, in turn allowing more Floridians to live near their workplaces, high-quality public schools, and commercial and recreational amenities.