States › Florida › Bartow

Is Bartow, FL expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 24 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,46217% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$73,530about $6,128/month · 16% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$234,10030% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 60% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.2 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $58,480 a year. That is $28 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 83 of 479 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bartow
$1,462
Tavares
$2,703
Lealman
$1,465
Punta Gorda
$1,894
West Pensacola
$1,212
Englewood
$2,206
Sweetwater
$1,912

How much do households earn in Bartow?

Under $25k
17.7%
$25k–50k
21.4%
$50k–100k
35.7%
$100k–150k
17.9%
$150k+
3.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 21.7% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Bartow

SizeBartowU.S. average
1 bedroom$754$1,324
2 bedrooms$979$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,558$1,698
4 bedrooms$2,224$2,098

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

How expensive is Bartow 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 Bartow, so the Florida figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Bartow

🏛️ Property tax$1,281a year · 0.55% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$216a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Bartow

Commute to work26.3 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree22.8%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home65.9%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line18.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bartow?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $162 a month less.

Renting
$1,462
Owning
$1,624

Owning assumes a typical $234,100 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $23,410 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Bartow, FL?

Renting in Bartow costs a median of about $1,462 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Florida median is $1,963.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $58,480 a year, or $28 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Bartow cheap or expensive?

Bartow is rated OK: rent takes 23.9% of the typical household income of $73,530. It ranks 83rd cheapest of 479 Florida cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Bartow?

The median homeowner in Bartow pays $1,281 a year in property taxes, about 0.55% of the median home value.

Is Bartow 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 Bartow?

The median home value in Bartow is $234,100, about 3.2 times the typical yearly household income.

20,438 people live in Bartow. Numbers are typical (middle) values.