Moving from South Florida to Orlando: Costs, Areas and Homes
In Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, the average homeowners insurance premium including wind runs $5,975 to $6,323 a year, according to Florida's insurance regulator. In Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia it runs $2,650 to $3,610. The typical property tax bill is lower here too.
And because you already own a Florida homestead, you may be able to bring your Save Our Homes savings with you. This page puts the numbers side by side and walks through how portability works, including the parts that shrink it.
Get a free South Florida to Orlando relocation plan
Tell Brenden when you are moving and roughly what you want to spend. He will send back the two or three areas that fit, what that budget buys in each, and what to ask your property appraiser about portability. No cost, no obligation.
Rather talk it through? Call 407-616-9019.
South Florida vs Central Florida, county by county
Same survey, same year, same definitions, so the comparison is fair. These are what homeowners report, not asking prices.
| Area | Median home value | Median yearly real estate tax | Median monthly owner cost (with mortgage) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade County | $547,200 | $4,141 | $2,644 | $76,184 |
| Broward County | $471,900 | $4,423 | $2,705 | $81,488 |
| Palm Beach County | $513,700 | $4,240 | $2,643 | $84,789 |
| Orange County | $432,500 | $3,227 | $2,216 | $82,152 |
| Seminole County | $424,600 | $2,745 | $2,069 | $85,403 |
| Lake County | $360,100 | $2,860 | $2,032 | $76,617 |
| Volusia County | $353,500 | $2,696 | $1,891 | $71,508 |
| Florida | $396,900 | $2,993 | $2,168 | $77,735 |
| United States | $360,600 | $3,211 | $2,035 | $81,604 |
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes), B25103 (median real estate taxes paid), B25088 (median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage) and B19013 (median household income), pulled 2026-09-16 from api.census.gov.
Bring your homestead savings with you: portability
If your South Florida home has a homestead exemption, the Save Our Homes cap may have held its assessed value below its just (market) value. Florida lets you move up to $500,000 of that difference to your next Florida homestead.
The rules that matter: you must establish the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you abandoned the old one, not three years after the sale. File Form DR-501T with your homestead application (DR-501) by March 1, with the property appraiser in your new county; that office gets the old home's figures from your South Florida county and calculates the transfer. If the new home's just value is equal to or higher than the old one's, the full difference transfers, up to $500,000. If it is lower, the transfer shrinks in proportion.
A downsizing example, using the statute's formula: your Broward home has a just value of $600,000 and an assessed value of $350,000, a difference of $250,000. You buy near Orlando, and the property appraiser sets its January 1 just value at $450,000. The new assessed value is $450,000 / $600,000 x $350,000 = $262,500, so $187,500 of assessment difference comes with you, 75% of the $250,000. That is a reduction in taxable assessment, not tax dollars.
Insurance, from the state's own numbers: Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation reports average homeowners premiums including wind of $5,975 in Miami-Dade, $6,136 in Broward and $6,323 in Palm Beach, against $3,610 in Orange, $3,545 in Seminole, $2,808 in Volusia and $2,650 in Lake. These are county averages across homeowners policies that include wind coverage, not a quote. Condo unit owner policies average $1,816 to $2,801 including wind in the three South Florida counties and $1,092 to $1,295 here, from the same report; your association's own insurance and reserves are billed separately. Roof age and wind mitigation still set the price on the house you buy, so quote it before you are under contract.
Sources: Florida Statutes s. 193.155; Florida Department of Revenue, portability brochure (PT-112); Form DR-501T; Florida OIR Property Insurance Stability Report, July 1, 2026. Confirm your transferable amount with the property appraiser before you buy.
What homes actually sold for last month
The Census figures above are what owners estimate their homes are worth. These are real closings in Stellar MLS for August 2026.
| County | Median sale price | Closed sales | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | $425,000 | 1,367 | 34 |
| Seminole | $420,000 | 495 | 28 |
| Lake | $375,000 | 686 | 44 |
| Volusia | $340,000 | 715 | 47 |
Source: Stellar MLS via Bridge RESO API, StandardStatus Closed, PropertyType Residential, closings in August 2026, pulled 2026-09-08. One month is a snapshot, not a trend.
Wondering what a specific budget buys? See what $475,000 buys in Clermont, Winter Garden and Minneola or what $575,000 buys in Lake Mary, Winter Springs and Oviedo.
Where to start looking
It comes down to three questions: will you commute into Orlando, do you want to be near the ocean, and how much house do you want for the money.
Commuting into Orlando
East toward the coast
Areas to compare on price
For scale: over the 12 months to August 2026, Clermont's median closed price was $470,000 against $673,392 in nearby Winter Garden (Stellar MLS closed sales).
Full county-by-county breakdown, homestead rules and a buy-before-you-move plan are in the Relocating to Orlando guide.
What South Florida movers ask
Can I transfer my Save Our Homes savings from South Florida to Orlando?
Yes, if your current home is a Florida homestead. You can transfer up to $500,000 of the difference between its just value and assessed value, as long as you establish the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one and file Form DR-501T with your homestead application by March 1. If the new home is worth less than the old one, the amount that transfers shrinks in proportion.
How much lower are property taxes around Orlando than in South Florida?
In the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, the median homeowner paid $4,141 a year in Miami-Dade, $4,423 in Broward and $4,240 in Palm Beach, against $2,696 to $3,227 in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties. Your own bill depends on the home's assessed value, your exemptions and any portability you bring.
Is homeowners insurance cheaper in Central Florida than in South Florida?
On average, yes. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation reported average homeowners premiums including wind of $5,975 to $6,323 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, and $2,650 to $3,610 in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia, using data as of March 31, 2026. Those are county averages, not a quote, so price the specific home before you commit.
When does the homestead exemption start on my new home?
You must own the Orlando-area home and make it your permanent residence by January 1 to qualify for that tax year, then apply with the county property appraiser by March 1. Close in the middle of the year and your first homestead year on the new home is the next one.
Run the numbers before you list in South Florida
Send your details and get the areas that fit, with what your budget buys in each.
Call 407-616-9019The Homes In Orlando Team | Brenden Rendo, REALTOR® | NextHome Neighborhood Realty | 407-616-9019 | brenden@homesinorlando.forsale