Report Shows ‘Riskiest Cities to Own a Home’ : 4 Are In Florida

A new report says that 4 Florida cities are some of the Riskiest Cities To Own A Home. No matter where you’re looking to buy a home, it’s never an easy process. Nowhere is perfect, but some places are riskier than others. We’re here to explain why.

According to a new report Claimguide.org, they conducted a nationwide survey of over 1,500 Americans. They asked homeowners to identify some of the biggest risks they face across the USA’s 170 most popular cities. 

They looked at major safety and risk factors like flooding, wildfires, heat advisories, natural disasters, the age of homes, vacant properties, fire stations, property crime, and more. Then, they used this data to determine the 10 riskiest cities to own a home.

Out of the 10 riskiest cities to own a home in the USA, 4 are in Florida. Any guesses? Well, Tampa Bay’s very own, St. Petersburg, Florida comes in at #9. We might hold the “most consecutive days with sunshine” coming in at 768 days, but the extreme heat index is what lands St. Pete in the top 10.

Up next, Hollywood, Florida. Smack in the middle of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood is known for its elegant beaches, boardwalk, and golf courses. The heat level and high risk of flooding give Hollywood the #7 spot on the list.

Miami and Fort Lauderdale might some of the top tourism destinations in the world, but residents are realizing the risks. The heat indexing and risk for flooding make these cities some of the riskiest cities to own a home in the USA. Miami lands the #6 spot.

Extreme heat and flooding aren’t the only risks to Fort Lauderdale residents. 4,183 of every 100,000 people in Fort Lauderdale experience property crime, making Fort Lauderdale the #5 riskiest city on the list. 

What is the riskiest city to own a home in the United States? Houston, Texas, welcome to the show. Houston, Texas is the #1 riskiest city to own a home in the country. Claimguide says, “Overall, 98% of homes in the Houston area are at risk of severe heat, and 64% of homes are at risk of flooding … Along with 9.2% of homes standing vacant, looming concerns run the gamut in the Space City.”

To read the full report, click here.

Florida is a dream destination for many. Families will come to visit, and then start planning their move to the Sunshine State. Can you blame them? There are many perks of living in Florida like the no income tax, gorgeous beaches, and endless recreational activities. When looking for the cheapest places to live in Florida, you're likely going to be directed to the smaller inland cities. But let's be real, you're probably making this move to be closer to the water. So we found a list of the cheapest places to live in Florida and condensed that list to focus on the places near the beach.

We found our list of the most affordable places to live in Florida from Property Club. They factored their list based on median housing prices, and other costs of living like groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare. For the housing prices, they compared average rents and median prices sold between January 2023 and January 2024. They drew their data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, Rent Café, and more.

With so many people relocating to Florida, it's made the housing market extremely competitive. Locals who are hoping to become first-time home buyers are stuck renting because they can't combat the cash offers from the transplants. According to Redfin, home prices were up 4.5% from 2023, with the median selling price at $404,100. In January 2024, 10.2% of homes in Florida sold above the list price.

Keep in mind when looking for cheap places to live near the beach, you won't ever be directly on the water. Nothing about living ocean-front is cheap. Keep in mind the cost of living in Florida is 1% higher than the national average. Another realtor blog, Norada, listed more affordable beach towns including Pensacola, Port St. Lucie, Tarpon Springs, and Bradenton. You can check out their full list here.

According to our source, the median cost of a home in Jacksonville is about $293,000, which is well below the national average. You can even find 1-bedrooom apartments for around $1,200/month. Jacksonville was also named one of the best cities to live in the south. Plus, there are plenty of job opportunities.

Edgewater is located off the east coast of Florida near Daytona Beach. Despite being so close to one of Florida's popular beaches, the cost of living is about 7% lower than the national average. The median home price here is about $305,000-$325,999.

This one shocked us. With Clearwater being one of the more expensive Florida beach towns, we were shocked to see Dunedin on this list. Don't get it twisted, there is so much to love about Dunedin. It's charming downtown area has so many great restaurants, breweries, and shops. And it's a less than 20 minute drive to the best beach in Florida, or you can head to the less crowded Dunedin Causeway or Honeymoon Island. Despite getting facelifts over the years with new housing and luxury apartments, Property Club says the median home cost is about $349,000. But it definitely won't stay that way forever.

Melbourne is located off the east coast of Florida and southeast from Orlando. It has that small-town appeal with plenty of outdoor recreation like beaches, golf courses, and the Viera Wetlands. The median cost of a home in Melbourne is about $375,000, and one bedroom apartments can be found for $1,300/month.

Cape Coral is going to be one of the most affordable cities in southwest Florida. Bonus perk is that it has one of the lowest crime rates in the state. It's also known for its many canals and gorgeous landscapes. According to Property Club, the median home price here is $391,000, which is just below the national average.