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
Leesburg
St. Cloud
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
64 · Top 25%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 22%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
20 · Bottom 11%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Leesburg | St. Cloud | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,807 | 65,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,880 | $83,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,328 | $31,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 783/sq mi | 2,233/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $228,600 | $356,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,258 | $1,683 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.6% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.3% | 31.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 265 | 1,115 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 17.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.9% | -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 | 41 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 46.2 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.69 | 18.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.0% | 56.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.5% | 55.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.4% | 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
Leesburg
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
St. Cloud
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Leesburg, FL · St. Cloud, FL · How this is calculated: methodology