Orlando today
| Typical value | Typical rent | Gross yield | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single family house | $400,000 | $2,380 | 7.1% |
| Condo or townhome (apartment rent) | $171,000 | $1,730 | 12.2% |
What this means
Values in Orlando are down 1.1% over the past year, now 5.4% below the May 2024 peak.
A typical house here rents for 7.1% of its value each year, below the state figure of 8.1%. Cash flow will be tight at 25% down.
Builders are pulling back: 1,401 homes permitted so far in 2026, down 42%.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Go deeper: Dane's detailed guides for this area: Buying a Home in Downtown Orlando, Whole Home Airbnb Inside the City of Orlando, Financing a Short Term Rental Near Orlando.
Quick facts
| Orlando | vs Orange County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 333,888 (2025 estimate) | ||
| Growth since 2020 | 8.4% | +1.5 pts | −0.5 pts |
| Median home value | $394,100 | 1% higher | 10% higher |
| Median gross rent | $1,747 | 2% lower | 5% higher |
| Median household income | $72,336 | 9% lower | 3% lower |
| Gross rent yield | 5.32% | −0.1 pts | −0.3 pts |
| Owner occupied homes | 39.5% | −17.3 pts | −28.1 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 11.3% | −1.7 pts | −10.0 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 26 | 6% lower | 6% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 19.7% | +0.4 pts | +5.5 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $3,213 | 8% higher | 18% higher |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in Orlando
Orange County seat and the center of Central Florida tourism, settled in 1843 and a city since 1885.
Orlando is an incorporated city in Orange County, with its own zoning and rental rules.
Known for: Walt Disney World; Universal Orlando; Orange County Convention Center; University of Central Florida
How it has grown: Growth accelerated after 1971; Orlando International Airport is one of the busiest in the country.
Against the Orange County averages, more of the housing is in apartment and condo buildings (49.8% vs 29.9%); fewer homes are owner occupied (39.5% vs 56.8%); households are smaller (2.41 vs 2.72 people) and household incomes are lower ($72,336 vs $79,719).
Among the 150 Florida cities in these guides, Orlando ranks 75 for home value, 80 for rent yield and 91 for household income (1 is highest).
Cities with similar prices and rents: New Smyrna Beach ($395,300, $1,712), Hialeah ($392,000, $1,689), Carrollwood ($384,600, $1,715).
Growth and housing
Population went from 308,101 in 2020 to 333,888 in 2025 (8.4%), versus 6.9% for Orange County.
| 2025 building permits | Orlando |
|---|---|
| Single family | 945 |
| 5 or more units | 2,026 |
| Total units | 2,986 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 8.9 |
Median year built: 1992. Apartments and condos make up a large share: 49.8% of homes are in buildings of five or more units. Households average 2.41 people.
Each year about 2.8% of residents arrive from other states.
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,610 a year |
32.6% of homes predate 1980: expect four point inspections. Inspections
Large buildings hold 25.1% of homes here; read the reserve study before buying a condo. Condo financing
Flood, storms and jobs
Orlando has its own flood program rating: CRS class 6, which takes 20% off federal flood premiums in high risk zones. 434 flood claims ($17,471,753) have come from Orlando since 2000. Countywide, 2.3% of homes sit in a FEMA high risk zone; the Orange County guide has the full flood, storm and jobs picture.
Buying a home in Orlando
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $541,287 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $394,100 |
Homes cost 5.5 times median household income here (Orange County 4.9, Florida 4.8).
- Conventional: the most common loan in Orange County.
- FHA: the Orlando median of $394,100 fits under the $541,287 limit.
Sample FHA payment at $394,100
| Item | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest (7.32%, 3.5% down) | $2,658 |
| Property tax (0.82%) | $269 |
| Insurance (county average) | $301 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $177 |
| Total before HOA or CDD | $3,406 |
| Income needed at a 45% debt ratio | $90,817 a year |
Example, not a quote. Assumptions. Down payment help: Florida Housing.
Short term rental rules
City of Orlando Whole home not allowed
| Where | Whole home rentals under 30 days are not allowed in residential homes. Home sharing is allowed only when the host lives on site and is present; a whole property rental counts as a Commercial Dwelling Unit, limited to certain zoning districts with a business tax receipt. |
|---|---|
| Licenses and fees | City home sharing registration: $275 the first year, then $100 a year (owner lives there) or $125; registration number must appear in ads; HOA approval letter if in a mandatory HOA |
| Minimum stay | stays under 30 days, one booking at a time |
| Occupancy | No more than four unrelated people per booking or two per room, whichever is less; no more than half the home |
| Also | Ordinance took effect July 1, 2018. |
Checked against the official page. Checked 2026-10-29. Source: City of Orlando Home Sharing Registration.
Florida law (s. 509.032) bars new local bans on vacation rentals but keeps rules adopted by June 1, 2011, and lets cities and counties require registration, inspections and occupancy limits. HOA and condo documents can still ban rentals. Rules change, so confirm the exact address before you buy.
Investing in Orlando
| Rental math at the median | Value |
|---|---|
| Price / rent | $394,100 / $1,747 |
| Estimated net cap rate | 2.4% to 3.1% |
| DSCR at 25% down | 0.67 |
| Down payment for DSCR 1.0 | 57% down |
| Down payment for DSCR 1.25 | 70% down |
Long term rentals
| Orlando | vs Orange County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 60.5% | +17.3 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 7.8% | −1.5 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 34.1% | −0.7 pts |
Short term rentals
Vacation home share is above the county (3.4% vs 2.4%), so nightly demand here is stronger.
| 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 | 31.6% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 49.8% |
| Manufactured homes | 0.2% |
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 Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes and apartments, smoothed. September 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.
- City of Orlando Home Sharing Registration. checked 2026-10-29.
- 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.