Living in Umatilla, FL: Who It Fits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere

Umatilla is a small town at the edge of the Ocala National Forest that is turning into a new-construction market. Close to half of the homes sold here in the last twelve months were brand new, and half were built since 2020, more than in Eustis or Mount Dora on both counts. One development, Magnolia Pointe on the south side of town, accounted for about a third of everything sold. Its houses are the smallest and least expensive new homes of the three towns, and the slowest to sell, which is the whole story of buying here: a new house is easy to find, and an older one is a different market.

A note on scope: home sales on this page are counted by the Umatilla mailing address, zip 32784, which reaches well beyond the town limits; the population, income and commute figures describe the town itself.

Who Umatilla Fits, and Who It Doesn't

Strong fit: buyers who want a new house at the lowest price of the three towns, since a new house here closed at about $334,000 against about $353,000 in Eustis and $479,000 in Mount Dora; buyers who can wait for a builder to deal, because new homes here took about three and a half months to go under contract, the slowest of the three; buyers who want an older house with no association, which closed at about $299,000 and sold in about six weeks; and anyone who wants the Ocala National Forest, which the town bills itself as the gateway to.

Weaker fit: anyone commuting to Orlando or Seminole County, because Umatilla has the longest average commute of the three; buyers who want a larger new house, since new homes here were typically about 1,670 square feet, the smallest of the three; anyone who wants shopping and restaurants close by, since builder materials themselves put the nearest Publix about fifteen minutes away; and buyers who want a choice of established neighborhoods, because about a third of the market is one development.

Still deciding between towns? We pulled the closed sales around a $325,000 budget and put Umatilla side by side with its neighbors: what $325,000 actually buys in each. Square footage, bedrooms, year built, and how many came with a pool.

Where Is Umatilla, and What Makes It Different?

Umatilla is a small city in north Lake County on State Road 19, north of Eustis, and it markets itself as the gateway to the Ocala National Forest. The old town sits among a cluster of small lakes, with Magnolia Pointe on the south side. The mean commute is 41.6 minutes.

Umatilla Housing Market Snapshot (2026)

Over the last twelve months 179 homes sold in Umatilla at a median of $325,000, down 1.5% against the twelve months before. Per square foot, which strips out any change in the size of what sold, the figure rose 3.2%. In August 2026, 10 homes closed at a median of $338,900 and the typical one went under contract in 35 days. One month is too small a sample to read a direction from, which is why the twelve-month figure leads here. There are 52 active residential listings as of October 9, 2026, with a median asking price of $354,945, or $230 per square foot.

Wondering whether it is a buyer's or seller's market around Umatilla? We publish that answer for Lake County as a whole, from current MLS data: Is Lake County a buyer's or seller's market?

New Construction and Resale Are Not the Same Market

Every price figure quoted for Umatilla mixes brand new homes with existing ones. Split apart, the last twelve months looked like this.

Both halves moved the same way here, so the combined figure is a fair summary of Umatilla, which is not true everywhere.

Best Neighborhoods in Umatilla, FL: Communities to Know

Umatilla splits into the new development on the south side and the old town around its small lakes.

• Magnolia Pointe, the new development on the south side of town, built by two builders: D.R. Horton's homes closed at about $314,000 for about 1,670 square feet, and Richmond American's Seasons homes at about $348,000 for about 2,170 square feet, though the Seasons homes typically took close to seven months to go under contract
• East Umatilla, newer houses on the east side with no association, many of them built in the 2020s, at about $325,000
• The old town and its lakes, the original streets around Lake Umatilla, Lake Eola, Lake Enola and Lake Mary, where houses closed at about $220,000 to $250,000 and the lakefront sales ranged from about $175,000 to $485,000
• The northern lakes and acreage, Lake Crescent, Lake Cooley and Twin Lakes Estates north of downtown, at about $375,000 to $775,000, and the acreage parcels around them, where an acre or more closed at about $600,000

Outside Magnolia Pointe, almost nothing in Umatilla has an association: about nine in ten sales elsewhere in the zip came without one.

