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City · 12,515 residents · Columbia County, Florida

Lake City , Florida

In Lake City, a typical home is worth $184,900 and typical rent is $1,040 a month. Compared with all of Columbia County, typical rent is 7% higher, the typical home value is 5% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 33 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $184,900

    5% below the county

    48% below Florida

    • Lake City
    • Columbia
    • Florida

  • Typical rent

    $1,040a month

    7% above the county

    38% below Florida

    • Lake City
    • Columbia
    • Florida

  • Typical household income

    $56,472a year

    5% below the county

    24% below Florida

    • Lake City
    • Columbia
    • Florida

  • Households that own their home

    40%

    33 points below the county

    28 points below Florida

    • Lake City
    • Columbia
    • Florida

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$261,358
about the same as 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,506 a month
4.6% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Lake City is in Columbia County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Columbia County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Lake City apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 40% of households in Lake City own their home, against 73% in Columbia County.

  2. Lake City has the 25th lowest typical rent of the 471 cities in Florida with more than 5,000 people ($1,040).

  3. Nearby, in Starke, the typical rent is $840: 19% less than in Lake City ($1,040).

  4. Lake City has the 35th lowest typical home value of the 480 cities in Florida with more than 5,000 people ($184,900).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Lake City

What homes there are in Lake City, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is the most common home in Lake City: 55% of homes, near the figure in Columbia County (54%).

Year built

In Lake City, half of the homes were built before 1980; in Columbia County, before 1992.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

At least 95% of owner-occupied homes in Lake City are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for Columbia County ($541,287).

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,407 a month

Columbia County: $1,416 a month

Without a mortgage

$496 a month

Columbia County: $381 a month

Owners with a mortgage

52%

Columbia County: 48%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Lake City is $1,407 a month, near the figure in Columbia County ($1,416).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Lake City gained value faster than in Columbia County: 73% against 57%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Lake City rose 22%, more than in Columbia County (18%).

The typical household income in Lake City rose 49% over that time; home values changed +73% and rent +22%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureLake CityColumbia CountyFloridaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.3%7.6%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.4%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.6%3.3%3.4%
People per household 2.482.472.512.53
Drive alone 77%77%70%69%
Carpool 14%12%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2%3%
Work from home 6%8%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutesUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Lake City look like those in Columbia County: 2.48 people on average.

The car rules in Lake City: 77% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 10 to 19 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Lake City?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Lake City, worth $184,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 32% of the typical household income in Lake City, which is $56,472 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $64,667 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Columbia County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Lake City. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $6,472 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,509

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$181,550
Total interest
$261,209
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,122 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,318 a month

  • Tight

    $1,318 to $1,694 a month

    Your payment · 32%

  • Hard

    more than $1,694 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Lake City ($56,472 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,509
Principal & interest$1,230
Property tax$120
Home insurance$77
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$82

You need at least $6,472 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Lake City and Columbia County

Lake City is in Columbia County, Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Lake City's own numbers

Typical home value
$184,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,040
Typical yearly household income
$56,472
Households that own their home
40%
Effective property tax rate
0.78%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Columbia County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,187
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+65%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
6.5%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Columbia County.

Everything about Columbia County

Buying

Buying a home in Lake City

A typical home in Lake City is worth $184,900: 5% below the county and 48% below Florida. With the typical household income in Lake City ($56,472 a year), a typical home costs 3.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Lake City 3.3 years
  • Columbia 3.3 years
  • Florida 4.8 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Columbia County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Columbia County rose 121% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Columbia County.

Period County Florida U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.9% −0.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +65% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +121% +127% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Lake City next to Columbia County, Florida and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Lake City $184,900
  • Columbia $194,900
  • Florida $359,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Lake City $1,040
  • Columbia $976
  • Florida $1,669
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Lake City $56,472
  • Columbia $59,205
  • Florida $74,568
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Lake City next to Columbia County and Florida
Measure Lake City Columbia County Florida U.S.
Typical home value $184,900 $194,900 $359,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,040 $976 $1,669 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $56,472 $59,205 $74,568 $80,734
Households that own their home 40% 73% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,448 $1,434 $2,730 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.78% 0.74% 0.76% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 49% 48% 60% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Columbia County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Lake City

For a typical $184,900 home in Lake City, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Lake City's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,509a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $6,472
    Cash to close
    $12,019
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $82

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,475a month

    Down payment
    $9,245
    Cash to close
    $14,792
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $88

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,199a month

    Down payment
    $36,980
    Cash to close
    $42,527
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,370a month

    Down payment
    $27,735
    Cash to close
    $33,282
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Lake City and for Columbia County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Lake City

0.78%of the home’s value each year

$1,448 a year for the typical owner in Lake City.

