Orlando is a bustling city in the Orange County of Florida. Nicknamed “the City Beautiful”, Orlando is home to the world’s most famous theme parks, studios, and resorts. While many tourists come to Orlando to experience its unparalleled theme parks, Orlando’s attraction goes beyond, with its powerful dining and food scene, huge shopping centers, exotic outdoor recreation, and rich history.
What is the community of Orlando like?
One of the most diverse cities in America, Orlando is home to around 270,000 people. Every year, on average, Orlando attracts more than 60 million visitors who come to enjoy its enviable weather, world-renowned theme parks, immersive shopping malls, immaculate golf courses, and bustling nightlife. Besides, Orlando offers easy access to some of America’s finest beaches – another major attraction of the city.
Those who have experienced Orlando know that it can inspire lifelong memories and incredible stories. The city’s appeal is unlike any others. Millions flock to Orlando to immerse into the unmatchable experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, and the Universal Orlando Resort. The massive Walt Disney World Resort offers four individual parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), two water parks, dozens of restaurants, and uniquely themed accommodations.
You can also unleash your imagination at the exotic Universal Orlando Resort, which is home to the famous Universal Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the bustling Universal City Walk, and the surreal Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
If you step away from theme parks, you will get a chance to discover Downtown Orlando (also known as the ‘real side of Orlando’). Downtown Orlando is adored by the locals and is the largest urban center in Central Florida. The downtown is home to humungous skyscrapers, prolific art galleries, museums relating 12,000 years of the region's history, theaters, opulent shopping malls, and gorgeous parks.
Besides, Orlando plays home to the Orlando International Airport - the 13th busiest airport in America and the 29th busiest in the world - and the Orange County Convention Center - the second-largest convention facility in the United States. Simply put, Orlando is a world of its own – a world of imagination and extravagance.
What is Real Estate like in Orlando?
Orlando’s real estate market is considered to be very competitive, and it is forecasted that it will continue to be a strong sellers’ market in 2021. Besides, it is one of the hottest real estate markets for investing in rental properties.
Real estate in Orlando has shown an average growth of 3.9% per year since the year 2000. Besides, since 2000, the prices of homes in Orlando have appreciated by a strong 123.46%. The sale prices of homes in Orlando have experienced strong growth of more than 11.1% in March 2021 from the same month last year.
The median home price in Orlando is $275,000. Currently, there are 3,897 active homes for sale in Orlando, and normally it takes just 64 days for a listed home to get off the market. Moreover, the average cost to rent a house in Orlando is $1,595 per month. At present, there are 112,137 homes and apartments in the city, 35.2% of which are owned, and the remaining 64.8% are rented.
How is the economic landscape of Orlando?
Orlando is a prominent industrial and high-tech hub. The Orlando Metro area is home to a whopping $13.4 billion tech industry that employs 53,000 workers. Besides, Orlando is nationally known for being the epicenter of innovation in digital media, agricultural technology, aviation, aerospace, and software design.
Orlando also enjoys a strong presence of the film, television, and electronic games industry, thanks to the presence of Universal Studios, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Full Sail University, UCF College of Arts and Humanities, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, and other entertainment companies and schools.
Over the last year, Orlando’s job market has grown by a tremendous 3.9%, while its unemployment rate stands at a paltry 2.9% - one of the lowest unemployment rates nationally. On average, an Orlando resident earns around $25,600 per annum. The city’s median household income per resident is almost $41,900.
How are the schools in Orlando?
Orlando is covered by 1 large school district – the Orange County School District that encompasses 265 schools and currently has 208,203 enrolled students. Besides, Orlando is home to two colleges: Valencia College and Seminole State College of Florida.
When it comes to higher education, Floridians enjoy easy access to some of America’s best universities. Located just 13 miles from Downtown Florida, and known for its contributions to national space efforts, the University of Central Florida is a public research university that offers more than 200 degrees through 13 colleges at 10 regional campuses in Central Florida. Home to the largest student body in the United States, UCF has 72,000 students from 157 countries as well as all 50 states and Washington D.C.
Other prominent universities in or near Orlando include Florida A&M University College of Law, Florida State University College of Medicine, DeVry University, and Florida Institute of Technology.
Orlando in a nutshell
In a nutshell, to say that Orlando offers something special to everyone would not be an overstatement. The city is home to America’s best theme parks and resorts. It has a thriving community that enjoys the highest quality of life and recreational opportunities. If you plan to move to Florida, Orlando most certainly is the place to be.