City profile · Florida · Census ACS 2023

St. Petersburg, FL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for St. Petersburg - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

260,646
Residents
$73,118
Median income
$331,500
Median home
$1,977
Median rent (state)

St. Petersburg - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, St. Petersburg lands in the 54th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

54th
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
83rd
percentile, median rent
📝 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: St. Petersburg, FL

260,646 people live in St. Petersburg, Florida - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in St. Petersburg brings in $73,118 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. St. Petersburg's housing stock carries a median value of $331,500, and the median resident age is 43.1 years. Educational attainment runs 41.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,613 residential building permits were authorized in St. Petersburg (Slowing), down 24% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Florida scores 103.4 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,977 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Florida run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 98.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

260,646 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Florida

Median Household Income

$73,118 /yr

Poverty 7.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Florida average

How does St. Petersburg compare to other US cities?

Here's how St. Petersburg stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 54% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 83% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below St. Petersburg's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Florida, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

54thIncome percentile

54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How St. Petersburg's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$331,500 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. St. Petersburg $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - St. Petersburg, FL St. Petersburg, FL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not St. Petersburg, FL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution St. Petersburg, FL median $73,118/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
St. Petersburg, FL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for St. Petersburg, FL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 41.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
260,646
Median Income
$73,118
Median Home Value
$331,500
Median Age
43.1
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Labor force participation
61.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
41.3%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
258,000 residents260,000 residents262,000 residents264,000 residents266,000 residents268,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 259,305 residents 264,033 residents ▲ +1.8%
St. Petersburg's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
1,613
housing units authorized
Single-Family
560
detached homes
Multifamily
1,053
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2,118
2020 589
2021 1,635
2022 1,977
2023 2,256
2024 1,613

Permit volume decreased 24% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
67.4%
Carpool
7.9%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
18.3%
Other
2.8%

Based on 135,827 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Florida - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$145
avg/month
Natural Gas
$25
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Florida state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Florida state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county St. Petersburg sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,977/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Florida

Hialeah
221,901 people
Port St. Lucie
220,453 people
Orlando
311,732 people
Cape Coral
206,387 people
Tallahassee
199,696 people
Fort Lauderdale
183,032 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to St. Petersburg's 260,646 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lubbock, TX
261,078 people
Laredo, TX
255,949 people
Fort Wayne, IN
266,235 people
Irving, TX
255,036 people
Toledo, OH
268,461 people
Reno, NV
268,959 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to St. Petersburg's $73,118 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bigler, PA
$73,114 median income
Allgood, AL
$73,125 median income
Sand Point, AK
$73,125 median income
New Milford, IL
$73,125 median income
Colo, IA
$73,125 median income
West Okoboji, IA
$73,125 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - St. Petersburg, FL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition St. Petersburg, FL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 66.2% 19.4% 8.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.3% White 66.2% Black or African American 19.4% Asian 3.1% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.0% Two or more races 8.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How St. Petersburg compares to nearby Florida cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
St. Petersburg (this city) 260,646 $73,118
Hialeah 221,901 $53,079
Port St. Lucie 220,453 $78,137
Orlando 311,732 $69,268
Census ACS 5-year FIPS FL NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about St. Petersburg, FL?

What is the population of St. Petersburg, FL? +

St. Petersburg, FL counts 260,646 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in St. Petersburg, FL? +

The median household income in St. Petersburg is $73,118 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in St. Petersburg? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for St. Petersburg; the closest available measure is the Florida state average, a cost of living index of 103.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Florida vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in St. Petersburg, FL? +

The median home value in St. Petersburg is $331,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.