City profile · Florida · Census ACS 2023

Tavares, FL

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

19,738
Residents
$57,644
Median income
$225,500
Median home
$1,972
Median rent (state)

Tavares - the verdict

Nationally, Tavares sits in the 32nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

32nd
percentile, household income
50th
percentile, home value
82nd
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: Tavares, FL

19,738 people live in Tavares, Florida - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $57,644 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.0%. Tavares's housing stock carries a median value of $225,500, and the median resident age is 54.6 years. About 24.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 40.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 240 residential building permits were authorized in Tavares (Building Boom), up 500% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,972 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Florida, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Tavares workers runs 24.5 minutes, with 82.1% driving alone and 5.7% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 91.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

19,738 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Florida

Median Household Income

$57,644 /yr

Poverty 6.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Florida average

How does Tavares compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 32% higher than other cities
Home value 50% pricier than other cities
Median rent 82% 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 Tavares'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.

32ndIncome percentile

32nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Tavares's home value compares nationally

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

$225,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 50% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $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. Tavares $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 - Tavares, FL Tavares, FL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Tavares, 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 Tavares, FL median $57,644/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%
Tavares, 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 Tavares, FL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 40.5%

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

Population
19,738
Median Income
$57,644
Median Home Value
$225,500
Median Age
54.6
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Labor force participation
40.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.8%

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
18,000 residents20,000 residents22,000 residents24,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 19,014 residents 22,490 residents ▲ +18.3%
Tavares's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
240
housing units authorized
Single-Family
240
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
12.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 40
2020 333
2021 231
2022 303
2023 344
2024 240

Permit volume increased 500% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.5 minutes
Drive Alone
82.1%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
5.7%
Other
4.2%

Based on 6,817 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 Tavares sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,972/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
91.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Florida

Palm Valley
19,775 people
Bartow
19,801 people
Punta Gorda
19,886 people
Bradfordville
19,548 people
Sweetwater
19,544 people
Lynn Haven
19,451 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Tavares's 19,738 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Clifton, CO
19,746 people
Lake Zurich, IL
19,727 people
Nogales, AZ
19,753 people
Crest Hill, IL
19,754 people
Albany, CA
19,768 people
Broadview Heights, OH
19,768 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Tavares's $57,644 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Columbia, CA
$57,647 median income
Alma, KS
$57,647 median income
Delcambre, LA
$57,639 median income
Hines, OR
$57,639 median income
Stratford, TX
$57,639 median income
Horse Pasture, VA
$57,637 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Tavares, 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 Tavares, FL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 73.5% 9.8% 8.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 14.9% White 73.5% Black or African American 9.8% Asian 2.9% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.1% Two or more races 8.4% 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 Tavares 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
Tavares (this city) 19,738 $57,644
Palm Valley 19,775 $118,280
Bartow 19,801 $66,944
Punta Gorda 19,886 $79,291
Census ACS 5-year FIPS FL NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Tavares, FL?

What is the population of Tavares, FL? +

Tavares, FL has a population of 19,738 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Tavares, FL? +

The median household income in Tavares is $57,644 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Tavares? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Tavares; 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 Tavares, FL? +

The median home value in Tavares is $225,500, 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 Editorial

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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.