Best Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in Tallahassee

How the city splits: north and northeast versus central and south

Read the Zillow list on a map and a pattern appears. The higher values cluster on the north and northeast sides: Betton Hills, Waverly Hills, Killearn Estates, Centerville, Miccosukee and Lake McBride. The lower values sit closer to downtown and the two universities and on the south and southwest sides. Most of the middle band lies in between, in older subdivisions inside or just outside Capital Circle, the loop road around the city.

A few things to keep in mind when reading these numbers. Zillow's neighborhood boundaries don't always match what locals or plat maps call an area. Each figure is a typical value for all home types, so a neighborhood with many condos or small houses reads lower than one with large lots. And the lower-priced areas have fewer sales, which makes their yearly changes jumpier.

Under $170,000: Providence, Bond, Griffin Heights, Jake Gaither, Frenchtown, South City

These six neighborhoods sit well below the citywide typical value. Providence is the lowest at about $117,326, followed by Bond at $131,130, Griffin Heights at $132,428, Jake Gaither at $149,006, Frenchtown at $156,390 and South City at $162,685.

The trends differ a lot. Providence is down 1.8% in a year but up 22.4% over five years. Jake Gaither is up 3.5% in a year. Bond is down 3.9% in a year and up only 2.8% over five years, the weakest five-year figure on the list. South City and Frenchtown both slipped over the last year.

Many homes here are older and small, near FSU, FAMU or downtown. Condition varies house by house, so price per square foot alone tells you little. Budget for a full inspection, a 4-point and a sewer line scope on older houses, and check the flood zone, because some lower-lying parts of the south side sit near drainage areas.

$180,000 to $270,000: the entry band for a detached house

This group includes Oak Ridge at about $184,110, San Luis at $200,922, Levy Park at $217,178, Lakewood at $223,866, Myers Park at $230,650, Parkside at $257,517, Forest Heights at $262,545 and Indian Head at $266,591.

Two trends stand out. San Luis is up 21.4% over five years, and Forest Heights is up 4.0% in the last year and 19.2% over five. On the other side, Oak Ridge dropped 6.6% in a year, the largest fall on the list, and Myers Park is up only 4.2% over five years. Myers Park is one of the older neighborhoods close to downtown, with mature trees and hilly streets, and its lower five-year growth may say more about a different mix of sales than about demand.

For a first-time buyer, this band is where a three-bedroom house at or below Zillow's citywide three-bedroom figure of $288,717 is most likely.

$290,000 to $425,000: the middle of the market

The largest group sits around and above the city's typical value: Chapel Ridge at about $290,939, Midtown at $291,507, Melody Hills at $308,553, Old Town at $335,377, Woodland Drives at $347,012, Woodgate at $347,753, Lafayette Park at $352,637, Buck Lake at $375,851, Killearn Lakes Plantation at $376,119, Chaires at $381,378, Killearn Estates at $421,002 and Miccosukee at $421,653.

This is also where most of the recent gains are. Miccosukee is up 4.9% in a year and 24.0% over five, Killearn Estates 4.3% and 22.3%, and Chapel Ridge 3.8% and 25.2%, the highest five-year figure in the city. Midtown, the area around Lake Ella north of downtown, is down 1.1% in a year; its typical value includes many condos and townhomes, which have been softer than houses citywide.

Killearn Estates in the northeast is a large established subdivision built around a golf course, with houses mostly from the 1960s onward. Chaires and Buck Lake on the east side mix subdivisions with larger rural lots, where septic systems and wells are common.

Above $480,000: Waverly Hills, Betton Hills, Centerville, Lake McBride

The top of the list is Lake McBride at about $770,058, Centerville at $713,477, Betton Hills at $532,625 and Waverly Hills at $482,327. Betton Hills and Waverly Hills are established neighborhoods north of downtown with large lots and mature trees. Centerville and Lake McBride, farther north and northeast, include acreage and rural roads, which pushes typical values up.

All four have been flat over the past year, between 0.2% and 1.5%, after five-year gains of 18% to 20%. At this level, the inspection list grows: large trees over the roof, older pools, long driveways, and on acreage, septic, wells and the condition of any outbuildings.

Choosing between neighborhoods at the same price

Within any one band, the deciding factors are usually commute, lot size and the age of the house. Cross-town drives in Tallahassee run through a handful of main roads, so test your commute at rush hour before you commit to the far northeast or far south. Check which electric provider serves the address, since it differs between the city and parts of the county. Ask for the flood zone and the drainage pattern on every lot. If you tell me your budget and where you need to be each day, I can build a shortlist across two or three of these neighborhoods so you can compare them on actual listings.