Buying a Home in This Florida City Now Costs Almost Triple the Amount It Would’ve During the Pandemic

In February 2025, the median housing cost in Florida sat at $412,200 statewide — though, in many areas, the cost of housing is incredibly higher. With mortgage rates still sitting around 7%, and increasing concerns about the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on various industries, including housing, many people are concerned about buying a home. Add the fact that areas like Florida and Texas face natural disasters, which seem to grow more intense by the year, and these states have difficulty in home sales. Florida’s home-sellers are complaining that nobody seems interested in buying property in Florida. To offset these concerns, real estate education company Nestment, in collaboration with local brokerage The Keyes Company, is offering $25,000 to first-time homebuyers throughout Florida that can be used towards purchasing a property. Potential homebuyers must apply to the program, called NestGen, by May 19, 2025 to qualify. (Is now a good time to buy real estate or should you wait until fall?)

These funds will go far in some places, but not as far in others. After home prices shot up during the COVID-19 pandemic, several areas of Florida have seen those prices continue to rise. Here, 24/7 Wall St. examined which Floridian cities have experienced the highest home list price increases from the start of the pandemic (March 2020) to now (February 2025). To identify these cities, we used and compared data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Realtor.com, and Redfin housing trends. For some of the cities on this list, price data varied between Redfin and Realtor.com; we did our best to provide the most accurate numbers. It’s also important to note that these are list prices, not sale prices, so the cost of housing may drop during the sale itself.

This previously published article was updated in April 2025 to provide updated data from July 2024 to February 2025, as well as give an overview of the housing landscape in Florida and its current troubles. 

Why It Matters Now

Since the start of the pandemic, limited supply and rising demand fueled a surge in home prices. Now, with mortgage rates at their highest levels in over a decade, many would-be sellers are staying out of the market, further exacerbating a long-standing inventory shortage. Historically, homeownership has been a reliable means of building wealth — but rising prices and elevated borrowing costs have priced millions of Americans out of the market. Still, location matters in the real estate business, and some parts of Florida have borne the brunt of rising prices, while others have been largely shielded. And with less people moving to Florida than ever before, solving the housing crisis could help stabilize the state.

Here are the 26 cities in Florida with the largest changes in housing costs:

26. Gainesville, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +8.92% (+$25,500)
• Median home list price: $305,500 in February 2025; $280,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $205 in February 2025; $150 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,490 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,803 sq. ft. in March 2020

25. Pensacola, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +9.87% (+$28,027)
• Median home list price: $312,000 in February 2025; $283,973 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $190 in February 2025; $135 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,642 sq. ft. in February 2025; 2,025 sq. ft. in March 2020

24. Panama City, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +14.4% (+$42,432)
• Median home list price: $338,100 in February 2025; $295,668 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $206 in February 2025; $185 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,641 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,542 sq. ft. in March 2020

23. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +24.3% (+$67,883)
• Median home list price: $347,333 in February 2025; $279,450 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $236 in July 2024; $161 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,472 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,756 sq. ft. in March 2020

22. Tallahassee, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +25.0% (+$60,000)
• Median home list price: $300,000 in February 2025; $240,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $200 in February 2025; $139 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,500 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,685 sq. ft. in March 2020

21. Palatka, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +25.7% (+$55,050)
• Median home list price: $269,500 in February 2025; $214,450 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $175 in February 2025; $121 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,540 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,701 sq. ft. in March 2020

20. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +28.1% (+$91,050)
• Median home list price: $415,000 in February 2025; $323,950 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $241 in February 2025; $157 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,722 sq. ft. in February 2025; 2,069 sq. ft. in March 2020

19. The Villages, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +28.35% (+$85,050)
• Median home list price: $385,000 in February 2025; $299,950 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $255 in February 2025; $184 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,509 sq. ft. in February; 1,728 sq. ft. in March 2020

18. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +28.5% (+$91,251)
• Median home list price: $411,250 in February 2025; $319,999 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $245 in February 2025; $173 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,679 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,794 sq. ft. in March 2020

17. Homosassa Springs, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +32.7% (+$73,600)
• Median home list price: $298,500 in February 2025; $224,900 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $199 in February 2025; $124 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,500 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,829 sq. ft. in March 2020

16. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +37.1% (+$110,900)
• Median home list price: $410,000 in February 2025; $299,100 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $243 in February 2025; $163 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,687 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,858 sq. ft. in March 2020

15. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +37.3% (+$87,550)
• Median home list price: $322,450 in February 2025; $234,900 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $190.50 in February 2025; $128 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,692 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,836 sq. ft. in March 2020

14. Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +39.0% (+$131,900)
• Median home list price: $469,900 in February 2025; $338,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $263 in February 2025; $176 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,786 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,906 sq. ft. in March 2020

13. Punta Gorda, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +39.8% (+$114,025)
• Median home list price: $399,900 in February 2025; $285,875 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $234 in February 2025; $162 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,709 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,760 sq. ft. in March 2020

12. Arcadia, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +40.27% (+$114,550)
• Median home list price: $399,000 in February 2025; $284,450 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $272 in February 2025; $135 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,467 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,909 sq. ft. in March 2020

11. Ocala, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +43.98% (+$91,647)
• Median home list price: $300,000 in February 2025; $208,353 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $181 in February 2025; $118 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,657 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,752 sq. ft. in March 2020

10. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +45.6% (+$129,483)
• Median home list price: $413,483 in February 2025; $284,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $301 in February 2025; $159 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,374 sq. ft. in July 2024; 1,757 sq. ft. in March 2020

9. Sebring-Avon Park, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +47.3% (+$92,175)
• Median home list price: $287,100 in February 2025; $194,925 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $180.50 in February 2025; $115 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,590 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,638 sq. ft. in March 2020

8. Port St. Lucie, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +48.0% (+$139,421)
• Median home list price: $430,000 in February 2025; $290,579 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $240 in February 2025; $161 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,792 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,829 sq. ft. in March 2020

7. Okeechobee, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +52.6% (+$119,000)
• Median home list price: $345,000 in February 2025; $226,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $218 in February 2025; $131 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,583 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,657 sq. ft. in March 2020

6. Lake City, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +54.5% (+$119,550)
• Median home list price: $339,000 in February 2025; $219,450 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $185 in February 2025; $114 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,832 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,852 sq. ft. in March 2020

5. Sarasota, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +55.95% (+$207,750)
• Median home list price: $579,000 in February 2025; $371,250 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $327 in February 2025; $192 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,770.6 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,853 sq. ft. in March 2020

4. Key West, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +87.6% (+$700,050)
• Median home list price: $1,500,000 in February 2025; $799,500 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $1,100 in February 2025; $545 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,364 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,574 sq. ft. in March 2020

3. Miami, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +88.4% (+$305,000)
• Median home list price: $650,000 in February 2025; $345,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $500 in February 2025; $365 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,300 sq. ft. in February 2025; 945 sq. ft. in March 2020

2. Naples-Marco Island, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +105.2% (+$499,950)
• Median home list price: $974,950 in February 2025; $475,000 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $570 in February 2025; $246 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,710 sq. ft. in February 2025; 1,900 sq. ft. in March 2020

1. Key Largo, FL

• Change in median list price since start of pandemic: +184.36% (+$972,500)
• Median home list price: $1,500,000 in February 2025; $527,500 in March 2020
• Median list price per square foot: $932 in February 2025; $495 in March 2020
• Size of a typical listed home: 1,609 sq. ft. in February; 1,065 sq. ft. in March 2020

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