Florida · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area

Buying a home in Clearwater, Florida

In Clearwater, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $361,300, Pinellas County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,677 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,658 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Clearwater home costs, fact by fact

About Clearwater

Clearwater is a city in Florida, with a population of 116,811. It lies in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, ranked 17th among U.S. metro areas. The median value of owner-occupied homes, as estimated by owners rather than a sale price, is $361,300, and 58.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Clearwater figures

Clearwater's owner estimate of $361,300 is under the Florida figure of $396,700. North Port is almost level with it, $362,500. Sunrise reads $354,500, Brandon $339,000, while Riverview is higher, $384,200, and Miami far higher, $518,100. Ownership is 58.6% of homes, a little above Brandon (56.2%), Pompano Beach (55.5%), and far below Port St. Lucie (84%), so a meaningful part of the housing here is rented.

The rent picture is moderate: $1,658 a month, almost identical to St. Petersburg's $1,663, yet below Brandon's $1,784 and Sunrise's $2,140. The Tampa-St. Petersburg HUD benchmark is $1,917, so it runs higher than the median rent here; the benchmark for larger units is $2,448.

Pinellas County lists $2,474 in yearly tax, a 0.7% rate; its typical home is valued at $355,100, close to the city's estimate. Lenders reporting 7,756 loans for 2025 show a median cost of $7,677, and the central band stretches from $5,222 to $11,759, so a buyer should expect some variation between lenders when the quotes come in.

Calculate for Florida

If you buy

Florida state transfer tax

Documentary stamp tax on deeds: $0.70 per $100 of consideration, or fraction of $100 (Miami-Dade: $0.60 per $100). Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$396,700
State transfer tax$2,776.90
Share of the price0.7% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Florida median value of owner-occupied homes, $396,700 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Divide the consideration by $100, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $0.70. Consideration includes any mortgage balance on the property, whether or not assumed. Miami-Dade uses $0.60. Who pays: The law makes all parties liable regardless of which agrees to pay; the purchase contract allocates the cost. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, the tax on the mortgage, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Florida transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Florida state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Clearwater

How much is property tax in Clearwater?

Homeowners in Pinellas County pay a median $2,474 a year in property tax, 0.7% of the county median home value of $355,100 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Clearwater?

Home-purchase mortgages in Pinellas County carried median total loan costs of $7,677 in 2025; half of the 7,756 loans fell between $5,222 and $11,759 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Clearwater?

Florida's transfer tax is the documentary stamp tax on deeds, 70 cents per $100 of price in every county except Miami-Dade, where it is 60 cents per $100. A mortgage adds 35 cents per $100 and a 0.2% intangible tax.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clearwater?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Clearwater ($361,300) equals 18.2 years of the median gross rent ($1,658 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Clearwater?

Across Florida, the main hazards for home insurance are hurricane wind, flood and storm surge, and the insurer of last resort is Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. A Florida homeowners policy must offer hurricane deductibles of 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit (s. 627.701), and Citizens requires flood coverage on all its homeowners policies with wind coverage by January 1, 2027.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Florida rules that apply in Clearwater

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Sources

Florida · All states · Federal guides