Osceola County Real Estate: Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Celebration, and Beyond

I have worked in Florida real estate since 2000, and Osceola County is a market with many layers. This is where Walt Disney World meets suburban living, directly south of Orange County, home to the planned community of Celebration, the growing city of St. Cloud, and the large planned community of Poinciana. Kissimmee is the county seat, but this is far from a single-segment market. Primary residences, vacation homes, short-term rental properties, and starter homes all trade here at the same time, often in different neighborhoods with different rules.

Home prices: see the latest Osceola County home price report, built from county-recorded sales.

Right now, county property records put the Osceola County resale single-family median at $395,000 for January to April 2026, about the same as a year earlier. A flat market rewards accurate pricing and punishes wishful thinking. The tourism economy (driven by proximity to Disney, Universal, and the US-192 corridor) creates strong demand for investment and vacation properties. The residential side of Osceola is growing too. St. Cloud draws buyers who want newer construction at prices below the Orange County median. Poinciana continues to expand at the affordable end. And Celebration remains a well-known planned community in Central Florida, with prices and governance structures to match.

Osceola County at a Glance

Resale Single-Family Median (Jan to Apr 2026)	$395,000
Change From a Year Earlier	About the same
Median Price per Sq Ft	$178
County Seat	Kissimmee
Notable Communities	Celebration, St. Cloud, Poinciana

Source: county property records, qualified sales. Full Osceola County price report.

What Shapes the Osceola County Market

Tourism and Disney employment are the economic base. Walt Disney World straddles the Orange-Osceola county line. The US-192 corridor (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) is the main artery connecting Kissimmee to the Disney resort area, and it is lined with short-term rental communities and resorts. Beyond Disney, the broader tourism economy drives hotel, restaurant, and service employment that supports housing demand at every price point.

Vacation-home and investment purchases are a large part of the market. Many purchases here are vacation homes for personal use, investment properties for short-term rental income, or a combination of both. Some transactions involve cross-border financing and tax considerations.

Short-term rental investment drives a parallel market near Disney. The Four Corners area, the US-192 corridor, and purpose-built resort communities like Windsor Hills, Emerald Island, and Storey Lake were built for vacation rental use. These communities are zoned for short-term rentals, and include resort-style amenities. But (and this is critical) not all of Osceola County is zoned for short-term rentals. Buying outside a permitted STR zone and intending to rent short-term is a zoning violation that cannot be remedied after closing. Verify before you commit.

Residential growth in St. Cloud is reshaping the county. St. Cloud, on the eastern side of the county, draws buyers looking for newer construction, larger lots, and prices below the Orange County median. Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho) sits at the western edge of St. Cloud, and Narcoossee Road connects directly to the Lake Nona and Medical City corridor in Orange County. St. Cloud has grown into a suburban market with serious infrastructure investment.

Celebration is a premium market segment with its own governance. Disney developed Celebration in the 1990s as a master-planned community with village-style streets, strict architectural governance, and a quality-of-life focus that remains distinctive. The Celebration Residential Owners Association (the HOA) reviews all exterior modifications. Multiple neighborhoods within Celebration have their own sub-associations and CDD assessments, costs stack up. Celebration has public schools inside the community, from elementary through high school.

What Buyers and Sellers in Osceola Need to Know

Short-term rental zoning verification is critical before any investment purchase. Osceola County has designated STR zones, primarily along the US-192 tourist corridor and certain subdivisions near Walt Disney World. Properties outside those zones cannot legally operate as short-term rentals. The title search does not automatically flag this. Buyers must request a zoning verification letter from Osceola County before closing on any property they intend to use for short-term rental income. Treat it as a deal-defining issue.

Vacation properties do not qualify for Florida homestead exemption. If you are purchasing a vacation home or investment property in Osceola County, you pay full assessed value with no exemption. That means a vacation home pays tax without the homestead reduction of up to $51,411 available in 2026, and its assessed value for non-school taxes can rise up to 10% a year instead of the Save Our Homes cap. Over a long hold, that difference adds up. Factor it into your investment projections from the start.

