CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

28.12° N · 82.69° W · GEOID 1219206

East Lake

Pinellas County, Florida · part of the Tampa, FL metro

FloridaEast Lake, FLEast LakeEast Lake

The short answer

East Lake is home to 33,283 people. Median household income is $99,333 a year and median rent is $1,942 a month, 23.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $488,000, about 4.9x annual median household income.

The story in East Lake is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 19.4% to 23.5% of income. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 0.9 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of places its size.

38OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

East Lake scores better than 38% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 165th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%27
Economy 20%59
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%39
Education 10%78
Commute 10%31
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,942
42% above the median place
Median household income
$99,333
24% above the median place
Median home value
$488,000
53% above the median place
Unemployment
4.9%
1% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to East Lake

Pinellas County loses about 1.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in47,103
Moved out48,285
Net−1,182

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Florida, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within FloridaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$96K
Leavers$75K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Pinellas County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.6% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Pinellas County report $95,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$77,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,942 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,498 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $488,000.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 25.8% work from home; 1.3% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Palm City, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
2.6%
32% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
5.6%
2% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$95,596
35% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.6%2% below
Moved from another state12.6%32% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-1.6167% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$95,59635% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$74,7966% above
02

What it costs to live here

63% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 90% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

East Lake23.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$77,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.5%
15% above the median place
Home price to income
4.9x
29% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$79,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Lake, $1,942 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Lake, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Lake on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Palm City, FL9619.2% vs 23.5%$24,900Compare
Fleming Island, FL9119.9% vs 23.5%$16,500Compare
Palm Valley, FL8719.1% vs 23.5%$17,500Compare
Canyon Lake, TX8516.4% vs 23.5%$6,500Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
63.1%
25% above the median place
Homeownership1
83.2%
25% above the median place
Median home value1
$488,000
53% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,94242% above
Rent to income123.5%15% above
Property tax rate10.8%9% below
Home price to income14.9x29% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.90% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,91719% above
HUD area median income4County figure$104,7002% below
Property tax paid (median)1$4,04324% above
Median home value1$488,00053% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-2.0%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure62.3%21% above
Homeownership183.2%25% above
Renters paying 30%+163.1%25% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,49833% above
Vacant homes18.3%17% above
Median year built119901% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 25.8%, 107% above the median place.

Works from home1
25.8%
107% above the median place
Income per person1
$57,957
45% above the median place
Poverty rate1
6.2%
43% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute28 min +14%
Median household income$99,333 +24%
Unemployment4.9% +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$99,33324% above
Income per person1$57,95745% above
Unemployment14.9%1% above
Average annual pay6County figure$70,8547% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.9%32% above
Jobs6County figure441,425193% above
Poverty rate16.2%43% below
Mean commute128 min14% above
Works from home125.8%107% above
Commutes by transit1County figure1.3%48% above
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 51.2 years old, older than in 97% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Median age1
51.2
31% above the median place
High school or higher1
96.3%
4% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
49.4%
54% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband95.4% +3%
Born abroad12.7% +44%
No health insurance5.3% −17%
Household size2.4 −4%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population133,2831374th largest
Median age151.231% above
Bachelor's or higher149.4%54% above
High school or higher196.3%4% above
Household size12.44% below
Born abroad112.7%44% above
No health insurance15.3%17% below
Homes with broadband195.4%3% above
05

Life in East Lake

About 21 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 85% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

78 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.9 −91%
Playgrounds per 10k3.3 −65%
Grocery stores per 10k1.2 −43%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.0 −73%
Libraries per 10k0.6 −31%
Named paths and bike trails21 km 10.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.0 4.8×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • De Soto National Memorial 41 miles
  • Canaveral National Seashore 124 miles
  • Fort Matanzas National Monument 141 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars24.3 +17%
Shops39.2 +29%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.5 +59%
Doctors' offices and clinics33.4 +65%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
41.3
34% above the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
33.4
65% above the median place
Public school students12
87,876
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure153above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure87,876above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure16.15% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure24.317% above
Shops per 10k8County figure39.229% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.559% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure33.465% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k90.991% below
Playgrounds per 10k93.365% below
Grocery stores per 10k91.243% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k93.073% below
Libraries per 10k90.631% below
Named paths and bike trails921.1above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi91.0381% above
Nearest National Park Service site1041.334% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure78above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 52°F, 105% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached East Lake. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low13
52°F
105% above the median place
Average temperature13
73°F
34% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
98.9
40% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure52°F105% above
Average temperature13County figure73°F34% above
Annual precipitation13County figure52.6 in20% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.26% above
Hurricane risk14County figure98.940% above
Tornado risk14County figure99.022% above
Wildfire risk14County figure81.133% above
Heat wave risk14County figure95.56% above
Median air quality index15County figure442% above
Good air days15County figure69.6%2% above
08

East Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, up from 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Lake does better than 26% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 38%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,942/mo (2024)$2,530/mo$2,080 to $3,080/mo+4.5%
Median household income$99,333 (2024)$125,500$106,000 to $148,500+4.0%
Median home value$488,000 (2024)$694,000$504,000 to $956,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 5.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Lake

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Salisbury, MA$1,770$92,469Compare
Tequesta, FL$1,852$98,271Compare
Oak Hill, ME$1,743$97,610Compare
South Patrick Shores, FL$2,054$85,660Compare
South Patrick Shores, FLOak Hill, METequesta, FLSalisbury, MAEast Lake, FLEast LakeSalisburyTequestaSouth Patrick ShoresEast LakeSalisburyTequesta

Places built like East Lake

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Lake performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Lake, FL23.5%4.0%/yrn/a
Palm City, FL19.2%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Safety Harbor, FL19.6%6.5%/yr-2.6%Compare
Palm Harbor, FL27.5%5.8%/yrn/aCompare
Fleming Island, FL19.9%4.4%/yrn/aCompare
Wekiwa Springs, FL20.3%5.9%/yrn/aCompare
Palm Beach Gardens, FL27.1%4.0%/yr8.0%Compare

Common questions

Is East Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 38 out of 100, better than 38% of the places we rate and 165th of 474 in Florida. On cost, space and class size it scores 53 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $488,000.

What salary do you need to live in East Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $77,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Salisbury, MA, Tequesta, FL, Oak Hill, ME and South Patrick Shores, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-lake-florida

Citytistics. “East Lake, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-lake-florida/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.