Sarasota, FL
Census place 1264175 · pop 56,970
Longtime winter home of the Ringling Bros. circus, whose legacy lives on at The Ringling museum and mansion.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.58 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
575 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$463,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,292/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
57.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
15.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1648 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$72,105 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
25.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
41.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.70% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Sarasota, FL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Sarasota scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poor mental health and its weakest is income inequality. Florida overall ranks #29 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Sarasota, FL?
- Sarasota reports 575 violent crimes per 100k and 1648 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Sarasota, FL expensive to live in?
- Sarasota has a median home value of $463,000 and typical rent around $2,292/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Sarasota, FL?
- Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.58) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Sarasota, FL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (15.2%) — 76/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Longtime winter home of the Ringling Bros. circus, whose legacy lives on at The Ringling museum and mansion.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.