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

Buying a home in Miami Gardens, Florida

In Miami Gardens, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $378,500, 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 $1,787 a month.

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

Miami Gardens home costs, fact by fact

About Miami Gardens

Miami Gardens has a population of 116,173 and lies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area, ranked 6th in the country. Median gross rent is $1,787 per month, while HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Miami-Dade County is $2,564.

Reading the Miami Gardens figures

Miami Gardens sits just under the state level: owners estimate $378,500, compared with $396,700 statewide. Riverview ($384,200) is a little higher, Hialeah ($392,000) and Orlando ($394,100) higher still, while Cape Coral ($373,500) and St. Petersburg ($371,100) come in lower. Miami stands well above at $518,100, while lower still are Sunrise ($354,500) and Clearwater ($361,300).

Ownership is 64.4%, a long way from Orlando's 39.5% or Hialeah's 46.6%, though below Cape Coral (77.2%) and Port St. Lucie (84%), with North Port at 80.9%. Renters pay $1,787 a month, slightly more than in Miami, Hialeah ($1,689) or St. Petersburg ($1,663). The federal rent figure for Miami is $2,564, with a larger-unit figure of $3,277, far above what city renters report.

The county sets the buying costs. Miami-Dade's median value is $463,000, above the city's, and an effective tax rate of 0.81% yields a $3,744 annual bill. Lending data for 2025 put loan costs at $13,341 across 13,112 loans at the midpoint, and the middle range stretched from $8,457 to $19,150. The city counts 116,173 residents, and it sits in a metro region with a national rank of 6th.

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 Miami Gardens

How much is property tax in Miami Gardens?

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 Miami Gardens?

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 Miami Gardens?

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 Miami Gardens?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Miami Gardens ($378,500) equals 17.7 years of the median gross rent ($1,787 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Miami Gardens?

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 Miami Gardens

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Sources

Florida · All states · Federal guides