$ PlainPropertyTax

Clay County, FL

Rent vs Own in Clay County, Florida

In Clay County the ownership stack ($1,858/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $1,658/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 63,522.

🏘️
Renting is cheaper in Clay County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $1,658/mo - only a thin step below the $1,858/mo ownership stack. That is a $200/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Clay County

Primary driver

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $87,820, for a 3.6x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 2.6% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Clay County from $1,730/mo in FY2025 to $1,658/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $72/mo (-4.2%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $312,500 for the median home and $2,241/yr in tax (0.72%), Clay County's ownership stack (~$1,858/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $1,658/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $200/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Clay County ranks 39 of 67 Florida counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 28 other Florida counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,858
Mortgage (P&I) $1,580
Property Tax $187
Insurance (est.) $91
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,658
Studio$1,355
1-Bedroom$1,382
2-Bedroom$1,658
3-Bedroom$2,043
4-Bedroom$2,561

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$87,820
$7,318/mo
Home Price / Income
3.6x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.6%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Clay County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Clay County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Miami-Dade County
Home: $463,000 Tax: $3,744/yr
Broward County
Home: $414,600 Tax: $3,890/yr
Palm Beach County
Home: $447,300 Tax: $3,858/yr
Hillsborough County
Home: $371,500 Tax: $3,010/yr
Orange County
Home: $390,100 Tax: $2,967/yr
Pinellas County
Home: $355,100 Tax: $2,474/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clay County, Florida? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Clay County (about $200/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
What is the average rent in Clay County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,658/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,206/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Clay County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $87,820 household here can afford up to $263,460 -- about $49,040 short of this county's $312,500 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Clay County? ▼
$312,500, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.72% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Clay County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 4.2% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Clay County compare to other Florida counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 67 Florida counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Clay County lands at spot 39, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/florida">Florida state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →