Longwood receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Longwood
Sanford
Opportunity
59 · Top 45%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs65 · Top 25%
Climate
79 · Top 18%
vs79 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs57 · Bottom 16%
Schools
69 · Top 28%
vs45 · Bottom 42%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Longwood | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,337 | 63,730 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,548 | $66,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,698 | $33,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,958/sq mi | 2,650/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $354,300 | $309,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,755 | $1,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 29.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 672 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 10.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 50.0% | -3.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.6" | 49.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.6 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.29 | 16.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 66.7% | 50.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 63.3% | 55.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.0% | 55.0% | 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
Longwood
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Longwood, FL · Sanford, FL · How this is calculated: methodology