New Smyrna Beach today
What this means
Values in New Smyrna Beach are about flat (+1% in a year), now 4.1% below the Mar 2024 peak.
Permits January to September 2026: 163 homes, 51% fewer than 2025.
Rents are area estimates; check comps for the exact house. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| New Smyrna Beach | vs Volusia County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,182 (2025 estimate) | ||
| Growth since 2020 | 9.7% | +0.1 pts | +0.8 pts |
| Median home value | $395,300 | 26% higher | 10% higher |
| Median gross rent | $1,712 | 17% higher | 3% higher |
| Median household income | $83,865 | 20% higher | 12% higher |
| Owner occupied homes | 77.5% | +3.8 pts | +9.9 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 35.3% | +9.9 pts | +14.0 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 29 | 7% higher | 5% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 17.1% | +6.2 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $3,221 | 34% higher | 18% higher |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in New Smyrna Beach
Volusia County resort and surf town between the Atlantic and the Indian River, first settled as a colony in 1768.
New Smyrna Beach is a city with its own government, located in Volusia County.
Known for: Ponce de Leon Inlet Light; Atlantic Center for the Arts; New Smyrna Speedway; Flagler Avenue
Getting around and growth: The railroad arrived in 1892; Interstate 95, US 1 and State Road 44 connect the city today.
Against the Volusia County averages, more homes are seasonal or vacation homes (19.5% vs 8%); the population is older (35.3% age 65 or older vs 25.4%); the median value of $395,300 is above the county's $313,000 and more of the housing is in apartment and condo buildings (31.8% vs 18.4%).
Closest matches on price and rent: Hialeah ($392,000, $1,689), Dunedin ($396,000, $1,675), Orlando ($394,100, $1,747).
Growth and housing
New Smyrna Beach changed 9.7% in population from 2020 to 2025 (county 9.6%, Florida 8.9%).
| 2025 building permits | New Smyrna Beach |
|---|---|
| Single family | 262 |
| 5 or more units | 24 |
| Total units | 398 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 12.0 |
Half the homes are older than 1989. The housing mix is 51.6% detached houses and 31.8% larger buildings. Households average 1.98 people.
Each year about 4% of residents arrive from other states.
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,808 a year |
| Coastal county | check flood zone and elevation per address |
32.4% of homes predate 1980: expect four point inspections. Inspections
Condo towers and big complexes (23.3% of homes) mean assessments and building approval matter. Condo financing
Flood, storms and jobs
New Smyrna Beach has its own flood program rating: CRS class 5, which takes 25% off federal flood premiums in high risk zones. Since 2000, flood insurance has paid $63,289,760 on 1,222 claims inside New Smyrna Beach. The Volusia County guide covers storms, flood claims and employers; 8.4% of county homes are in high risk flood zones.
Buying a home in New Smyrna Beach
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $541,287 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $395,300 |
Price to income: 4.7x, compared with 4.5x for the county.
- Conventional: mortgage insurance drops off as equity builds.
- FHA: the New Smyrna Beach median of $395,300 fits under the $541,287 limit.
- VA: veterans are 11.1% of adults.
Investing in New Smyrna Beach
Long term rentals
| New Smyrna Beach | vs Volusia County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 22.5% | -3.8 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 20% | +12.6 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 33.6% | -0.7 pts |
Short term rentals
With 19.5% of homes kept for seasonal use, New Smyrna Beach is a true vacation market.
| Short term rental taxes | Rate |
|---|---|
| County tourist development tax | 6% |
| State sales tax | 6% plus any county surtax |
Nightly rentals depend on local zoning and the HOA; check both. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 51.6% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 31.8% |
| Manufactured homes | 3.2% |
Nearby
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia article for this place (history, setting, roads). checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.