The 15 communities in Umatilla where the most homes have sold over the last twelve months, each with its own page:

• Magnolia Pointe
• East Umatilla
• Twin Lakes Estates
• Anna D Guerrant
• Osceola Park
• Silver Beach Heights
• Silver Lake Park
• Three Lakes
• Lake Cooley Estates
• Lake Dalhousie Estates
• Lake Mary Estates
• Lake Murphy Estates
• Lee Acres
• Lynnwood
• North Umatilla

Another 10 Umatilla communities have their own page too. You can also browse every Umatilla listing in one place.

Umatilla vs. Eustis vs. Mount Dora: The Honest Comparison

Eustis is the larger town to the south, with far more choice, the shortest commute of the three and bigger new houses at a slightly higher price. Mount Dora has the downtown, the lakes and new construction at the highest prices. Umatilla is the small town at the top of the map where new construction is the largest share of what sells, the new houses are the smallest and least expensive, and the old town and its lakes sit a few minutes from the forest.

Schools, Commute, and Day-to-Day Life

Lake County Schools serves the city, and assignment varies by address rather than by city name, so confirm the zoning for the specific property before you buy on a school reputation.

Mean travel time to work is 41.6 minutes, against 26.8 from Eustis.

How Much of Umatilla Is New Construction?

Umatilla has its own police department, but the FBI's crime data holds no usable annual figure for it in any year from 2020 through 2023, so there is no honest city-level crime comparison to publish here, and a number that cannot be sourced is worse than none. What can be measured is the age and type of what is for sale, which is the other question relocation buyers ask.

Across 52 active residential listings, the median asking price is $354,945, or $230 per square foot. Where a town is still building, the per square foot figure runs closer to replacement cost; where it is built out, it reflects land and location instead.

Cost of Living in Umatilla, FL

Housing is the line that moves a Central Florida budget. Umatilla's median asking price is $354,945 against a median household income of $67,206, which puts a home at about 5.28 times household income here. That ratio, rather than the sticker price, is the number worth carrying between towns, and it is why a cheaper town is not automatically a more affordable one.

Florida charges no state income tax, so the property tax line matters more here than it would elsewhere, and a homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a primary residence. Millage varies by taxing district, so treat any single quoted rate as an estimate until the specific parcel is checked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Umatilla, FL a good place to live?

Start with the numbers. Against the 60 places this site tracks across Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties, the median asking price of $354,945 is lower than most and the mean commute of 41.6 minutes is longer than most. The median household income here is $67,206, which puts housing at 5.28 times income, close to the middle of those places. On local incomes, buying here is about as hard as it is across the group. Who it fits, and who it does not, is laid out at the top of this page.

What is the median home price in Umatilla, FL?

The median sale price was $338,900 in August 2026 across 10 closed sales. Over the last twelve months 179 homes sold at a median of $325,000, down 1.5% against the twelve months before. The median asking price across 52 active listings is $354,945, or $230 per square foot.

Is Umatilla cheaper than Eustis?

On the asking median, yes: $354,945 against $370,000. Measured against household income, Umatilla is at 5.28 times income and Eustis at 5.92, so on that basis Umatilla is the more affordable of the two. See what $325,000 buys in each town.

What is the cost of living in Umatilla, FL?

Housing is the deciding line. A median asking price of $354,945 against a median household income of $67,206 puts a home at roughly 5.28 times income, and Florida charges no state income tax, which shifts weight onto the property tax line.

What school district serves Umatilla, FL?

Lake County Schools. Assignment varies by address within the city, so confirm the zoning for the specific property.

Thinking About a Move to Umatilla?

I work these four counties every week and I will tell you when a town is wrong for you. If you want the numbers for your budget before you tour anything, start with what $325,000 buys across Umatilla and its neighbors, or call me at 407-616-9019.

You can also browse homes for sale in Umatilla, which updates with current inventory.