Living in Key Largo, FL
Monroe County
Key Largo is the first and northernmost of the Florida Keys, reached by a short stretch of US-1 that makes it the most mainland-accessible of the Keys -- roughly an hour's drive to Miami International Airport, versus two-plus hours to reach Marathon or Key West. Its identity is built on diving and snorkeling rather than sportfishing or nightlife: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation's first underwater park, anchors a long-standing "Diving Capital of the World" reputation, and the offshore reef tract here is among the most-dived water in the continental US. That mainland proximity is a genuine, distinguishing advantage over the Keys further down the chain, but it doesn't reduce the hurricane and single-highway-evacuation exposure that applies to all of Monroe County.
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Monroe County level this session. Florida carries no income tax statewide. See the Florida hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Key Largo-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Most mainland-accessible Key, cutting both commute and hurricane-evacuation distance relative to Islamorada, Marathon, or Key West; a genuine, globally known diving and snorkeling identity anchored by John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
Cons
Still carries a full Keys-level housing premium and a market showing real signs of slowing (182 days on market, up from 73); hurricane risk and single-route (US-1) evacuation apply here exactly as much as anywhere else in the Keys.
Who this fits
Best for: Divers, snorkelers, and buyers who want Keys life with the shortest possible drive to mainland South Florida.
Maybe not for you if: Buyers looking for Islamorada's sportfishing scene or Marathon's more settled, year-round residential character should look further down the chain instead.
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