Side-by-side comparison of Gainesville, FL and St. Petersburg, FL — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Gainesville has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.26% compared to St. Petersburg's 3.86%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $265,000 in Gainesville vs $355,000 in St. Petersburg, while rents come in at $1,380/mo and $1,700/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: St. Petersburg is growing faster at 1.4% annually vs Gainesville's 1.3%. St. Petersburg leads on home value appreciation at 4.1% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.85% in Gainesville vs 0.82% in St. Petersburg. Vacancy rates of 5.5% and 4.7% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Bottom line: St. Petersburg edges out Gainesville on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.86%, St. Petersburg's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Gainesville or St. Petersburg.