CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

27.29° N · 82.51° W · GEOID 1260475

Ridge Wood Heights

Sarasota County, Florida · part of the North Port, FL metro

FloridaRidge Wood Heights, FLRidge Wood HeightsRidge Wood Heights

The short answer

Ridge Wood Heights is home to 5,366 people. Median household income is $69,894 a year and median rent is $1,587 a month, 27.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $370,700, about 5.3x annual median household income.

The story in Ridge Wood Heights is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 25.5% to 27.2% of income. Also notable: The median rent takes 27.2% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 90% of places its size.

17OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Ridge Wood Heights scores better than 17% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 309th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%16
Economy 20%56
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%10
Education 10%55
Commute 10%63
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
$1,587
16% above the median place
Median household income
$69,894
13% below the median place
Median home value
$370,700
16% above the median place
Unemployment
3.7%
24% below 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.

What stands out about Ridge Wood Heights

  • HousingThe median home costs 5.3 years of the median household's income, more than in 85% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Life nearbyOpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 80% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.
01

Moving to Ridge Wood Heights

Sarasota County gains about 13.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in30,767
Moved out26,003
Net+4,764

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$141K
Leavers$87K

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

Who moves here
12.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Sarasota County report $141,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $86,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$63,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,587 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,908 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $370,700.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 14.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Georgetown, SC matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
12.1%
111% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$141,412
100% above the median place
Moved from another state1
4.7%
138% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year112.1%111% above
Moved from another state1County figure4.7%138% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure13.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$141,412100% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$86,68923% above
02

What it costs to live here

34% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 87% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

Ridge Wood Heights27.2%
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
$63,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
27.2%
33% above the median place
Home price to income
5.3x
39% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$52,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Ridge Wood Heights, $1,587 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Ridge Wood Heights, but easier on the budget

Places that match Ridge Wood Heights 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
Georgetown, SC9016.4% vs 27.2%n/aCompare
Brewton, AL9016.4% vs 27.2%n/aCompare
Raceland, LA8812.5% vs 27.2%$5,000Compare
Plaquemine, LA8815.2% vs 27.2%$10,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Ridge Wood Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Ridge Wood Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
34.4%
32% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
29% below the median place
Homeownership1
76.9%
16% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,58716% above
Rent to income127.2%33% above
Property tax rate10.7%29% below
Home price to income15.3x39% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.42% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,18835% above
HUD area median income4County figure$109,7002% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,40826% below
Median home value1$370,70016% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-4.4%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.1%1% above
Homeownership176.9%16% above
Renters paying 30%+134.4%32% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,9082% above
Vacant homes18.9%26% above
Median year built119800% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $46,205, 15% above the median place.

Income per person1
$46,205
15% above the median place
Poverty rate1
8.4%
22% below the median place
Mean commute1
23 min
8% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$69,89413% below
Income per person1$46,20515% above
Unemployment1County figure3.7%24% below
Average annual pay6County figure$67,6032% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs6County figure194,49929% above
Poverty rate18.4%22% below
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home114.6%17% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.4%53% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 19.6%, 206% above the median place.

No health insurance1
19.6%
206% above the median place
Household size1
2.2
13% below the median place
Median age1
45.2
16% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad16.8% +90%
Homes with broadband90.0% −3%
High school or higher94.3% +2%
Bachelor's or higher34.5% +8%
All 8 people measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,3666377th largest
Median age145.216% above
Bachelor's or higher134.5%8% above
High school or higher194.3%2% above
Household size12.213% below
Born abroad116.8%90% above
No health insurance119.6%206% above
Homes with broadband190.0%3% below
05

Life in Ridge Wood Heights

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

104 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.7 −63%
Playgrounds per 10k3.7 −60%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −80%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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 18 miles
  • Big Cypress National Preserve 127 miles
  • Canaveral National Seashore 147 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops38.2 +26%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.0 +46%
Doctors' offices and clinics33.4 +65%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
18.2
41% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
33.4
65% above the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.4
39% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure63above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure45,253above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure16.04% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k8County figure38.226% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.046% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure33.465% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k93.763% below
Playgrounds per 10k93.760% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.480% below
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1018.241% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure104above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Average temperature is 74°F, 34% 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 Ridge Wood Heights. Larger places are fetched first.

Average temperature13
74°F
34% above the median place
January average low13
51°F
102% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
99.5
41% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureRidge Wood HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure92°F6% above
January average low13County figure51°F102% above
Average temperature13County figure74°F34% above
Annual precipitation13County figure53.7 in23% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.26% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.541% above
Tornado risk14County figure92.514% above
Wildfire risk14County figure93.352% above
Heat wave risk14County figure89.80% below
Median air quality index15County figure467% above
Good air days15County figure64.7%6% below
08

Ridge Wood Heights in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 27% 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, Ridge Wood Heights does better than 15% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 74%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,587/mo (2024)$2,050/mo$1,680 to $2,500/mo+4.4%
Median household income$69,894 (2024)$89,000$75,000 to $105,000+4.1%
Median home value$370,700 (2024)$541,000$393,000 to $745,000+6.5%

The median home would be worth 6.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.3 now.

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

09

Places like Ridge Wood Heights

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

PlaceRentIncome
Clearwater, FL$1,658$66,381Compare
Crestline, CA$1,538$77,786Compare
Upper Grand Lagoon, FL$1,667$82,157Compare
Cape May Court House, NJ$1,429$74,464Compare
Cape May Court House, NJUpper Grand Lagoon, FLCrestline, CAClearwater, FLRidge Wood Heights, FLRidge Wood HeightsClearwaterCrestlineUpper Grand LagoonCape May Court HouseRidge Wood HeightsClearwaterCrestlineUpper Grand LagoonCape May Court House

Places built like Ridge Wood Heights

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 Ridge Wood Heights performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Ridge Wood Heights, FL27.2%5.5%/yrn/a
Camden, SC18.0%5.9%/yr18.2%Compare
Fern Park, FL32.6%-0.3%/yrn/aCompare
Georgetown, SC16.4%11.8%/yr5.7%Compare
Hurricane, WV14.8%5.0%/yr6.0%Compare
South Gate Ridge, FL27.5%4.6%/yrn/aCompare
New Martinsville, WV13.5%6.8%/yr-3.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Ridge Wood Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 17 out of 100, better than 17% of the places we rate and 309th of 474 in Florida. The median home costs 5.3 years of the median household's income, more than in 85% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. OpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 80% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 23 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Ridge Wood Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 27.2% 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 $370,700.

What salary do you need to live in Ridge Wood Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $63,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Ridge Wood Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clearwater, FL, Crestline, CA, Upper Grand Lagoon, FL and Cape May Court House, NJ.

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 Ridge Wood Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Ridge Wood Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/ridge-wood-heights-florida

Citytistics. “Ridge Wood Heights, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/ridge-wood-heights-florida/

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