States › Florida › Alachua

Is Alachua, FL expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 18 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,35123% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$90,016about $7,501/month · 3% higher than U.S. average
🔑 House price$299,20010% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 66% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.3 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $54,040 a year. That is $26 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Florida cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Florida. It is number 58 of 479 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Alachua
$1,351
Milton
$1,200
Pine Ridge
$1,610
Sugarmill Woods
$1,343
Palatka
$1,483
Union Park
$1,550
Lighthouse Point
$1,954

How much do households earn in Alachua?

Under $25k
10.7%
$25k–50k
16.7%
$50k–100k
44.8%
$100k–150k
14.8%
$150k+
10.4%

Share of households by yearly income. 25.2% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Alachua

SizeAlachuaU.S. average
1 bedroom$1,356$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,015$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,050$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,487$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Alachua overall?

Everyday prices in Florida overall are 3% above the U.S. average (index 103.4, U.S. = 100).

Housing
122
Goods (food, clothes…)
98
Utilities
90
Other services
101
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Alachua, so the Florida figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Alachua

🏛️ Property tax$2,834a year · 0.95% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$182a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Alachua

Commute to work24.3 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree41.2%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home74.8%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line9.5%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment1.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Alachua?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $725 a month less.

Renting
$1,351
Owning
$2,076

Owning assumes a typical $299,200 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $29,920 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Alachua, FL?

Renting in Alachua costs a median of about $1,351 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Florida median is $1,963.

How much do I need to make to live in Alachua?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $54,040 a year, or $26 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Alachua cheap or expensive?

Alachua is rated Cheap: rent takes 18.0% of the typical household income of $90,016. It ranks 58th cheapest of 479 Florida cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Alachua?

The median homeowner in Alachua pays $2,834 a year in property taxes, about 0.95% of the median home value.

Is Alachua more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Florida are 3% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Alachua?

The median home value in Alachua is $299,200, about 3.3 times the typical yearly household income.

10,743 people live in Alachua. Numbers are typical (middle) values.