States › Florida › Lake City

Is Lake City, FL expensive to live in?

ExpensiveRent takes 36 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,8224% higher than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$60,905about $5,075/month · 30% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$184,90044% lower than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 59% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.0 years of household income. Most households rent (60%), so there are plenty of rental options.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $72,880 a year. That is $35 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 167 of 479 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Lake City
$1,822
$2,338

How much do households earn in Lake City?

Under $25k
21.2%
$25k–50k
25.9%
$50k–100k
30.2%
$100k–150k
9.3%
$150k+
6.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 15.6% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Lake City

SizeLake CityU.S. average
Studio$677$1,338
1 bedroom$867$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,122$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,343$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,166$2,098

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

How expensive is Lake City 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 Lake City, so the Florida figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Lake City

🏛️ Property tax$1,448a year · 0.78% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$142a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Lake City

Commute to work23.6 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree23.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home39.9%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line19.8%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2.5%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake City?

Buying is cheaper month to month: about $539 a month less than renting.

Renting
$1,822
Owning
$1,283

Owning assumes a typical $184,900 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $18,490 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Lake City, FL?

Renting in Lake City costs a median of about $1,822 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Florida median is $1,963.

How much do I need to make to live in Lake City?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $72,880 a year, or $35 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Lake City cheap or expensive?

Lake City is rated Expensive: rent takes 35.9% of the typical household income of $60,905. It ranks 167th cheapest of 479 Florida cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Lake City?

The median homeowner in Lake City pays $1,448 a year in property taxes, about 0.78% of the median home value.

Is Lake City 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 Lake City?

The median home value in Lake City is $184,900, about 3.0 times the typical yearly household income.

12,515 people live in Lake City. Numbers are typical (middle) values.