32159 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
32608
32159
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 17%
vs50 · Bottom 41%
Growth
74 · Top 10%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 14%
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 33%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 14%
vs53 · Bottom 15%
Access
78 · Bottom 19%
vs80 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs34 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | 32608 | 32159 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,566 | 32,107 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,588 | $58,518 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,520 | $41,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,227/sq mi | 1,063/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $358,200 | $289,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,412 | $1,401 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.3% | 82.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.5% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.7% | 8.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,009 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 102.1% | 6.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.3" | 43.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.3 | 69.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.03 | 15.42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.0% | 56.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
32608
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire.
32159
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: 32608 — Gainesville, FL · 32159 — Lady Lake, FL · How this is calculated: methodology