Florida · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area

Buying a home in Homestead, Florida

In Homestead, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $380,000, Miami-Dade County's effective property tax rate is 0.81%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $13,341 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,674 a month.

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

Homestead home costs, fact by fact

About Homestead

Homestead is a city of 85,796 residents in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area. The median home value is $380,000 as estimated by owners, not a sale price, and 48.3% of homes are owner-occupied. Miami-Dade County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 0.81%, while HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom reaches $2,564.

Reading the Homestead figures

Homestead's owner-estimated median value of $380,000 is a little under Florida's $396,700, and it is lower than the Miami-Dade County median of $463,000. Among covered Florida cities, Miami reports $518,100, West Palm Beach reaches $414,200, and Hollywood stands at $410,600. Orlando sits at $394,100 and Hialeah is listed at $392,000, both close beneath the statewide figure, while Fort Myers reports $384,500. Cape Coral owners report $373,500 and Port St. Lucie owners $369,200.

The rent comparison stands out. Renters pay a median of $1,674 monthly, while HUD's Fair Market Rent for the Miami area is $2,564, well above it; that is a HUD benchmark, not a market median. Owners occupy 48.3% of homes, compared with 30.8% in Miami and 75.7% in Riverview.

In Miami-Dade County, yearly taxes reach a median of $3,744 at an effective rate of 0.81%. Among the 13,112 loans recorded in 2025, the settlement charges for the loan were $13,341 at the midpoint, and most borrowers fell between $8,457 and $19,150.

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 Homestead

How much is property tax in Homestead?

Homeowners in Miami-Dade County pay a median $3,744 a year in property tax, 0.81% of the county median home value of $463,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Homestead?

Home-purchase mortgages in Miami-Dade County carried median total loan costs of $13,341 in 2025; half of the 13,112 loans fell between $8,457 and $19,150 (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 Homestead?

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 Homestead?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Homestead ($380,000) equals 18.9 years of the median gross rent ($1,674 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Homestead?

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 Homestead

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Sources

Florida · All states · Federal guides