St. Petersburg, FL Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for St. Petersburg, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in St. Petersburg →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
St. Petersburg, Florida has a population of about 259,343. Typical household income is $70,333 per year, roughly in line with the median across the cities in our dataset (-2%).
St. Petersburg's housing market shows a median home value of $289,000, below the multi-city benchmark (-12%), alongside median rent of $1,410 per month. Both figures matter for anyone weighing a move here.
Home prices in St. Petersburg run about 4.1× median household income — a middle-of-the-road ratio, neither a bargain nor a stretch by our tracked standards. The market has cooled around St. Petersburg: home prices are down about 2.04% compared with a year ago. St. Petersburg carries a Relatively High hazard rating from FEMA — elevated risk that's typically reflected in higher insurance premiums.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,410/mo in St. Petersburg would take 24.1% of your income.
$348/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($289,000) would take 26.3% of your income toward principal & interest.
$98/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in St. Petersburg
Median home value is $289,000 and median gross rent is $1,410/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Pinellas fell 2.04% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,977/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates St. Petersburg's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
St. Petersburg reported a violent crime rate of 492.4 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to St. Petersburg
Planning a move to St. Petersburg? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in St. Petersburg, FL?
- St. Petersburg's key cost-of-living figures: $289,000 median home value, $1,410 median monthly rent, and $70,333 median household income, per the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in St. Petersburg?
- Comfortably affording rent in St. Petersburg — where the median runs $1,410/month — typically means earning about $56,400 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for St. Petersburg.
- Is it better to rent or buy in St. Petersburg?
- In St. Petersburg, comfortably renting the median unit ($1,410/month) takes about $56,400 in annual income, while buying the median home ($289,000) takes roughly $66,122 a year in principal and interest alone (assumes 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan, and current mortgage rates).
- Is St. Petersburg safe?
- In 2025, St. Petersburg reported 492.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.
See the full salary breakdown for St. Petersburg →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of St. Petersburg's.
Median rent $1,392/mo · Median income $71,328
Salary breakdown →