Lake Placid Elementary School

It's a small, water-focused town in Highlands County where the elementary, middle, and high schools all sit within the same community, which suits families who want continuity. With seven waterfront listings active right now, the lakes are a genuine part of everyday life here rather than a novelty.

Not particularly — the median list price in this zone is $324,900, and active listings start as low as $65,000. That said, the range runs all the way to $2,150,000, so waterfront and estate properties pull the top end higher.

Expect a median list price around $324,900 and an average of about $204 per square foot, with a median home size near 1,765 square feet. Over the last 12 months, 53 homes sold at a median of $299,000, so actual sale prices tend to land a bit below current asking.

Steady and balanced — homes take a median of about 31.5 days to sell, and sellers are getting roughly 95% of asking on average. With 36 active Lake Placid homes for sale against 53 sales in the past year, buyers have real choice without an overheated pace.

Carrying costs are low here, with a median HOA of just $28 a month — most of the zone isn't tied to heavy association fees. Median property tax runs about $2,260 a year, and for renters or investors the median rent sits around $3,200 a month.