Lake City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Edgewater
Lake City
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 18%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
57 · Top 37%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
82 · Top 11%
vs90 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs30 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 32%
vs88 · Top 37%
Schools
63 · Top 35%
vs60 · Top 40%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 22%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Edgewater | Lake City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,627 | 12,515 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,977 | $56,472 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,097 | $29,767 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 952/sq mi | 875/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $256,200 | $184,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,309 | $1,040 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.1% | 39.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | 2.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 23.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 19.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 102 | 26 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -52.3% | -29.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.3" | 54.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 24.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 53.7 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.04 | 18.34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 59.7% | 60.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 55.4% | 60.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.9% | 54.6% | 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
Edgewater
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Lake City
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Edgewater, FL · Lake City, FL · How this is calculated: methodology