Area guide · Orange County, Florida
Orlando, FL real estate and homes for sale
Zoya Solovyeva, REALTOR®, helps people buy and sell homes in Orlando, its neighborhoods and the towns around it, in English and in Russian.
English and Russian · Olympus Executive Realty · Client reviews
01At a glance
Orlando in six facts
Orlando is the county seat of Orange County in Central Florida: a city of 333,888 people (Census estimate for July 2025) on about 130 square miles of land. In the three months to September 2026, the median Orlando home sold for $405,033, down 2.5% from a year earlier, after 61 days on the market. City limits run from the lakes north of downtown all the way to the airport and Lake Nona.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 and 2025 Gazetteer, Redfin, Orlando housing market and OpenStreetMap city limits, read November 2026.
- County
- Orange CountyOrlando is the county seat and lies wholly in Orange County. Population 333,888 (estimate for July 1, 2025), the fourth largest city in Florida.U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025
- ZIP codes inside the city
- 32801, 32803, 32814, 32827These four lie wholly or almost wholly inside city limits. Most other Orlando ZIP codes also take in county land, so the parcel record, not the mailing address, tells you which side you are on.Census 2020 ZIP code areas
- Public schools
- Orange County Public SchoolsOne district for the whole city; the school depends on the exact address.Check an address on the OCPS locator
- From downtown, without traffic
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- Airport (MCO) 27 min
- Magic Kingdom 37 min
- Median sale price
- $405,033Down 2.5% year over year. Median 61 days on market; homes sold for 96.8% of list price.Redfin, 3 months to September 2026
- Train
- SunRail, four stationsAdventHealth, LYNX Central, Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak are inside city limits. Trains run Monday to Friday.SunRail, November 2026
02Client reviews
What clients say
Three Google reviews, each quoted exactly as written; “…” shows where text was left out. Two of them mention Orlando.
“…Zoya has deep knowledge of the Orlando real estate market, including areas like Lake Nona, Baldwin Park, Winter Park, and surrounding communities. She helped us find the perfect home and negotiated an excellent deal. …”
Names Lake Nona and Baldwin Park among the Orlando areas Zoya knows. It does not say where the home was.
“…She does her homework and knows the market well. … She is no doubt one the best realtors in the greater Orlando area. …”
“…Zoya's in-depth knowledge of the Central Florida market has been instrumental in ensuring many successful transactions for me. …”
03The Orlando Atlas · City of Orlando
A hundred lakes, and a city line that reaches the airport.
The dashed line marks Orlando’s city limits, from the lakes north of downtown to the airport and Lake Nona. The gaps inside it are county land. Pick a neighborhood or a town next door to read its guide.
Lake Eola, the downtown lake
Lake Eola Park sits in the heart of downtown and has been a city park since 1888. A 0.9 mile path circles the lake, which began as a sinkhole, and the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, built in 1957, is the city’s official symbol. Across Orlando the city counts more than 100 lakes and more than 100 parks.
- Lake Eola Park 23 acres
- Path around the lake 0.9 mi
- City park since 1888
- Fountain built 1957
- Orlando city limits; the gaps are county land
- SunRail line; four stations are inside city limits
- Interstate 4
Illustrative map. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; roads and lakes as of July 2026. Drive times without traffic, OSRM, November 2026.
04Buying
Buying in Orlando
At the median, an Orlando home sold for $405,033 in the three months to September 2026, 2.5% less than a year before, after 61 days on the market and at 96.8% of its list price. Buyers have time to compare, and a well prepared offer still stands out.
Olympus Executive Realty · (609) 408-7086
Most Orlando homes are in buildings of two or more units (58.4%). Detached houses make up 31.6%, and townhouses and other attached homes 9.7%. The median home was built in 1992. These are the six things Zoya goes through with buyers before an offer is written.
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City or county?
