St. Cloud receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kissimmee
St. Cloud
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
80 · Top 18%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
22 · Bottom 13%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 24%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Kissimmee | St. Cloud | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 81,479 | 65,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,758 | $83,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,317 | $31,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,784/sq mi | 2,233/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $304,400 | $356,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,647 | $1,683 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.3% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 31.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.4% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 713 | 1,115 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.8 | 17.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.2% | -37.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.4" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.2 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.43 | 18.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.1% | 56.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 44.3% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.7% | 46.4% | 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
Kissimmee
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Kissimmee, FL · St. Cloud, FL · How this is calculated: methodology