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
Lake City
Edgewater
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs41 · Bottom 18%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
90 · Top 4%
vs82 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs69 · Bottom 32%
Schools
60 · Top 40%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs92 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 15%
vs44 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake City | Edgewater | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,515 | 23,627 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,472 | $60,977 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,767 | $36,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 875/sq mi | 952/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $184,900 | $256,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,040 | $1,309 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.9% | 90.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.7% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.8% | 10.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 102 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.7% | -52.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.0" | 51.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 53.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.34 | 14.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.3% | 59.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 60.3% | 55.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.6% | 54.9% | 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
Lake City
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Edgewater
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Lake City, FL · Edgewater, FL · How this is calculated: methodology