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
Lady Lake
St. Cloud
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 4%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
79 · Bottom 20%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Lady Lake | St. Cloud | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,675 | 65,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,074 | $83,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,301 | $31,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,786/sq mi | 2,233/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $227,300 | $356,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,387 | $1,683 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 31.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 1,115 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 17.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.3% | -37.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.8" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 66.9 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.00 | 18.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 53.3% | 56.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.2% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.7% | 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
Lady Lake
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Lady Lake, FL · St. Cloud, FL · How this is calculated: methodology