Winter Garden receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Winter Garden
Sanford
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs65 · Top 25%
Climate
80 · Top 17%
vs79 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs57 · Bottom 16%
Access
94 · Top 42%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
64 · Top 41%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Winter Garden | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,872 | 63,730 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,495 | $66,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,282 | $33,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,921/sq mi | 2,650/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $476,000 | $309,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,963 | $1,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.1% | 29.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 127 | 672 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 10.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 95.4% | -3.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 52°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.5" | 49.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Winter Garden
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Sanford
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Winter Garden
70
Your Score
67
Area Score
Sanford
63
Your Score
59
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Winter Garden, FL · Sanford, FL · How this is calculated: methodology