Cost of Living in Carrollwood
Carrollwood runs modestly above the national average on cost of living overall, with housing the clearest driver of that gap -- and, as elsewhere in this batch, rent estimates disagree substantially depending on which aggregator you check.
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Learn moreA cost-of-living index modestly above the national and Florida averages
BestPlaces gives Carrollwood a cost-of-living score of 104.2 (U.S. average = 100), meaning overall costs run about 4.2% above the national average and roughly 1.1% above the Florida average. On a household basis, BestPlaces estimates a family needs about $6,180/month ($74,160/year, 14.4% above the national average) and a single person about $4,900/month ($58,800/year, 2.8% above average) to cover comparable expenses.
Housing is the clearer driver of the gap than the overall index suggests
A typical Carrollwood home costs about $387,400 per BestPlaces, 14.6% more than the national average of $338,100, and a two-bedroom rental runs about $1,770/month, 23.8% above the national average of $1,430 -- both running meaningfully hotter than the overall 104.2 headline index, which blends in categories (like groceries and transportation) that run closer to the national baseline.
No state income tax is a real, ongoing offset
Florida levies no state personal income tax, applying uniformly statewide -- a genuine benefit for anyone relocating from a state that taxes wages, pensions, or investment income. See taxes-insurance for the property-tax side.
Rent estimates disagree by hundreds of dollars between major aggregators
RentCafe's data for Greater Carrollwood put average rent at $1,490/month as of January 2026 (down 5.1% from $1,570 the year before), with a narrower Carrollwood-specific read of $1,297/month as of November 2025. Zumper's figure for the same general area ran notably higher, at $2,300/month as of June 2026 (down about 7% year over year) -- a real, unresolved gap between sources; get a current, listing-specific quote rather than anchoring on either figure.
Key takeaways
- BestPlaces cost-of-living index: 104.2 (4.2% above the U.S. average, 1.1% above the Florida average); family budget estimate $6,180/month, single-person estimate $4,900/month.
- Housing runs hotter than the overall index: typical home value 14.6% above the national average, two-bedroom rent 23.8% above the national average, per BestPlaces.
- No Florida state income tax is a genuine, ongoing offset against housing costs.
- Rent estimates disagree sharply by aggregator: RentCafe cites $1,297-$1,490/month depending on area definition, while Zumper cites $2,300/month for the same general period -- confirm a current quote for any specific unit.
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