Lady Lake and Gainesville receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Lady Lake
Gainesville
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs33 · Bottom 9%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs43 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 4%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs40 · Bottom 35%
Access
79 · Bottom 20%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Lady Lake | Gainesville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,675 | 145,702 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,074 | $46,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,301 | $30,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,786/sq mi | 2,276/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $227,300 | $247,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,387 | $1,296 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 37.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 53.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 2,009 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 13.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.3% | 102.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.8" | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 20.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 66.9 | 26.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.00 | 18.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.3% | 50.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.2% | 53.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.7% | 48.4% | 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
Lady Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Gainesville
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lady Lake
53
Your Score
53
Area Score
Gainesville
53
Your Score
51
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lady Lake, FL · Gainesville, FL · How this is calculated: methodology