Homes for sale in Auburndale

Auburndale is a city in Polk County, in Central Florida, between Lakeland and Winter Haven, about an hour's drive from Tampa and from Orlando. It is a city of lakes — a third of its area is water — and of old orange groves that, over the last few decades, have given way to neighborhoods of new homes for families looking for more house for less money than in the Orlando area.

For buyers, Auburndale offers new single-family homes, with a garage and a backyard, at prices below those of Kissimmee, Clermont or Winter Garden, with I-4 and the Polk Parkway right on the doorstep. The trade-off lies in the property tax for those without a homestead exemption, in homeowners insurance, which is expensive in Florida, in the homeowners association (HOA) fees and Community Development District (CDD) fees of the new neighborhoods, in hurricanes, and in the sinkhole risk typical of Polk County. This page explains the city, what you will find for sale and what is worth checking before you buy.

Where it is and how to get there

Auburndale sits in the heart of Polk County and is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven metropolitan area. Lakeland and Winter Haven are each about 15 km away, in opposite directions. Interstate 4, which links Tampa to Orlando, runs north of the city; the Polk Parkway (SR 570), a toll road, loops around Lakeland and connects to I-4 at both ends; and US 92 crosses Auburndale from east to west. Tampa and Orlando are both about an hour's drive away, depending on traffic on I-4, which is heavy at rush hour.

There is no commercial airport in the city. International flights go through the Orlando and Tampa airports. Nor is there any passenger rail service: in Auburndale, as in almost all of Central Florida, life revolves around the car.

A little history

Auburndale was founded in 1880 by Frank Fuller, who was looking to escape the cold winters of the northeastern United States. The place was first called Sanatoria, after a hotel, and became Auburndale in the 1880s, when the railroad arrived, at the suggestion of settlers who had come from Auburndale, Massachusetts. The city was incorporated in 1911.

For most of the 20th century, Auburndale lived off oranges: groves around the lakes, citrus packing and processing, and the railroad to ship the harvest out. With the freezes and the diseases that struck Florida's groves, much of that land was gradually converted into residential neighborhoods. In the 2020 census, Auburndale had 15,616 residents, and today it is one of the fastest-growing cities in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.

Auburndale, area by area

The old downtown

Around Main Street and the railroad line lie the historic downtown, the city services and the oldest homes in town, many of them from the 1920s to the 1960s, on small lots. It is the least expensive area for those willing to take on a home that needs renovation and who want to be close to everything.

The lakes

Auburndale is surrounded by lakes: Lake Ariana, with more than 400 hectares and very popular for water skiing and fishing, as well as Arietta, Juliana, Mattie and Van, among others. Lakefront homes with boat access are the most expensive in the city and the ones that come on the market least often. Several of the lakes have public boat ramps, and Lake Ariana Park is the gathering spot for people who spend time on the water.

The new neighborhoods

To the north and east, toward the Polk Parkway and I-4, subdivisions of new homes by national builders have multiplied in recent years, with a community pool and a homeowners association. They are single-story and two-story homes, with three to five bedrooms, on compact lots. This is where most of the new construction is concentrated, and where most of the families moving to the city settle.

Healthcare, schools and services

Public schools belong to the Polk County school district; the city's high school is Auburndale High School. In the United States the assigned school depends on the exact address, and it should always be confirmed before buying. The main hospitals are just a few kilometers away: BayCare Winter Haven Hospital, in Winter Haven, and Lakeland Regional Health, in Lakeland. Everyday shopping is done along US 92 and at the shopping centers of Lakeland and Winter Haven. For leisure, besides the lakes, there is the Lake Myrtle Sports Park complex and, about fifteen minutes away, the LEGOLAND Florida theme park, in Winter Haven.

What is for sale

What sells in Auburndale is mostly single-family homes: new construction in the builders' subdivisions, homes from the 1980s to the 2000s in established neighborhoods, older homes downtown and, at the top end, homes on the lakeshore. In our selection, the benchmark is a community of new three-bedroom homes with prices starting at US$353,990.

What drives the price is the age and condition of the home, its size, the lot, how close it is to a lake — and whether it has boat access —, the assigned school, the distance to I-4 and the homeowners association fees. With new construction, always compare the base price with the final price, after options and lot premiums.

For those buying to rent out, demand comes mainly from families who work in the region and from people moving to Polk County, one of the fastest-growing in Florida. It is long-term rental, with annual leases, and the rent also has to cover the property tax, the insurance and the association dues, which are the owner’s responsibility.

The market moves. A listing you saw a month ago may now have a different price or may no longer be available: always confirm the current status and price before moving forward.

Points to consider

Hurricanes and flooding

Auburndale is far from the sea, but not out of the path of hurricanes. In 2022, Hurricane Ian swept across Polk County with strong winds and downed trees, and in 2024 Hurricane Milton brought very heavy rain and flooded intersections in Auburndale. Check the address's flood zone on the FEMA maps, especially near the lakes and on low-lying land, and ask whether the house has ever taken on water.

