Census-designated place · Florida
Desoto Lakes, Florida
Desoto Lakes, census-designated place, in Sarasota County, Florida. Desoto Lakes had 2,137 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,735 (±515). GEOID 1217300.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,137
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,735 ±515
Median household income
$76,417
±$11,182 (90% margin)
Florida: $74,568
Median home value
$357,700
±$36,491 (90% margin)
Florida: $359,000
Median gross rent
$1,468
±$282 (90% margin)
Florida: $1,669
Where is Desoto Lakes and what county is it in?
Desoto Lakes is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Sarasota County, Florida. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 5,162 residents per square mile in 2020.
Desoto Lakes is in the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Desoto Lakes, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,137 residents in Desoto Lakes, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,735 (±515).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Desoto Lakes is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Desoto Lakes | Sarasota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,735 ±515 | 459,547 | −2,326 |
| Households | 636 ±149 | 212,204 | −815 |
| Average household size | 2.73 ±0.56 | 2.13 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 671 ±140 | 266,492 | −934 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Desoto Lakes?
The median resident of Desoto Lakes is 41.1 years old; 22.4% are under 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 63.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 31.1%. 16.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Desoto Lakes | Sarasota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.1 ±10.7 | 57.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.4% ±6.8 pts | 14.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.8% ±6.3 pts | 37.5% | – |
| Male | 44.1% ±7.2 pts | 48.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 31.1% ±10.8 pts | 10.7% | +17.2 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 63.2% ±10.2 pts | 80.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±3.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.9% ±4.8 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 16.5% ±6.4 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 31.7% ±10.0 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4% ±6.9 pts | 8.8% | – |
| With a disability | 24.6% ±9.8 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 34.7% ±14.7 pts | 9.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.6% ±11.6 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.6% ±9.7 pts | 40.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.9% ±1.6 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Desoto Lakes earn?
Half of Desoto Lakes's 636 households earn less than $76,417 a year (±$11,182), against $83,416 in Sarasota County and $74,568 in Florida. In 2015-2019 it was $87,543 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Desoto Lakes | Sarasota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,417 ±$11,182 | $83,416 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $92,907 ±$17,512 | $124,732 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,453 ±$7,376 | $57,835 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 28.1% ±16.5 pts | 8.6% | +22.9 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 49.2% ±29.2 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.5% ±7.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.8% ±3.4 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.8% ±3.4 pts | 92.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Desoto Lakes?
Owners occupy 66.5% of Desoto Lakes's occupied homes and renters 33.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $357,700 by its owner (±$36,491). The median renter pays $1,468 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Desoto Lakes | Sarasota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $357,700 ±$36,491 | $411,800 | +$76,240 |
| Median gross rent | $1,468 ±$282 | $1,818 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.5% ±29.5 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,359 ±$102 | $1,976 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.5% ±15.6 pts | 76.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.5% ±15.6 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Housing units | 671 ±140 | 266,492 | −934 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±11.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±21.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.4% ±10.9 pts | 57.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.9% ±4.3 pts | 4.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Desoto Lakes work and get to work?
79.1% of Desoto Lakes's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.8 minutes.
| Measure | Desoto Lakes | Sarasota County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.1% ±11.4 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.5% ±8.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.1% ±13.0 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.9% ±12.6 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.8 min ±2.1 | 24.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Desoto Lakes?
1 census tract lies mostly in Desoto Lakes (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 12.06Sarasota County | 3,396 | $81,000 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Desoto Lakes) · Census block assignment files
How does Desoto Lakes compare with other places in Florida?
Desoto Lakes ranks 325th of 754 places in Florida with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 700th | 766 |
| Residents per square mile | 110th | 770 |
| Median household income | 325th | 754 |
| Per capita income | 492nd | 763 |
| Median home value | 339th | 749 |
| Median gross rent | 408th | 710 |
| Poverty rate | 45th | 634 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 513th | 733 |
| Median age | 446th | 762 |
| Owner-occupied share | 471st | 760 |
| Travel time to work | 476th | 764 |
Desoto Lakes's figures with every place in Florida (CSV)
Every place in Florida, sortable · Compare Desoto Lakes with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Desoto Lakes?
23 of the 57 figures for Desoto Lakes on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Desoto Lakes are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.