Plant City and St. Petersburg receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Plant City
St. Petersburg
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
79 · Top 19%
vs83 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 28%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 32%
vs59 · Bottom 19%
Schools
22 · Bottom 14%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs48 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Plant City | St. Petersburg | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,887 | 262,732 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,439 | $75,192 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,286 | $51,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,369/sq mi | 4,251/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $291,800 | $371,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,409 | $1,663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.4% | 62.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 42.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 579 | 2,841 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.2 | 10.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -39.3% | 175.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 52°F | 55°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.1" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.6 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 43.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.98 | 15.88 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 46.2% | 47.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.9% | 45.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.1% | 52.2% | 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
Plant City
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
St. Petersburg
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Plant City
61
Your Score
57
Area Score
St. Petersburg
59
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Plant City, FL · St. Petersburg, FL · How this is calculated: methodology