Sanford and Orlando 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
Sanford
Orlando
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 36%
vs62 · Top 36%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
79 · Top 18%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Schools
45 · Bottom 42%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Sanford | Orlando | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,730 | 319,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,891 | $72,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,823 | $43,312 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,650/sq mi | 2,878/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $309,300 | $394,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,609 | $1,747 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.0% | 39.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.5% | 42.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 672 | 2,224 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.5 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.9% | -14.1% | 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 | 3 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 101 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.45 | 17.91 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 50.2% | 50.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 55.2% | 51.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.0% | 42.7% | 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
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Orlando
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Sanford, FL · Orlando, FL · How this is calculated: methodology