Ponce De Leon Elementary School

It's a central, unpretentious part of Clearwater with easy access to Gulf beaches and Tampa — about 32 minutes to the airport. The compact homes and reasonable prices make it especially workable for first-time buyers and families feeding into the Clearwater High School track. You get real Pinellas convenience without the coastal price tag.

Compared to Clearwater's waterfront pockets, no. The median list price is $276,950 and listings start as low as $89,500, though a single $1.9M property stretches the top of the range. It's one of the more attainable entry points in the area.

Expect a median around $276,950 to list and $320,000 for recent sales, at roughly $240 per square foot on a median 1,194-square-foot home. Sellers are getting about 96% of asking, so realistic offers close. You can see current inventory on the live map.

Balanced and steady — 227 homes sold over the past 12 months, with the typical listing taking about 40 days to go under contract. That 40-day pace and the 96% sale-to-list ratio give buyers time to think and room to negotiate.

The median HOA runs about $509 per month, which points to a good share of condos and townhomes in the mix, so read each listing's fees carefully. Median annual property tax sits around $2,517, and typical rent is about $1,650 per month if you're weighing buying against leasing.