Tavares receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Tavares
Orlando
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 41%
vs62 · Top 36%
Growth
69 · Top 18%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Schools
58 · Top 41%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 17%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Tavares | Orlando | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,463 | 319,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,886 | $72,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,491 | $43,312 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,658/sq mi | 2,878/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $254,500 | $394,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,496 | $1,747 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 39.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 42.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 215 | 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) | -20.1% | -14.1% | 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 | 32 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.3 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 53.1 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 101 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.01 | 17.91 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.9% | 50.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.9% | 51.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.1% | 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
Tavares
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Orlando
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Tavares, FL · Orlando, FL · How this is calculated: methodology