POLK COUNTY, Fla. — StorageCafe compared rent, home values and grocery costs in the 63 Florida cities that placed among the company’s 100 highest-ranked snowbird destinations nationwide.
Lake Wales, Winter Haven, Auburndale and Haines City all landed in Florida’s affordability top 10.
Inland communities offer lower costs
Lake City ranked as Florida’s most affordable destination in the analysis, with a median home value of about $185,000.
Avon Park and Sebring placed second and third. Avon Park had the lowest median rent and home value among the Florida cities evaluated, with rent averaging $921 per month and a median home value of about $145,000.
Two coastal communities also made the state’s affordability top 10. The analysis listed New Port Richey with a median home value of approximately $183,000 and Fort Pierce at about $251,000.
Polk County performs well nationally
Winter Haven previously ranked as the company’s No. 1 snowbird destination in the country. Lakeland placed second nationally, while Lake Wales ranked 10th.
StorageCafe evaluated nearly 500 warm-weather communities for its broader ranking. Factors included climate, housing and grocery costs, seasonal housing availability, health care, safety, recreation, internet speeds and walkability.
The affordability list was created by re-ranking Florida’s national top-100 destinations using rent, home values and grocery costs.
The analysis was conducted by StorageCafe, a self-storage search company owned by real estate software company Yardi. It is not an official government affordability ranking.
See the complete study and methodology here.
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