These Are The Cheapest Places To Live In Florida & You've Probably Never Heard Of Them
The towns are so small.
An aerial view of DeFuniak Springs, FL.
- "Affordability" and "Florida" are not two words commonly seen in the same sentence, so it might come as a surprise that there are cheap places to live in the Sunshine State. Well, cheaper than others...
There's just one catch, the towns are so small, you've probably never heard of them.
When you think of the U.S. state, you might picture Fort Lauderdale and Miami beaches or even amusement parks in Orlando. Due to the tourist attractions and gorgeous locations, these cities have grown immensely, which means there's a bigger price tag to live there.
According to a study done by Home Snacks, the cheapest places to live in Florida were based on population, home prices vs. income, rent vs. income and overall demographics of the place.
Coming in the top spot is a North Florida city called Live Oak. The U.S. Census Bureau collected population data of around 6,814 in July of 2021. The median household income there is about $44,505.
Next, you have DeFuniak Springs with an even smaller population of 6,696, however, their median household income is higher at $49,663.
Third on the list is Quincy, FL. The population is 7,237 with a low average household income of $35,609.
For comparison, in 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Fort Lauderdale had a population of over 181,818, Miami had 461,080 people and Orlando was at 284,817 residents.
The median household income for Fort Lauderdale is $64,313. For Miami, it's $44,268 and for Orlando, it's $55,183.
While Miami actually has a similar median household income to these smaller towns, you have to factor in the higher-priced amenities, what it cost for groceries, to eat out to dinner and even budget to buy a home, given that rent and real estate are much higher in the South.
In fact, the Magic City was ranked one of the most expensive in the world to live in luxury.
Other small cities that made the list of low-cost places to live include Fort Meade, Macclenny, Dade City, Eustis, Callaway, Macote and Belleview.
The highest populated city listed is Eustis with 21,010 residents.
So, if you're looking to make a move to Florida, you might want to check out a smaller town for an economically friendly way to live.