Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 10,514, settled in 1884.
Avon Park earns a D−, ranked 596th of 634 in Florida, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $36K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. In its favor, it is more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. 32% of residents are 65 or older in Avon Park, above both Florida’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). Avon Park is home to South Florida State College. Only 75 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on history.
Where Avon Park beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Avon Park is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 890 in 1920, 9,658 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Avon Park, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Avon Park.
Avon Park has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Sebring and other neighbors.
20 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Avon Park is 1.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Durrah Martin Playground and Baseball Complex, at 29 acres.
| Avon Park | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Donaldson Park | 0.4 mi | 5 |
| 2. Durrah Martin Playground and Baseball Complex | — | 29 |
| 3. Avon Park Parks & Recreation | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Highlands school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Avon Park High School, with 980 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Park Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 600 | C |
| Avon Park High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 980 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,519 U.S. towns with household incomes like Avon Park’s, it is less healthy than 56%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
31% of Avon Park adults say their health is fair or poor. Avon Park beats the Florida average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 23. 38% of Avon Park adults get no exercise outside work.
| Avon Park | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 20% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Avon Park | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.3% | 14.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 78.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.3% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median property tax bill is $696, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Avon Park home is worth about $206,000, down 1.1% in a year, 45% below the Florida typical home. Avon Park’s median rent is $921 a month.
| Avon Park | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $921 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 2017, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Avon Park.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Avon Park 2 W weather station records that about 118 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 49.4°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.1°.
Avon Park has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Avon Park | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 49°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Avon Park has about as many jobs (3,568) as working residents, but only 411 people both live and work here.
Among 638 Florida towns, just 10 have a lower median household income than Avon Park. Jobs based in Avon Park grew to 3,568 in 2023, 438 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Avon Park for work: only 11% work in town.
| Avon Park | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Avon Park
About 7 of every 100 Avon Park residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
1% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
2 places in Avon Park on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Avon Park.
City in Florida, United States
Avon Park is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,658, up from 8,836 at the 2010 census but down from the 2018 estimated population of 10,695. It is part of the Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the oldest city in Highlands County, and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Avon Park grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #596 of 634 in Florida. It grades D for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($54,897 across the Sebring, FL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
9 notable people were born here, including Bernice Mosby and Hal McRae.
