Sebring-Avon Park, FL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.20×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Florida
- 4.23×-1.03
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.23
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
27.4%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Florida
- 28.1%-0.7
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.57%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Florida
- 4.40%+1.17
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+1.23
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.74%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Florida
- 0.82%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.71
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
7.31
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Florida
- 7.87
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+3.78
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
7.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Florida
- 5.5%
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
10.1%
1,380 purchase loans · 29.6% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+74.3%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+1.3%
Median home value
$177,900
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,006 | $12,072 | 21.7% |
| 2 BR | $1,271 | $15,252 | 27.4% |
| 3 BR | $1,538 | $18,456 | 33.2% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
7.0%
Median household income
$55,581
What's being built
Total TTM
759
Single-family
697
2–4 unit
62
5+ unit
0
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County | 102,339 | $177,900 | $55,581 | 759 | -0.7% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Sebring | 102,339 | $55,581 | 3.20× | 5.57% | +74.3% | 7.31 | 7.0% |
| Hot Springs, AR | 100,021 | $55,409 | — | — | +62.4% | — | 4.4% |
| Gadsden, AL | 103,348 | $53,070 | — | — | +59.8% | — | 2.4% |
| Bay City, MI | 103,752 | $60,523 | — | — | +62.8% | — | 5.8% |
| Muncie, IN | 112,156 | $56,932 | — | — | +60.4% | — | 3.0% |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 95,118 | $59,413 | — | — | — | — | — |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+772
+0.74% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Polk County, FL | 275 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 252 |
| Broward County, FL | 230 |
| Lee County, FL | 129 |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 127 |
| Hardee County, FL | 100 |
Who lives in Sebring
- Median age
- 54
- Bachelor's+
- 19.7%
- Owner-occupancy
- 78.9%
- Vacancy rate
- 20.9%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 47.0%
- Median household income
- $55,581
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |