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Place dossier plate
SheetFL-SARASOTA-FL · Sarasota, FL 56,218 pop · income 49th pct · 123 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Sarasota
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sarasota on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Margate · lowest
60,852
Margate · lowest
60,852 median HH income
54.4% of the leader · rank #1
El Paso · near
70,063
El Paso · near
70,063 median HH income
62.7% of the leader · rank #2
Sarasota · this city
70,065
Sarasota · this city
70,065 median HH income
62.7% of the leader · rank #3
Oxford · near
70,065
Oxford · near
70,065 median HH income
62.7% of the leader · rank #4
Mecosta · near
70,069
Mecosta · near
70,069 median HH income
62.7% of the leader · rank #5
Vicksburg · near
70,070
Vicksburg · near
70,070 median HH income
62.7% of the leader · rank #6
Fountain Vall… · highest
111,797
Fountain Vall… · highest
111,797 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Sarasota on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 56,218.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sarasota - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Sarasota places in the 49th percentile for household income and the 28th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
49th
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
73rd
percentile, median rent
28th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Sarasota, FL
Florida's Sarasota is a small city, with 56,218 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Sarasota report a median income of $70,065 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.6%. Home values in Sarasota run a median of $409,700, and the median resident age is 49.3 years. 41.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 1,102 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 229% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2164.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Florida at 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,526 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Florida's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 75.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sarasota's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to within-city variation to schools and households to housing and income to reported crime to population change to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sarasota, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the journey to work look like in Sarasota?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
What can 123 Census tracts reveal inside Sarasota?
PlainCities matches 123 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 41 public schools within the city match. 41.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sarasota?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Florida, the closest population matches are Apopka (56,202 residents, $95,703 income); Bradenton (56,289 residents, $60,964 income); Fountainebleau (56,453 residents, $65,568 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Smyrna, GA (56,285 residents); Bentonville, AR (56,326 residents); Fountain Valley, CA (56,358 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Sarasota?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
5.8×
Home value
$409,700
Household income
$70,065
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sarasota?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2164.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 5% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2164.9
Violent rate
549.4
Property rate
1615.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Sarasota growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,237 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +5.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,102 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
55,221
2025 estimate
58,458
Period change
+5.9%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 10.6% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Florida average
F
City profile score · Sarasota, FL
39/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
41.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$70,065
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living F
103.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
549 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Sarasota profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 77/100 (B+) · 41.7%
Household income: 49/100 (D) · $70,065
Poverty rate: 37/100 (F) · 10.6%
Cost of living: 25/100 (F) · 103.4 index
Violent crime: 13/100 (F) · 549 /100k
Where Sarasota sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sarasota's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Sarasota highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Sarasota, FL (this city): home $409,700, crime 2,165/100k
Smyrna, GA : home $409,000, crime 1,540/100k
Bentonville, AR : home $370,700, crime 1,083/100k
Fountain Valley, CA : home $1,018,600, crime 1,963/100k
Kannapolis, NC : home $245,500, crime 1,953/100k
National City, CA : home $580,900, crime 2,635/100k
DeSoto, TX : home $282,600, crime 1,969/100k
Apopka, FL : home $364,300, crime 2,748/100k
Bradenton, FL : home $282,500, crime 2,315/100k
How does Sarasota compare to other US cities?
Here's how Sarasota stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income49% higher than other cities
Home value78% pricier than other cities
Median rent73% pricier than other cities
Safety28% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Florida and the picture shifts: Sarasota ranks #70 of 120 Florida cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Sarasota against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Florida only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Florida-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Sarasota near the bottom of Florida's cities
Among the 930 Florida cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sarasota ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sarasota only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#422 of 903
53rd percentile in Florida
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 930
0th percentile in Florida
Median Home Value
#229 of 894
74th percentile in Florida
Poverty Rate
#344 of 930
63rd percentile in Florida
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#223 of 930
76th percentile in Florida
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Florida only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
49th percentile nationally for median household income · 28th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sarasota's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sarasota's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Sarasota's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$409,70022nd percentilemore affordable than 22% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Sarasota's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,969 of 15,516
More affordable than 10% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#560 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.8×, Sarasota sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,969 of 15,516 and #560 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$70,065Sarasota, FL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sarasota, FL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Sarasota, FL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)41.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)51.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
56,218
Median Income
$70,065
Median Home Value
$409,700
Median Age
49.3
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Labor force participation
51.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
41.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2164.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
549.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1615.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
41
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sarasota's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
55,221 residents
2021
56,287 residents
2022
57,752 residents
2023
58,118 residents
2024
57,775 residents
2025
58,458 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,102
housing units authorized
Single-Family
126
detached homes
Multifamily
976
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
19.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
335
97
238
$129.2M
2020
164
107
57
$70.4M
2021
805
165
640
$229.2M
2022
557
137
420
$244.4M
2023
483
120
363
$339.6M
2024
1,102
126
976
$588.5M
Permit volume increased 229% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.1%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
12.8%
Other
2.7%
Based on 24,960 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Florida statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Florida at $225 (electricity about $145 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Florida statewide averages, not a meter reading for Sarasota. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Florida's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.4 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Sarasota is $1,526/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Florida statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Florida statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Sarasota sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sarasota compares to similar-size Florida cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.