CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

27.36° N · 82.47° W · GEOID 1271580

The Meadows

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

FloridaThe Meadows, FLThe MeadowsThe Meadows

The short answer

The Meadows is home to 5,492 people. Median household income is $69,774 a year and median rent is $1,740 a month, 29.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $382,400, about 5.5x annual median household income.

The story in The Meadows is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 26.3% to 29.9% of income. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of places its size. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

18OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

The Meadows scores better than 18% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 301st of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%12
Economy 20%56
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%0
Education 10%82
Commute 10%62
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
$1,740
27% above the median place
Median household income
$69,774
13% below the median place
Median home value
$382,400
20% 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 The Meadows

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 29.9% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to The Meadows

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
7.8% 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
$69,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,740 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,718 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $382,400.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 32.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Marco Island, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.8%
36% 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
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.8%36% 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

Owning with a mortgage costs about $22 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 94% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.

The Meadows29.9%
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
$69,600
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
29.9%
47% above the median place
Home price to income
5.5x
44% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
30%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$50,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in The Meadows, $1,740 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 The Meadows, but easier on the budget

Places that match The Meadows 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
Marco Island, FL8823.5% vs 29.9%$29,100Compare
Sanibel, FL859.0% vs 29.9%$50,900Compare
Daytona Beach Shores, FL8524.3% vs 29.9%$7,500Compare
Naples, FL8218.1% vs 29.9%$78,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in The Meadows.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to The Meadows? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
19.2%
172% above the median place
Homeownership1
78.7%
18% above the median place
Median year built1
1986
0% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,74027% above
Rent to income129.9%47% above
Property tax rate10.8%15% below
Home price to income15.5x44% 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$2,93810% below
Median home value1$382,40020% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-4.4%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure52.1%1% above
Homeownership178.7%18% above
Renters paying 30%+149.4%2% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7188% below
Vacant homes119.2%172% above
Median year built119860% above
03

Work and pay

32% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 89% of places.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
32.3%
160% above the median place
Income per person1
$79,014
97% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$69,774 −13%
Mean commute23 min −7%
Poverty rate11.9% +10%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$69,77413% below
Income per person1$79,01497% 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 rate111.9%10% above
Mean commute123 min7% below
Works from home132.3%160% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Households average 1.63 people, smaller than than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

Median age1
72.8
87% above the median place
Household size1
1.6
35% below the median place
High school or higher1
97.1%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher52.7% +65%
No health insurance4.9% −23%
Homes with broadband91.0% −1%
Born abroad8.4% −4%
All 8 people measures
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,4926277th largest
Median age172.887% above
Bachelor's or higher152.7%65% above
High school or higher197.1%5% above
Household size11.635% below
Born abroad18.4%4% below
No health insurance14.9%23% below
Homes with broadband191.0%1% below
05

Life in The Meadows

The nearest National Park Service site is De Soto National Memorial, about 15 miles away.

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

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
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 −100%
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 15 miles
  • Big Cypress National Preserve 129 miles
  • Canaveral National Seashore 142 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
15.3
50% 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
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 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 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
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 trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1015.350% 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 The Meadows. 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
MeasureThe MeadowsAmong 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

The Meadows in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 31% of the median income in 2030, up from 30% 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, The Meadows does better than 12% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 23%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,740/mo (2024)$2,240/mo$1,840 to $2,730/mo+4.3%
Median household income$69,774 (2024)$88,000$74,500 to $104,500+4.0%
Median home value$382,400 (2024)$538,000$391,000 to $742,000+5.9%

The median home would be worth 6.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.5 now.

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

09

Places like The Meadows

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

PlaceRentIncome
Venice, FL$1,606$76,755Compare
Leisure World, MD$2,054$62,011Compare
The Villages, FL$1,397$77,622Compare
Sun Lakes, AZ$1,938$67,853Compare
Sun Lakes, AZThe Villages, FLLeisure World, MDVenice, FLThe Meadows, FLThe MeadowsVeniceLeisure WorldThe VillagesSun LakesThe MeadowsVeniceLeisure WorldThe VillagesSun Lakes

Places built like The Meadows

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 The Meadows performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
The Meadows, FL29.9%3.9%/yrn/a
Daytona Beach Shores, FL24.3%6.3%/yr1.5%Compare
Sanibel, FL9.0%0.1%/yr-1.3%Compare
Village of Oak Creek (Big Park), AZ26.5%6.3%/yrn/aCompare
Timber Pines, FL29.6%4.0%/yrn/aCompare
Marco Island, FL23.5%3.3%/yr4.3%Compare
Iona, FL34.4%2.8%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is The Meadows a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 18 out of 100, better than 18% of the places we rate and 301st of 474 in Florida. The median rent takes 29.9% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 10 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is The Meadows expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 29.9% 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 $382,400.

What salary do you need to live in The Meadows?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $69,600 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to The Meadows?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Venice, FL, Leisure World, MD, The Villages, FL and Sun Lakes, AZ.

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 The Meadows with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for The Meadows itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/the-meadows-florida

Citytistics. “The Meadows, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/the-meadows-florida/

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