32778 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
32778
34788
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 42%
vs43 · Bottom 25%
Growth
69 · Top 17%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs81 · Top 14%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 25%
vs68 · Bottom 32%
Access
87 · Bottom 32%
vs84 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 19%
vs33 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | 32778 | 34788 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,042 | 22,137 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,472 | $54,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,226 | $33,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 986/sq mi | 612/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $169,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,514 | $1,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 78.6% | 83.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 18.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 11.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 215 | 265 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.5 | 8.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.1% | -46.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.8" | 43.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 29.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 53.1 | 56.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.01 | 15.20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.1% | 57.2% | 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
32778
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
34788
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: 32778 — Tavares, FL · 34788 — Leesburg, FL · How this is calculated: methodology