Homeowners insurance

Homeowners insurance in Florida is among the most expensive in the United States, and flood insurance is separate. Get a quote for that specific house before running the numbers: the age of the roof and its wind resistance make a big difference to the premium.

Sinkholes

Polk County lies in one of the areas of Florida most prone to sinkholes, because the subsoil is limestone. The law requires insurance to cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, but that coverage only applies to extreme cases; sinkhole coverage is optional and comes at a cost. Ask the seller for the claims history and, if in doubt, a ground assessment.

Taxes, associations and Community Development Districts

In 2025, the total property tax rate in Auburndale was around 16.4 per thousand of taxable value, for those without the homestead exemption. In the new neighborhoods, there is also the homeowners association fee and, in many cases, the assessment of a Community Development District (CDD), which appears on the tax bill and can add up considerably. Ask for all three figures for that specific house.

And do not run the numbers using the seller’s tax bill. In Florida, the taxable value of a home that is a primary residence can only rise 3% a year, or by inflation if that is lower, and that of a home that is not can rise by no more than 10% a year, excluding school taxes. When the home changes hands, that cap ends: on January 1 following the purchase, the home is reassessed at market value. On a home the seller had owned for many years, the buyer may pay considerably more tax than the seller did.

Rentals

Auburndale is not a vacation-home area like the region around Disney. The rental that works here is the long-term rental, to families. Before buying with renting in mind, read the homeowners association rules, which often restrict short-term rental or impose minimum lease terms.

The car and traffic

With no public transportation that covers daily needs, plan on one car per adult. I-4 between Tampa and Orlando has frequent construction and traffic; drive the route to work at the time you would actually make it before deciding.

Legal and tax checklist, in the United States

Before buying: the property tax bill, association dues and CDD assessment; the FEMA flood zone; a homeowners insurance quote and, where applicable, a flood insurance quote; an independent home inspection; the sinkhole history; confirmation of the school assigned to the address.

At purchase: in Florida, the closing is usually handled through a title company or an attorney, with title insurance. Factor in closing costs and the documentary stamp taxes on the deed and the mortgage. Buyers from abroad need a U.S. taxpayer identification number to report income and, at closing, the bank and the title company will ask for proof of the source of funds.

While you own it: property tax paid to the county; the homestead exemption only applies to those who live in the house as their primary residence. Florida has no state income tax, but rental income must be reported to the federal tax authorities, even by nonresidents.

When selling: capital gains tax. Those who are not U.S. residents are subject to FIRPTA withholding at closing, which is an advance payment of the tax and not the final tax. It is wise to speak with an American accountant before selling.

Auburndale and the nearby alternatives

Lakeland

Lakeland is the largest city in Polk County, with more jobs, more shopping and more urban life. It is the headquarters of the Publix supermarket chain, one of the region’s largest employers, and home to Florida Southern College, with the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in a single place. Those who want a real city settle in Lakeland; those who want the same region with newer, more affordable homes look at Auburndale.

Winter Haven

Winter Haven is the city of the chain of lakes linked by canals, where you can boat from lake to lake, and of LEGOLAND Florida. Its downtown is livelier than Auburndale’s and its housing market is similar, with more homes on the water. For those looking for lake life with a boat, the two cities compare house by house.

Davenport, Haines City and the Disney area

To the east, along I-4 and US 27, lie Davenport, Haines City and ChampionsGate, where the vacation-home communities rented out by the week to visitors to the Orlando parks are concentrated. It is a different market: homes bought for short-term rental, with each community’s own rules. Those buying to live in or to rent out long-term will find a more residential setting in Auburndale.

The Orlando side

Kissimmee, Clermont and Winter Garden are closer to Orlando and its jobs, and prices reflect that proximity. For many families, Auburndale is the way to own a new home in Central Florida for less, at the cost of more time on the road.

Who it makes sense for — and who it doesn't

It makes sense for families who want a new home with space at a lower price than in the Orlando area, for those who work in Lakeland, in Winter Haven or along I-4, for those who enjoy lakes, boating and fishing, and for those looking for a home to rent out long-term in a growing area.

It makes less sense for those who want a vacation home to rent out by the week, for those who need to be in Orlando or Tampa every day, for those who want to live on foot, and for those who run the numbers without including insurance, property tax and the fees of the new neighborhoods.

Final thoughts

Auburndale is Central Florida at Polk County prices: lakes, new homes and I-4 on the doorstep, halfway between Tampa and Orlando. What separates a good purchase from a bad one is the full cost of that particular house — tax, insurance, association and CDD —, the flood zone, the condition of the ground and of the construction, and the actual commute to work.

When you contact us through a property page, we forward your details to our partner broker, who has the complete information on that specific property — tax bill, association dues and CDD assessment, flood zone, insurance and terms of negotiation.