Orlando, FL

Orlando's NRI overall score of 72 is lower than Miami or Tampa—but the flood sub-score of 78, at the 87th national percentile, is not the low-risk reading that "inland Florida" marketing implies. Hurricane Ian's 2022 rainfall flooding disrupted neighborhoods that had never marketed themselves as flood-prone. That event was not a coastal storm. It was a rainfall event, and the distinction is the point: Orlando's flood exposure comes from lake overflow, stormwater ponding, and drainage system performance—not surge. What we noticed: Lake Nona's master-planned infrastructure reduces some risk relative to older stock, but stormwater due diligence is still required. The Downtown and SoDo zip codes sit adjacent to lake systems where hidden flood constraints can surface at inspection. Colonialtown's mature tree canopy is an asset in heat but a wind-damage liability for older housing stock. Flood insurance is not universally required in Orlando, but the 2022 Ian event showed that flood maps outside mandatory zones can lag actual risk. Premiums range from $2,200 to $5,200 annually—lower than coastal Florida, but not trivial when layered with roof-age and drainage variables. The extended heat season of 2024 added another variable: older housing without updated HVAC systems carried materially higher cooling costs through a prolonged summer. Heat scores at the 79th national percentile for moderate risk, but the operational cost is real and compounds across a multi-decade ownership horizon. Orlando buyers focused on storm surge tend to miss the lake-and-drainage story. That is where the actual diligence work is in this market.

— Open Data Collective