Monthly rent
$236 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $44.
City housing comparison
Jacksonville vs Tampa: Housing Costs Compared
Compare Jacksonville, FL and Tampa, FL using 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year housing and income estimates.
Quick answer
Jacksonville has lower reported median rent
Median gross rent is $236 lower per month in Jacksonville. The income associated with a 30% rent target is $9,400 lower per year there.
This is a housing baseline, not an overall winner or a complete cost-of-living comparison.
Evidence, before conclusions
How much does the gap tell us?
Point estimates show the reported difference. Margins of error help put it in context.
Annual household income
$5,603 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $3,072.
Home value
$126,700 reported gap
Exceeds combined MOESum of reported MOEs: $12,502.
This is a conservative screen using the sum of two 90% MOEs, not a formal significance test. An inconclusive result does not mean the cities are equal. Read the comparison rule ↗
Side-by-side data
Housing and income benchmarks
| Metric | Jacksonville | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,465/mo±$17 MOE | $1,701/mo±$27 MOE |
| Income for 30% rent target | $58,600±$700 derived MOE | $68,000±$1,100 derived MOE |
| Median household income | $69,872±$1,200 MOE | $75,475±$1,872 MOE |
| Median home value | $293,700±$4,064 MOE | $420,400±$8,438 MOE |
| Home value-to-income | 4.2x | 5.6x |
| Owner-occupied homes | 58% | 50% |
Decision signals
What the differences mean
01
Renting baseline
Jacksonville has $236 lower reported monthly median gross rent. Keeping that rent near 30% of gross income corresponds to $9,400 less annual household income than in Tampa.
02
Household income context
Tampa reports $5,603 higher median household income. Citywide medians do not show an individual household's job offer, debt or family size.
03
Buying pressure
Jacksonville reports a $126,700 lower median home value. Jacksonville has the lower home value-to-income baseline by 1.4x. This does not include mortgage rates, taxes, insurance, maintenance or down payment requirements.
04
Ownership mix
Jacksonville has an owner-occupied share 7.2 percentage points higher. Ownership share describes occupied housing, not homes currently available for sale.
City guide
Jacksonville, FL
Review state rankings, annual rent and the personal income calculator.
Open Jacksonville guideCity guide
Tampa, FL
Review state rankings, annual rent and the personal income calculator.
Open Tampa guideCity comparison tool
Two cities.
One clear comparison.
The same 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year source, definitions and calculations.
Comparison questions
Which city has lower median rent?
Jacksonville has lower reported median gross rent by $236 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.
Which city needs less income for the 30% rent benchmark?
Jacksonville has the lower reported annual income target by $9,400.
Does this compare total cost of living?
No. It compares housing, household income and ownership measures. Food, transportation, taxes, health care and live listings are outside the current scope.
Good research deserves a source.
MoveCostCompare. “Jacksonville, Florida vs Tampa, Florida: housing costs.” U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Reported monthly median gross rent: Jacksonville $1,465 (90% MOE ±$17); Tampa $1,701 (90% MOE ±$27). https://movecostcompare.com/compare/jacksonville-vs-tampa. Survey estimates, not live asking rents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Latest release checked Oct 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. Review the definitions and methodology.