— County Guide
Orange
FL
Orange County spans 903 square miles across the heart of Central Florida, anchored by Orlando and radiating outward into some of Florida's most active growth corridors. From the resort overlay of the Tourist Development District around International Drive and US-192 to the emerging urban fabric of the Creative Village and Downtown Orlando, to the master-planned intelligence of Lake Nona and the family-oriented suburbs of Horizon West and Winter Garden, the county is genuinely many markets in one. The theme park economy that defines Orange County's national identity also shapes its housing market in ways most buyers don't fully appreciate. Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld together employ tens of thousands of cast members and attract tens of thousands of hospitality workers, creating persistent demand for workforce and investor housing in the tourist corridor. But that corridor is only one slice of the county. Fourteen miles east, Lake Nona Medical City has become one of the most ambitious mixed-use projects in the American Southeast — a 17-square-mile development anchored by Nemours Children's Hospital, the University of Florida Health campus, the Orlando VA Medical Center, and the UCF College of Medicine, surrounded by technology companies, bioscience firms, and corporate relocations that have fundamentally diversified the county's job base. For buyers seeking suburban family life, the Horizon West and Winter Garden corridors on the county's western edge deliver excellent Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) zoning, walkable town center environments, and comparatively lower price-per-square-foot than comparable communities nearer to downtown. The new-construction market here is among the most active in Florida, with Mattamy, Dream Finders, Meritage, and Lennar all running active communities in the Horizon West growth area. On the eastern side, communities like Avalon Park, Waterford Lakes, and Bithlo's rapidly expanding outer fringe are seeing land assembly and builder competition for lots that would have been cost-prohibitive five years ago. Orange County's rental market operates on two overlapping tracks: long-term residential rentals driven by the county's massive employment base, and short-term vacation rentals concentrated in the tourist corridor. The STR market near Kissimmee (Osceola County) bleeds into southern Orange County in communities like Reunion's fringe and certain Celebration-adjacent neighborhoods. Buyers pursuing STR strategies should engage with the specific municipal and HOA rules applicable to their target parcel well before making an offer.
Property tax rate
1.01%
Effective millage — varies by city and exemption status.
Why people move here
- Home to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Orange County Convention Center — the #1 most visited destination in the United States
- Lake Nona Medical City — 17 sq mi of healthcare, bioscience, and tech employment anchoring the eastern growth corridor
- Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) — one of the largest districts in the US serving 200,000+ students with strong magnet and IB programs
- Active new-construction corridors in Horizon West, Winter Garden, Lake Nona, and Apopka delivering fresh inventory at diverse price points
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) — among the busiest in the Southeast with direct flights to 140+ destinations
- Effective property tax rate near 1.01% with homestead exemption — consistent with statewide norms and below some coastal counties
Market data refreshed monthly from county records and MLS sales.
Cities
Cities in Orange
Apopka
Apopka is Orlando's fastest-growing neighbor — a city of 63,000 built around world-class springs, a foliage-farming heritage, and one of Central Florida's most active new-construction markets.
Lake Buena Vista
Lake Buena Vista is one of Florida's smallest incorporated cities — and the official home address of Walt Disney World, Disney Springs, and four world-class resort hotels on the shores of Lake Buena Vista itself.
Maitland
A walkable, lake-dotted city between Orlando and Winter Park — known for its National Historic Landmark art center, a tight-knit corporate park corridor, and some of Orange County's most coveted school-district lines.
Ocoee
West Orange County's fastest-growing city — where SR-408 expressway access meets 22 miles of trail, lakefront parks, and home prices that still undercut Winter Garden by a meaningful margin.
Orlando
Orlando is Central Florida's urban core — a market of 334,000 city residents and a metro of nearly 3 million, where Lake Nona's medical city, downtown's walkable districts, and some of Florida's most active new-construction corridors converge.
Windermere
A small-town enclave on the Butler Chain of Lakes where lakefront estates and celebrity addresses sit minutes from Walt Disney World and the energy of Greater Orlando.
Winter Garden
A revitalized citrus-belt city where brick-paved Plant Street, the 22-mile West Orange Trail, and one of Florida's most active new-construction markets all converge 14 miles west of downtown Orlando.
Winter Park
Park Avenue boutiques, five interconnected lakes, and Florida's oldest liberal arts college — Winter Park is Central Florida's most walkable, most storied address.
Schools
Top-rated schools in Orange
- 10/10
- Dommerich Elementary School10/10
Maitland
- Keene's Crossing Elementary School10/10
Windermere
- Audubon Park School10/10
Orlando
- Whispering Oak Elementary School10/10
Winter Garden
- Bridgewater Middle School9/10
Winter Garden
- Princeton Elementary School9/10
Orlando
- Sunset Park Elementary School9/10
Windermere
New construction
Builder communities in Orange
active
Alora
Orlando
Avalon Woods
Winter Garden
Bronson Peak
Apopka
Bronson's Ridge
Apopka
Crossroads at Kelly Park
Apopka
Del Webb Oasis
Winter Garden
EverBe
Orlando
EverBe
Orlando
Gatherings of Lake Nona
Orlando
Laureate Park by Dream Finders
Orlando
Meridian Parks
Orlando
Osprey Ranch
Winter Garden
Serenade at Ovation
Winter Garden
The Oaks at Kelly Park
Apopka
Tyson Ranch
Orlando
Westhaven at Ovation
Winter Garden
Woodside Preserve
Orlando
archived
From the blog
Reading about Orange
Florida HOA 101: What You're Really Paying For (and the CDD Trap)
HOA fees are Florida's biggest surprise for out-of-state buyers — but CDDs are the trap most never see coming. Here's exactly what you're paying for, what typical ranges look like in Tampa Bay and Central FL, and how to spot a CDD before you make an offer.
Curb Appeal for Florida Sellers: What Actually Moves Price
First impressions in Florida are not the same as the rest of the country. Heat, humidity, and HOA rules change what works. Here is what actually moves price — from palm selection to pavers to pressure washing before the MLS photographer shows up.
Buying a Waterfront Home in Florida: What to Check Before You Fall in Love
Waterfront is 20% of the price of a home. Before you make an offer, you need to know who owns the seawall, whether the dock permits are current, and what your flood insurance will cost — because these numbers move fast in Florida.
Best Orlando Neighborhoods for Families in 2026
Orlando spans four counties and hundreds of neighborhoods — not all of them equal for families. This guide covers 11 areas where schools, safety, and livability actually hold up under scrutiny, from Baldwin Park to Lake Mary, with realistic price ranges and commute notes for each.
Thinking about a home in Orange?
I work across all of Orange — tell me which city or feature matters most and I'll send back homes that match.