Most Orlando ZIP codes also cover unincorporated Orange County, Belle Isle or Edgewood, and the city line has pockets of county land inside it. ZIP 32832, for example, is only about 23% inside the city. Open the parcel on the Orange County Property Appraiser site: its Municipality field says whether the home is in the City of Orlando.
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Condo, townhouse or house
More than half the city’s homes share a building. For a condo or townhouse, ask for the association’s budget, rules and fees, and what the fees cover, before your review period ends.
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Flood zone and insurance
Flood zones are mapped address by address, so check each home on its own. Look up the exact address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and ask for flood and homeowners insurance quotes in your first days under contract.
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Extra lines on the tax bill
Parcels in the Downtown Development Board area pay an extra 1 mill a year, and some planned communities carry special district assessments. The parcel’s bill on the Orange County Tax Collector site lists every levy.
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Roof, pipes and wiring
Half the city’s homes were built in 1992 or earlier. Ask your inspector for a close look at the roof, plumbing, electrical panel and windows, and ask the insurer how the roof’s age changes the premium.
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Rental plans
Inside city limits, any stay under 30 days is a short term rental that must be registered, and renting out a whole home that briefly is generally not allowed. Read the question on short term rentals before rental income goes into your numbers.
05Selling
Selling in Orlando
Sales have slowed. The median Orlando home spent 61 days on the market in the three months to September 2026, nine days longer than a year earlier.
Redfin, Orlando housing market, figures labelled September 2026, read November 8, 2026; 8.5% of homes sold above list price.
Start from your street. A citywide median blends condos, townhouses and detached houses across about 130 square miles. Zoya prices from recent sales of similar homes near yours, so the asking price holds up when buyers compare.
List the facts a buyer can check. Lake frontage, a short walk to a SunRail station or Lake Eola, and an address inside city limits all belong in the listing, stated plainly.
Have the paperwork ready. Association documents, the flood zone, any rental registration and the latest tax bill, with any downtown or special district lines, answer the questions that otherwise slow a contract.
06Neighborhoods
Orlando neighborhoods
The city’s own map names 125 neighborhoods. Here are ten of them, with their size on that map, the lakes inside them and the drive to downtown. Baldwin Park and Lake Nona have their own guides.
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Baldwin Park
About 1,132 acres · 11 min to downtownNortheast of downtown, around Lake Baldwin and Lake Susannah, on the land of the former Orlando Naval Training Center. ZIP 32814 lies wholly inside the city. Baldwin Park guide
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Lake Nona
Four city neighborhoods · 30 min to downtownSoutheast, beside the airport: Lake Nona Central, Lake Nona Estates, Lake Nona South and Northlake Park at Lake Nona. Lake Nona and Buck Lake are inside the Estates, and ZIP 32827 is almost entirely in the city. Lake Nona guide
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Downtown
Central Business District, about 361 acres · the centerThe city map has no single “Downtown” area. Its Central Business District holds the LYNX Central and Church Street SunRail stations, and Lake Eola sits just east in South Eola. Downtown Development Board parcels pay an extra 1 mill.
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Thornton Park
About 77 acres · 2 min to downtownAmong the smallest areas on the city map, directly east of Lake Eola and South Eola.
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College Park
About 2,079 acres · 7 min to downtownNorth of downtown, with Lake Ivanhoe, Lake Silver, Lake Concord and Lake Adair inside its boundary.
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Colonialtown
Two city neighborhoods, about 684 acres · 7 min to downtownNortheast of Lake Eola, mapped by the city as Colonialtown North (about 440 acres) and Colonialtown South (about 244 acres).
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Audubon Park
About 353 acres · 9 min to downtownJust west of Baldwin Park, with Lake Druid, Lake Shannon and Lake Cay Dee inside its boundary.
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Delaney Park
About 181 acres · 5 min to downtownA small area just south of the downtown core.
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Dover Shores
Two city neighborhoods, about 471 acres · 9 min to downtownSoutheast of downtown, just south of Orlando Executive Airport. Lake Giles and Lake Arnold are in Dover Shores West.
