Hull-Hawkins House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Live Oak costs less to live in than 54% of U.S. towns
It ranks #77 of 637 in Florida for affordability. Up 2.4% in a year, 32% below the Florida typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Suwannee County, FL ($57K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Suwannee County earn ($57K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.8 years of area income, and 35% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $253Ktypical home, 32% below the Florida typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,160a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$57K, Suwannee County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 35%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Florida: 60%Census 2020–24
- 21%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Live Oak’s housing numbers say
Rent is easier on renters here
35% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 60% across Florida. A standard two-bedroom is 23% of the median household income. Renting ↓
About half of Live Oak rents
53% of households rent their home, 949 in all, against 32% across Florida. Renting ↓
Very little new building
Live Oak permitted 94 new homes over the past 10 years, about 1.3 a year per 1,000 residents. Across Florida, the pace in 2025 was 8.3. In 2025, Live Oak permitted 3. New homes ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Live Oak lost 115 residents while 34 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Live Oak’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Live Oak is more affordable than 54% of U.S. towns, #77 of 637 in Florida. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Florida: the typical Live Oak home is up 26.3% in five years, against 18.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 26.3% in five years
Faster than Florida (18.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Live Oak | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $120,000 | $209,000 |
| 2018 | $130,000 | $226,000 |
| 2019 | $138,000 | $241,000 |
| 2020 | $149,000 | $252,000 |
| 2021 | $172,000 | $276,000 |
| 2022 | $215,000 | $339,000 |
| 2023 | $221,000 | $392,000 |
| 2024 | $236,000 | $402,000 |
| 2025 | $248,000 | $396,000 |
| 2026 | $250,000 | $377,000 |
| September 2026 | $253,000 | $375,000 |
A typical Live Oak home worth $118K in October 2016 is worth about $253K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.8 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Live Oak’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $30K short of a typical Live Oak home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,160 a month here, $350 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Live Oak’s typical property tax (0.85% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,160
Renters already here pay a median of $903, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Suwannee County, FL): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in Live Oak in 2025: 1 single-family house and 2 in buildings with two or more homes. That's 0.4 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Florida (8.3). Over the past 10 years, Live Oak has permitted 94 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Live Oak's population fell by 115 even though 34 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Florida: 2.8 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $129,000 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $209,000 |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 6 | $240,000 |
| 2023 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2021 | 47 | 11 | 36 | $5.1 million |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $189,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $187,000 |
| 2018 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $510,000 |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $425,000 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $425,000 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $100,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $150,000 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $434,000 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $70,000 |
| 2007 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $420,000 |
| 2006 | 109 | 7 | 102 | $5.1 million |
| 2005 | 16 | 12 | 4 | $1.1 million |
| 2004 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $805,000 |
| 2003 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $499,000 |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $258,000 |
| 2001 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $862,000 |
| 2000 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $574,000 |
Live Oak's permit office reported 2 of 12 months in 2025; the Census estimated the rest.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,361, under the Florida median of $2,730, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.85% a year, against 0.76% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Live Oak and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak | B− | $253K | $160K | 0.85% | $1,160 |
Questions about the cost of living in Live Oak
Is Live Oak expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Live Oak costs less than 54% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #77 of 637 in Florida. The typical home costs 2.8 years of the median household income of Suwannee County, FL ($57K).
How much does a house cost in Live Oak?
About $253K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.4% in a year. The Florida typical home is $375K.
What salary do you need to live in Live Oak?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $65,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,510 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $46,000.
How much is rent in Live Oak?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,160 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $903 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Live Oak?
The median bill is $1,361 a year, 0.85% of the median home value (Florida: $2,730, 0.76%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Live Oak going up?
Yes: up 2.4% in the past year and 26.3% in five years, against 18.6% across Florida (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Live Oak buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.