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Buying a home in Sarasota, Florida

The typical owner-occupied home in Sarasota is worth about $463,000, 29% above the Florida median of $359,000 and 39% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,230 a year in property taxes, about 0.70% of their home's value, lower than the Florida rate of 0.76%. The median household earns $72,105 a year, so the median home costs 6.4 times the median income (4.8 times for Florida). 57% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 45% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Sarasota at a glance

Sarasota Florida U.S.
Median home value $463,000 $359,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,230 $2,730 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.70% 0.76% 0.94%
Median household income $72,105 $74,568 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 57% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 45% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,927 $1,959 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.6% 23.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,684 $1,669 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.8% 35.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1976 1988 1980
Vacant homes 20.3% 14.7% 10.1%
Population 56,970 22,416,077 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Sarasota

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Sarasota home of $463,000 with 20% down costs about $2,955 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,726, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $126,630 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 49% of the median Sarasota household income of $72,105; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $264,000.

The median rent here is $1,684 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,271 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$92,600
Loan amount$370,400
Principal and interest$2,492
Property taxes (0.70% a year)$270
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$193
PMI$0
Total per month$2,955

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$16,205
Loan amount$454,614
Principal and interest$3,058
Property taxes (0.70% a year)$270
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$193
FHA mortgage insurance$205
Total per month$3,726

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Questions about home buying in Sarasota

What is the median home value in Sarasota?

About $463,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Sarasota?

Homeowners pay a median $3,230 a year, which is about 0.70% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Sarasota?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,955 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $126,630 a year.

More about Sarasota

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data