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Buying a home in Winter Haven, Florida

The typical owner-occupied home in Winter Haven is worth about $269,800, 25% below the Florida median of $359,000 and 19% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,247 a year in property taxes, about 0.83% of their home's value, higher than the Florida rate of 0.76%. The median household earns $59,648 a year, so the median home costs 4.5 times the median income (4.8 times for Florida). 64% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 63% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Winter Haven at a glance

Winter Haven Florida U.S.
Median home value $269,800 $359,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,247 $2,730 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.83% 0.76% 0.94%
Median household income $59,648 $74,568 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 64% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 63% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,673 $1,959 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.6% 23.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,246 $1,669 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 36.2% 35.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1990 1988 1980
Vacant homes 13.0% 14.7% 10.1%
Population 55,200 22,416,077 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Winter Haven

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Winter Haven home of $269,800 with 20% down costs about $1,751 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,200, 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 $75,043 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Winter Haven household income of $59,648; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $214,000.

The median rent here is $1,246 a month, so owning the median home costs about $505 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$53,960
Loan amount$215,840
Principal and interest$1,452
Property taxes (0.83% a year)$187
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$112
PMI$0
Total per month$1,751

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$9,443
Loan amount$264,913
Principal and interest$1,782
Property taxes (0.83% a year)$187
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$112
FHA mortgage insurance$119
Total per month$2,200

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Questions about home buying in Winter Haven

What is the median home value in Winter Haven?

About $269,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Winter Haven?

Homeowners pay a median $2,247 a year, which is about 0.83% 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 Winter Haven?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,751 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $75,043 a year.

More about Winter Haven

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