Lakeland Florida Costs of Living (2019)
How
affordable IS IT to live in the Greater Lakeland area? Today we’re going to take a look at how
Lakeland stacks up to other surrounding areas. By the end of this video you’ll
be able to determine if the Greater Lakeland area is somewhere you and your
family can comfortably afford…You may be surprised!
Usually we
when talk about the “cost of living”, many assume that means how much housing
costs verses income..
Which is
true, however there are several other factors to consider when determining the
costs of living.
For example:
Because the
Greater Lakeland area is ideally located between Tampa and Orlando and has easy
East/West access to I-4, you may be commuting for work.
But does it
make sense to have the additional monthly expense of transportation (Gas, Tolls,
wear and tear on your car) or even maybe additional child care expense?? ..Not
to mention the extra travel time! An extra hour a day travel time can add up to
20 hours a month!
According to
local statistics, if you are commuting, and bring home at least $8000 more a
year by doing so, then the answer is YES!
In fact, when
you consider the other ‘cost of living’ factors in the Greater Lakeland area,
you’re coming out ahead! To make it easy to figure out how this applies to you,
I’ve included a link in the description so you can just plug in your figures to
see for yourself.
Do you have
school age children or thinking about raising a family in the Greater Lakeland
area? The costs of education may be a factor too. The Greater Lakeland area
private learning academies, universities and colleges overall costs are 4% lower
compared to neighboring Florida Cities. That can add up to a $500 savings! Plus, take a look at this:
The greater
Lakeland area public schools have a Higher Grad rate, Higher test scores and
Lower Teacher/Student ratios.. These two factors can make a huge difference
when determining Lakelands affordability!
And if you
are thinking about retiring to the Greater Lakeland area, you may want to
consider housing costs and income taxes compared to other areas.
This is
probably the biggest draw when it comes to affordable living!
Our average
home price is around $220,000.. That’s approximately 12% lower than even or
closest neighboring Florida cities! This could mean the difference of up to a
$100 a month or More on your mortgage payment. And if you are on a fixed
monthly income, that could be a deciding factor.
Curious to
know how each of the 45 Lakeland area neighborhoods score on the affordability
charts? I added a link below of the 45 Lakeland area neighborhoods..Find your
neighborhood to see how it compares.
And talking
about your fixed monthly income.. You have a 100% saving on taxes!! Florida has
NO STATE INCOME TAXES! This plus the
lower costs on goods and services,utilities and groceries, I am confident is
saying that the Greater Lakeland area remains on the TOP of the list for affordability! It’s no wonder Lakeland was voted #3 in the
Nation as Best City to Retire.
Oh, and the
last thing on everyones budget list is the costs of outside entertainment..
This is where Lakeland really shines! If you love the arts, local dining
experiences, music, festivals and weekly local events WITHOUT spending high
metro prices, Lakeland Has something for everyone!
And as
always, I invite you to give me a call. Let’s sit down to talk about Your next
chapter!