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MetroWest
About 2,539 acres · 17 min to downtownSouthwest of downtown, spelled Metro West on the city map, with Turkey Lake, Charter Lake and Lake Pamela inside its boundary.
Areas are approximate, measured from the City of Orlando neighborhood map (updated November 2026; the city notes it is not legally binding; see also its printable map). Lakes from OpenStreetMap, July 2026. Drive to downtown without traffic, OSRM, November 2026. Baldwin Park’s history: the city’s 40 Fun Orlando Facts.
07Prices
Orlando home prices with sources
Citywide figures from Redfin and the Census. For homes on the market today, ask Zoya for a list that fits your budget.
| Median sale price | $405,033down 2.5% in a year |
|---|---|
| Median price per square foot | $236down 5.6% in a year |
| Median days on market | 6152 a year earlier |
| Median sale to list price | 96.8%up 0.1 point in a year |
| Homes sold in September | 9751,007 a year earlier |
Source: Redfin, Orlando housing market, all home types, read November 8, 2026.
| Housing units | 148,754 |
|---|---|
| Homes in buildings of 2 or more units | 58.4% |
| Detached single family homes | 31.6%attached 9.7% |
| Owner occupied | 39.5%about two in five |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Median value, as estimated by owners | $394,100 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25035 and B25077.
Redfin’s figure is what homes sold for; the Census figure is what owners think their home is worth, so the two are not comparable. Redfin does not say whether its Orlando page follows city limits or the much larger area with an Orlando mailing address.
Looking at homes for sale in Orlando?
Send Zoya your budget, the neighborhoods you like and what the home needs, and she will reply with matching Orlando listings on WhatsApp.
08Getting around
Drive times, trains and the airport
From downtown
| From downtown to | Without traffic | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 27 min | 13.6 mi |
| Magic Kingdom | 37 min | 23.8 mi |
To downtown from Orlando neighborhoods
| To downtown from | Without traffic | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Thornton Park | 2 min | 0.8 mi |
| College Park | 7 min | 2.6 mi |
| Baldwin Park | 11 min | 4.7 mi |
| MetroWest | 17 min | 7.8 mi |
| Lake Nona | 30 min | 20.9 mi |
Without traffic: free flow car routing (OSRM) from and to the downtown point, November 2026. Rush hour adds time.
- SunRail. Four stations are inside city limits: AdventHealth, LYNX Central, Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak. Sand Lake Road station has an Orlando mailing address but sits outside the city. Trains run Monday to Friday only.
- Buses. LYNX runs the region’s buses, and LYMMO is the downtown circulator.
- Highways. I-4 crosses the city, and three toll roads serve it: SR 408 (East West Expressway), SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) and SR 528 (Beachline Expressway), a key route to the airport.
- Airports. Orlando International Airport lies inside city limits. Orlando Executive Airport, east of downtown, serves business jets, flight schools and small aircraft.
Sources: SunRail stations, the Census geocoder for the airport and station addresses, and Wikipedia for roads and buses, November 2026.
09Schools
Public schools
The district assigns schools by exact address, and the zone lines do not follow ZIP codes or neighborhood names. Look up each address you are serious about.
Find the school for an address (OCPS)10Pros and cons
Living in Orlando: the tradeoffs
What works
- The airport is in the cityMCO lies inside city limits, 27 minutes from downtown without traffic.
- Four SunRail stationsAdventHealth, LYNX Central, Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak, on weekdays.
- Lakes and parksMore than 100 of each, with a 0.9 mile path around Lake Eola downtown.
- A trail spineThe Orlando Urban Trail runs about 3 miles, 85% of it off street, from Lake Highland to Mead Garden in Winter Park; one stretch is closed for utility work through February 2027.
- Room to negotiate37.9% of homes had a price drop, and the median sold at 96.8% of list (Redfin, September 2026).
What to weigh
- TrafficEvery drive time here is without traffic. Rush hour adds time, and SunRail does not run on weekends.
