Best places to live in lake county florida

Your perfect retreat is closer than you think.

Lake County has something for everyone. Nature-lovers will find an abundance of options – like hiking through endless acres of preserves, viewing rare birds or paddling pristine Blueways. Anglers will be lured by the prospect of catching a trophy bass on one of over 1,000 freshwater lakes, while treasure hunters will enjoy finding that rare antique at the area's many unique downtown districts.

So come explore Lake County, and experience “Real Florida. Real Close.” Just 35 minutes outside of Orlando.

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Cities & Towns in Lake County

Four Corners, FLPopulation 38,983

Clermont, FL (Photos)Population 33,520

Leesburg, FL (Photos)Population 22,243

Eustis, FL (Photos)Population 20,264

Tavares, FL (Photos)Population 16,199

Lady Lake, FL (Photos)Population 15,118

Mount Dora, FL (Photos)Population 13,620

Groveland, FL (Photos)Population 12,465

Minneola, FL (Photos)Population 11,058

Fruitland Park, FL (Photos)Population 6,598

Mount Plymouth, FLPopulation 5,610

Mascotte, FL (Photos)Population 5,552

Umatilla, FL (Photos)Population 3,693

Silver Lake, FLPopulation 1,719

Astatula, FLPopulation 1,637

Montverde, FLPopulation 1,622

Howey-in-the-Hills, FLPopulation 1,462

Astor, FLPopulation 1,418

Paisley, FLPopulation 1,338

Yalaha, FLPopulation 1,200

Lake Kathryn, FLPopulation 1,034

Lake Mack-Forest Hills, FLPopulation 802

Ferndale, FLPopulation 622

Pine Lakes, FLPopulation 537

Lisbon, FLPopulation 345

Sorrento, FLPopulation 343

Pittman, FLPopulation 246

Okahumpka, FLPopulation 146

Altoona, FLPopulation 100

Metro Orlando's least populated county is blowing up.

Lake County draws homebuyers from out of state as well as metro Orlando's more urban areas who are searching for more affordable homes and smaller crowds. In fact, Lake County's 3.1% population growth from 2020-2021 was the second-fastest in metro Orlando, just behind Osceola County's 3.8%. Lake County added nearly 12,000 residents in that timeframe, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Where's the best place for these new residents to scoop up a home? Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based neighborhoods and schools rating site Niche.com this year analyzed the best places to settle in Lake County based on home values, property taxes, local schools and more.

To see Niche.com's top 7 Lake County communities, check out the slideshow above.

Despite Lake County's rapid growth, it remains the cheapest metro county for house hunters. The average purchase price in April was $394,545, compared to $419,042 in Seminole County, $448,556 in Osceola County and $466,825 in Orange County, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Homebuyers snatched up 1,879 single-family homes in Lake County in the first quarter, according to Florida Realtors. That was a slight 0.5% uptick from first-quarter 2021.

Local housing market trends are important, as every home sale in the state has an estimated local economic impact of $112,500, according to the National Association of Realtors. In addition, the housing market often is considered a reflection of the local economy's overall health.

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