Winter Park receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Winter Park
Sanford
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
60 · Top 32%
vs65 · Top 25%
Climate
80 · Top 17%
vs79 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs57 · Bottom 16%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 28%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Winter Park | Sanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,274 | 63,730 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $105,724 | $66,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $82,310 | $33,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,452/sq mi | 2,650/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $731,400 | $309,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,738 | $1,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.2% | 29.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 124 | 672 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 10.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 59.0% | -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 | 12 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.0 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 16.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.4% | 55.0% | 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
Winter Park
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 Park
66
Your Score
63
Area Score
Sanford
63
Your Score
59
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Winter Park, FL · Sanford, FL · How this is calculated: methodology