CDD fees in Celebration and in Poinciana’s Solivita are significant and often underestimated. Celebration’s CDD assessments come on top of HOA fees and property taxes, so check the tax bill for the exact amount. Poinciana’s CDDs cover Solivita in Polk County, and other Poinciana neighborhoods may have no CDD at all, so check the tax bill. Some communities also have outstanding CDD capital balances that can be paid off at closing or assumed by the buyer. Always request the full CDD disclosure before signing a contract.

HOA governance in many communities is active and consequential. Celebration’s architectural review process is particularly strict, exterior paint colors, landscaping changes, and structural modifications all require approval. In resort-style STR communities, HOA rules govern rental minimum stays, guest behavior, and property maintenance standards. Read the HOA documents carefully before committing, especially if you are buying for investment purposes.

Neighborhoods in Osceola County

Osceola County has many distinct submarkets. Here is a quick overview of where buyers are looking. For the full community-by-community breakdown, read the Osceola County neighborhoods guide.

• Celebration: Disney-developed master-planned community. Premium prices, strict governance, sought-after school zones. $705K to $1.2M (median $850K).
• St. Cloud: Growing area. Newer construction, Lake Toho access. $360K to $505K (median $420K).
• Kissimmee (residential): County seat, diverse housing stock, SunRail access, established neighborhoods. $345K to $475K (median $400K).
• Tourist corridor (Four Corners, US-192; ZIP 34747 and Davenport addresses): STR-zoned vacation rental communities. $390K to $620K (median $490K).
• BVL (Buena Ventura Lakes, 34743): No HOA on many streets, lower prices. $290K to $380K (median $340K).
• Poinciana (Osceola side, 34758 and 34759): Large planned community straddling Osceola/Polk line. Affordable, CDD in some neighborhoods such as Solivita, new construction. $295K to $375K (median $340K).

Figures show the middle half of single-family sales recorded by the county from January 2025 to April 2026, with the median. Areas without a city of their own use ZIP codes; city figures use the mailing city on county records.

Closing Costs in Osceola County

Closing costs in Osceola County follow the standard Florida framework. Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed at $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, documentary stamp tax on the mortgage note at $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount, and intangible tax on new mortgages at $0.20 per $100. On a $395,000 sale, the seller pays $2,765 in doc stamps on the deed alone, and that is before title insurance, prorated taxes, and other negotiated costs.

Osceola County also has county-specific costs that most guides miss: CDD fees and capital balance payoffs in Celebration and other district communities, vacation property tax implications for non-homesteaded investment properties, and STR zoning verification costs for investment buyers. I put together a complete PDF that breaks down every fee, every tax, and every line item you will see on a closing disclosure in Osceola County.

Read the full Osceola County closing costs breakdown.

Buying vs. Selling in Osceola County

For Buyers

With prices about the same as a year ago, you have time to be strategic. Use it. If you are buying for short-term rental investment, verify STR zoning before you write an offer, not after. If you are buying in Celebration or Poinciana, get the full CDD disclosure and understand the annual carrying cost. If your purchase involves cross-border financing or tax questions, work with a broker who understands them. Read the complete guide to buying a home in Osceola County.

For Sellers

Osceola County draws several kinds of buyers, which is an advantage, but only if you position your property correctly. Buyers of near-Disney investment properties will scrutinize rental income projections. Residential properties in St. Cloud and Kissimmee sell on school zones, condition, and accurate pricing. Disclosure is your friend in this county, STR zoning status, CDD fees, HOA governance. Transparency builds trust with every buyer segment active here. Read the complete guide to selling your home in Osceola County.

How I Work in Osceola County

I am Morgan Sloan, a real estate broker, licensed in Florida since 2000, covering Osceola County and Central Florida. What I bring is local market knowledge of this county, from Celebration single-family homes to Kissimmee investment properties to St. Cloud new construction. I know the neighborhoods, the STR zoning boundaries, the CDD structures, and the closing process inside and out.

If you are buying or selling in Osceola County, I will give you the same direct, data-backed guidance that I would give a family member. That is the standard. Reach me through sloanproperties.com or call my office to get started.

Osceola County Real Estate Resources

• Buying a Home in Osceola County
• Selling a Home in Osceola County
• Osceola County Closing Costs Guide
• Best Neighborhoods in Osceola County