- City or countyMost Orlando ZIP codes take in county land, so city rules and the city tax depend on the parcel.
- Extra leviesDowntown Development Board parcels pay an extra 1 mill, and some planned communities add special district assessments.
- Flood and insuranceZones are set address by address. Check FEMA’s map and price insurance for each home.
- Rental rulesInside the city, stays under 30 days must be registered, and whole home rentals that short are generally not allowed.
Sources: the city’s Orlando Urban Trail, Lake Eola, city facts and home share pages, and the Florida Department of Revenue levy table; other figures as cited above.
11Questions
Orlando questions
What buyers and sellers ask about Orlando, answered from official sources and dated data.
How much does a home cost in Orlando?
Redfin’s median sale price for Orlando was $405,033 in the three months to September 2026, 2.5% lower than a year earlier, or $236 per square foot. The median home took 61 days to sell and went for 96.8% of its list price. That median covers every home type, so ask for recent sales on the streets you are looking at before you set a budget.
Is every “Orlando, FL” address inside the city?
No. Only four ZIP codes lie wholly or almost wholly inside city limits: 32801, 32803, 32814 and 32827. Several others are mostly county land; ZIP 32832, for example, is only about 23% inside the city, and the city line also has pockets of county land within it. Open the parcel on the Orange County Property Appraiser site: the Municipality field says whether the home is in the City of Orlando, which decides the city tax and the city’s rental rules.
How much are property taxes in Orlando?
From October 2025 to September 2026 the City of Orlando’s operating rate was 6.65 mills, or $6.65 for every $1,000 of taxable value, for the city portion only (Florida Department of Revenue). In July 2026 the city said it did not plan to raise that rate for October 2026 to September 2027 (Spectrum News 13); the adopted rate is still to be checked. Downtown Development Board parcels add 1 mill. The full bill also carries school, county, water management and other levies and differs by parcel, so look the parcel up on the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector sites.
Can I rent out an Orlando home short term?
Inside city limits, a stay of less than 30 days is a short term rental, and every one must be registered (city fact sheet). Under the city’s home share rules the owner lives on site and is present, takes one booking at a time and rents out no more than half the home. Renting a whole home for under 30 days is generally not allowed under those rules; a whole property rental counts as a Commercial Dwelling Unit, which is limited to certain zoning districts and needs a Business Tax Receipt. Homes outside city limits follow Orange County rules. How Florida’s vacation rental law affects these city rules is a question for a Florida real estate attorney; ask one about the specific home before you sign.
Which public schools serve an Orlando home?
Orange County Public Schools serves the whole city. The assigned school depends on the exact address, not the ZIP code or the neighborhood name, so check each address in the OCPS Find My School locator before you make an offer.
How far is downtown Orlando from the airport and Disney?
Without traffic, about 27 minutes (13.6 miles) to Orlando International Airport and 37 minutes (23.8 miles) to Magic Kingdom, by OSRM routing from downtown in November 2026. Allow more time at rush hour. Lake Nona sits much closer to the airport; its guide has the times from there.
Talk to Zoya
Thinking about Orlando?
Tell Zoya which part of Orlando you have in mind, or that you have not chosen yet, and she will reply within 24 hours, in English or Russian.
- Call(609) 408-7086Olympus Executive Realty
- TextSend a textOlympus Executive Realty · (609) 408-7086
- WhatsAppMessage ZoyaOlympus Executive Realty
- Emailrealtor@zoyasells.comOlympus Executive Realty, 16903 Lakeside Drive, Montverde, FL 34756
Keep exploring
Orlando neighborhoods, nearby towns and guides
Neighborhoods and next door
Looking outside Central Florida? Real estate elsewhere in Florida
Facts checked November 8, 2026. Sources are linked beside each figure or listed under each section: Redfin, the U.S. Census Bureau, OSRM routing, OpenStreetMap, the City of Orlando, the Florida Department of Revenue, OCPS and SunRail.