  • Lake City 0.78%
  • Columbia 0.74%
  • Florida 0.76%

What Florida publishes Homestead exemption (Florida Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Florida

Flood risk in Columbia County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Columbia County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
6.5%
1,824
Of those, with NFIP insurance
27%
County Florida U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 6.5% 13% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 27% 67% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Lake City

Typical rent in Lake City is $1,040 a month: 7% above the county. In Lake City, 49% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Columbia County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,187 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $22.83 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Columbia County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $891 $17.13 $35,640
1 bedroom $931 $17.90 $37,240
2 bedrooms $1,187 $22.83 $47,480
3 bedrooms $1,422 $27.35 $56,880
4 bedrooms $1,571 $30.21 $62,840

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Lake City

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Lake City has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,190 in 32055 to $1,230 in 32025.

2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Columbia County ($1,187).

  • 32025 $1,230$1,470
  • 32055 $1,190$1,430

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Lake City when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Lake City

HUD lists 8 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Lake City. These are the largest.

  • Windsong I (lake City) 2580 SW Windsong Cir, Lake City 32025 180 low-income homes · 1 bd: 32 · 2 bd: 92 · 3 bd: 56 · In service since 2001 · For families
  • Windsong II (lake City) 2580 SW Windsong Cir, Lake City 32025 152 low-income homes · 1 bd: 32 · 2 bd: 72 · 3 bd: 48 · In service since 2002 · For families
  • Gateway Villas 800 NW Georgia Ave, Lake City 32055 80 low-income homes · Run by Columbia County Housing Authority · Average payment: $554 a month · Average wait: 28 months (386) 752-4227
  • Cedar Park 377 NW Bascom Norris Dr, Lake City 32055 72 low-income homes · 2 bd: 24 · 3 bd: 48 · In service since 2018 · For families (386) 752-7525
  • Lake City Villas 1344 SW Zesty Cir, Lake City 32025 36 low-income homes · 1 bd: 6 · 2 bd: 30 · In service since 1997 · For families

See all 8 buildings in Columbia County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Lake City

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Columbia County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

An older woman smiles in front of her apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Lake City

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Lake City or Columbia County. The ones below are statewide in Florida: they work in Lake City the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Florida

Housing counselors near Lake City

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Lake City, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation

    633 NW 8th Ave, Gainesville · 41 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (352) 380-9119

  • University of Florida/Florida Cooperative Extension

    1604 McCarty Drive, McCarty Hall D, Suit, Gainesville · 41 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 7 more
    (352) 392-1761

  • Wealth Watchers, Inc

    5310 Lenox Ave Ste 4, Jacksonville · 55 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (904) 265-4736

All counseling agencies in Florida

Help in Spanish near Lake City

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Lake City

HUD’s record names them for Lake City or Columbia County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

All housing agencies in Florida Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Lake City, with the typical home value.

Everything about Columbia County Housing in Florida

Neighboring counties

If Columbia County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Lake City.

All guides
Two girls write and draw together at the living-room table.

Questions

Housing questions about Lake City

Short answers with the numbers for Lake City and all of Columbia County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Lake City?

The typical home value in Lake City is $184,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Columbia County it is $194,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Lake City?

Typical rent in Lake City is $1,040 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Columbia County is $1,187.

What is the FHA loan limit in Lake City?

Lake City uses the FHA limit for all of Columbia County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Lake City?

The typical homeowner in Lake City pays $1,448 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.78% of the home’s value; in Columbia County, the rate is 0.74%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Lake City?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Columbia County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).