Snowbirds looking for a more affordable place to stay in Florida may want to head inland.
A new affordability analysis by StorageCafe found that Avon Park stood out with an average rent of $921 per month and a median home value of about $145,000.
Here's what to know
WFTV reported that the analysis pulled 63 Florida cities from its national list of the 100 highest-ranked snowbird destinations and compared them on rent, home values, and grocery costs.
Once ranked only on those affordability measures, Florida's list began with Lake City, followed by Avon Park and Sebring. Polk County also performed well, with Lake Wales, Winter Haven, Auburndale, and Haines City all landing in Florida's affordability top 10.
Across the Florida cities reviewed, the station said Avon Park came in lowest for both rent and home values.
The list also reached the coast, where New Port Richey and Fort Pierce made Florida's affordability top 10 with median home values of about $183,000 and $251,000, respectively.
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More background
StorageCafe, which produced the analysis, is a self-storage search company owned by real estate software company Yardi, so the list is not an official government affordability ranking.
The grouping gives budget-conscious snowbirds several nearby cities to compare rather than just one standout option.
StorageCafe's national snowbird favored the Polk County area, as WFTV reported, placing Winter Haven first in the country, Lakeland second, and Lake Wales 10th.
In building that national list, the station said StorageCafe reviewed nearly 500 warm-weather communities and factored in climate, housing and grocery prices, the availability of seasonal homes, health care, safety, recreation, internet speeds, and walkability.
Florida's affordability ranking came from taking the state's cities that made the national top 100 and re-sorting them based solely on rent, home values, and grocery costs.
What's being done
StorageCafe noted that Texas and Florida dominate its list, with Florida winning on versatility and Texas prevailing on affordability. The two states combined for 88 of the top 100 destinations on the list, with only Georgia and Arizona offering multiple cities that made the cut.
With that in mind, the Sunshine State deserves a long look.
"Florida has the deepest bench, with 63 cities and arguably the widest range of winter lifestyles, from high-energy coastal hubs to laid-back beach communities and quieter inland towns," the outlet assessed.
Where can I learn more?
Rising housing and living costs help explain why snowbirds may favor lower-cost Florida cities. Initiatives to reduce those costs include tiny homes and new housing projects.
• Major cities are turning empty office space into apartments to widen lower-cost housing options.
• Across the U.S., the median home now demands a $120,000 income, Harvard found.
• In Springfield, Missouri, families are moving into a tiny home community with rents under $500.
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