Venice receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Venice
Sarasota
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs55 · Bottom 48%
Growth
68 · Top 19%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Climate
81 · Top 14%
vs81 · Top 14%
Physical resilience
6 · Bottom 2%
vs6 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 17%
vs47 · Bottom 8%
Schools
76 · Top 19%
vs60 · Top 39%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Venice | Sarasota | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,479 | 56,970 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,755 | $72,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $75,070 | $60,995 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,690/sq mi | 3,875/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $434,700 | $463,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,606 | $1,684 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.4% | 57.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.3% | 41.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 15.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 416 | 223 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.1 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -42.9% | -56.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 52°F | 52°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.0" | 49.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 69.2 | 48.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.09 | 15.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 73.6% | 59.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.3% | 57.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 30.0% | 55.5% | 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
Venice
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Sarasota
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Venice, FL · Sarasota, FL · How this is calculated: methodology