Bee Ridge vs Marco Island

Which is the better fit for you?

Bee Ridge, FL
52
Area Score
Bottom 25% nationally
Marco Island, FL
50
Area Score
Bottom 21% nationally

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Bee Ridge receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bee Ridge to Marco Island

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Everyday prices
2% higher
Regional price level 106.5 against 104.2 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$214 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,986 in Marco Island against $2,200 in Bee Ridge.
The median home
117% more
$896,300 in Marco Island against $412,400 in Bee Ridge.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F milder
Normal January lows are 56°F in Marco Island against 52°F in Bee Ridge; July highs are 91°F against 91°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

35 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Bee Ridge
Marco Island
Opportunity: Marco Island is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs
55 · Bottom 48%
Growth: Marco Island is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
57 · Top 34%
vs
58 · Top 31%
Climate: Marco Island is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs
82 · Top 12%
Physical resilience: Marco Island is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
6 · Bottom 2%
vs
10 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability: Bee Ridge is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
21 · Bottom 1%
vs
4 · Bottom 1%
Schools: Marco Island is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
87 · Top 5%
vs
91 · Top 3%
Access: Bee Ridge is the more favorable of the two.
Access
99 · Top 16%
vs
79 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability: Bee Ridge is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
62 · Top 42%
vs
47 · Bottom 31%

Measured values

MetricBee RidgeMarco IslandSource period
Population10,33416,2052024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$75,906$101,523 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$47,398$95,595 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,756/sq mi1,333/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$412,400$896,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$2,118 ±$213$1,990 ±$1972024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,200$1,986 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index104.2 — more favorable106.52023
Homeownership rate81.5%89.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.1%5.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.5%−0.5%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate43.1% ±6%48.4% ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate7.7% ±4%6.9% ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)5,4319312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents11.8 — more favorable5.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−22.6%−5.1%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high91°F91°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low52°F56°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation49.0"49.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport9 mi — more favorable42 miNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate23.8 min ±1.9 min21.4 min ±4.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age54.167.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools532024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.914.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency87.4% — more favorable83.2%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency81.9% — more favorable72.0%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility27.4%30.7%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.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bee Ridge

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Marco Island

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave, inland flooding.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bee Ridge
—
Bee Ridge: Your Score
52
Area Score
Marco Island
—
Marco Island: Your Score
50
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bee Ridge, FL · Marco Island, FL · How this is calculated: methodology