Lakewood Ranch vs Sarasota
Lakewood Ranch, Florida versus Sarasota, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota score about the same overall (57 vs 57 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lakewood Ranch | Sarasota |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $115k | $69k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $51k |
| Home Value | $569k | $372k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.14% | 0.73% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.95% | 6.23% |
| Unemployment | 2.6% | 2.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.3 in | 49.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 283 days | 283 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 143 days | 143 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 93.3 | 86.7 |
| Air Quality | 40 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 41.3 | 48.8 |
| Violent Crime | 319/100k | 2284/100k |
| Property Crime | 344/100k | 3144/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 34,346 | 55,508 |
| Median Age | 52.3 | 49.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | R+16 | R+16 |
| White (%) | 82.6% | 65.2% |
| Black (%) | 2.5% | 13.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.4% | 15.9% |
| Asian (%) | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 2.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 8.2/20 | 15.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 39 mi | 44 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.8% | 86.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.48 | 43.06 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lakewood Ranch or Sarasota more affordable?
- Sarasota has the lower cost of living: its index is $51k, compared with Lakewood Ranch's $51k and Sarasota's $51k. Median rent is $2k in Lakewood Ranch versus $1k in Sarasota.
- Is Lakewood Ranch or Sarasota safer?
- Lakewood Ranch has the lower violent crime rate. Lakewood Ranch reports 319/100k and Sarasota reports 2284/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lakewood Ranch or Sarasota?
- The median home value is $569k in Lakewood Ranch and $372k in Sarasota, so homes are more affordable in Sarasota.