Debary or Deltona, Florida

Which is better? Today I’ll be comparing AND contrasting these two suburbs if you’re thinking about moving to this area up on the north side of Orlando Florida. Then, at the end, I’ll be sharing more detailed, specific, information on each of these little suburbs of Orlando, so be sure to stick around for those! If you’re moving to either Debary or Deltona, there are so many things to consider that no article or is going to concisely answer this question for you, but my intent here is to give you some basic insight from a local’s perspective.

1. Location

Let’s look at the location of these two cities. They’re both located just north of Lake Monroe across the St. Johns River bridge 25 to 30 minutes north of Orlando in West Volusia County. Debary is on the west side of I-4 while Deltona is on the east side. As such, if you’re heading to the beaches or commuting to Orlando, the locations could be considered similar depending upon where you are located INSIDE these two cities and the proximity to I-4. Debary is smaller though, so the likelihood of being closer to the highway is greater in Debary; however, I’m calling the location, as a whole, a draw.

2. Housing

Next, let’s look at housing. Deltona tends to be one gigantic melting pot of similar-styled, single-family homes without too much distinction, whereas Debary has several neighborhoods, many with homeowner’s associations, including the Debary Plantation, Debary Reserve, Rivington, Parkview, Glen Abbey, and Riviera Bella, among others. Both cities started ramping up building in the 60s and they’re both growing as I’m recording this and Deltona is significantly more densely populated than Debary. Although Deltona has WAYYY more homes available for purchase, I’m giving the nod here to Debary because of the VARIETY of options available.

In the last year since this video was recorded, the median sale price of a 3/2 home with 1500-2200 square foot home in Deltona was around $330,000, while that same home in Debary was right around $375,000. That’s quite a bit more money. However, it should be noted that the homes in these neighborhoods in Debary DO tend to be nicer than those in Deltona. As for price, Deltona is the clear winner here. However, if you’ve got a bigger budget, then Debary does give you more options.

3. Cost of Living

Of course, housing isn’t the only expense to consider. Debary and Deltona are both in Volusia County and although everyone here, including me, seems to complain about the Volusia County property taxes, our property tax rates are right around the median for the state. The overall cost, when considering utilities though, tends to be higher over in Deltona.

4. Which is Nicer?

Like several of the ideas I share here, this one is very subjective. Personally, I prefer Debary. It’s smaller and quieter and tends to have a small-town feel, while Deltona doesn’t even feel like a “town” in and of itself. There isn’t an area of Deltona that someone would go to hang out and grab a bite to eat.

I noted that many things are subjective, but if you’d like more detailed information for what YOU’RE looking for anywhere here in Central Florida, feel free to pick up the phone and give me a call or send me a message.

5. What is There to Do?

While I consider both of these cities to be bedroom communities full of retirees and Orlando commuters, Debary DOES have SOME business and, as I record this today, is planning a downtown district that could drastically improve Debary’s image in this area. Here’s a video that details some of the plans. I’m not saying that growth is good, but it could further distinguish Debary from Deltona. But there just isn’t much to do in either of these cities.

So, what CAN you do in Debary and Deltona. Deltona has a ton of city parks, Green Springs, and the Lyonia Preserve, which is a neat place where you can see the Scrub Jays up close and personal, and they’ve got some trails there too. Deltona does have a Lowes, a movie theatre and some fast-food chains, but there isn’t MUCH to do here. Debary isn’t really a whole lot better if you’re looking for local activities. They’ve got Gemini Springs and the St. John’s River, a few restaurants, the bicycle trails, Gateway Center for the Arts and the future downtown area but not too much more today.

6. Golf

Debary has two communities on golf courses, while Deltona has just one that I can think of and some of their homes are on that golf course. In general, whether you’re living in Deltona or Debary, you’re either heading north or south for activities. As such, this one is a draw for me.

7. Investment Properties

What if you’re looking to buy an investment property? A while back I planned to purchase a rental investment property and I was certain that I wanted this property to be in Debary as Debary tends to have a more small-town feel and I believed that would be a better rental option. However, after a conversation with a trusted property manager and a subsequent review of the data I learned that Deltona was actually a better environment for a rental property. When considering the return on investment of a rental property, I’m declaring Deltona as the winner.

Of course, the score only matters if it’s something that matters to YOU. Deltona is a wonderful city with much to offer. Want more specific information on Deltona or Debary? Here are a couple videos that will provide exactly that. Moving to DeBary and Moving to Deltona

Published on June 22. 2023 / Tags: debary, Debary Realtor, Deltona, Deltona Realtor, Moving to DeBary, Moving to Deltona / no comments.