Lake Mary receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lake Mary
St. Cloud
Opportunity
65 · Top 32%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
79 · Top 18%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
73 · Top 23%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake Mary | St. Cloud | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,860 | 65,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $109,173 | $83,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,681 | $31,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,858/sq mi | 2,233/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $494,900 | $356,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,120 | $1,683 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.9% | 31.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.5% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 1,115 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 17.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -72.0% | -37.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.6" | 51.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.43 | 18.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 66.1% | 56.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 67.7% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.9% | 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
Lake Mary
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Lake Mary, FL · St. Cloud, FL · How this is calculated: methodology