Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,205, settled in 1888.
Cortez grades C− overall, ranked 442nd of 634 in Florida, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Cortez’s median age is 65.3 years, against 42.4 years in Florida’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Cortez Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Homes are expensive, about $781K for a typical one and 9.7 times the North Port metro’s $81K median household income.
Where Cortez beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Coastal flooding makes up 28% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
28.2% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Cortez is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,821 in 1980, 4,121 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cortez. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
4 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
35 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
9 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
11 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto ParkTropicana Field: EaglesFanInTampa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anna Maria Island: Bfpage at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Raymond James Stadium: NASA, Public domain · Benchmark International Arena: Miosotis Jade, CC BY-SA 4.0 · John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Fort De Soto Park: Christopher Hollis, Public domain
Cortez is unincorporated, so Manatee County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Cortez.
Cortez has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
At 9.7 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home (about $781K) costs more against local pay than in 95% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The typical value, about $781K, is 9% below its August 2022 peak.
The median rent in Cortez is $1,894 a month. Typical home values rose 4.7% in the year to September 2026. 87% of households own their home in Cortez.
| Cortez | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,894 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Since 1981, 364 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cortez.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Cortez for work: only 5% work in town. Cortez’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. Since 2013, Cortez has added 117 jobs, to 638 in 2023.
| Cortez | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cortez beats the Florida average on 14 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 47% of Cortez adults have high blood pressure.
| Cortez | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 86% | 79% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Cortez | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.3% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.2% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.5% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 52.7°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.3°.
Cortez has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Cortez | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 53°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Florida Maritime Museum Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
6 within 15 miles of the center of Cortez
About 7 of every 100 Cortez residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
Where Cortez’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Cortez, a census-designated place (CDP) in Manatee County, Florida, United States, is a small Gulf Coast commercial fishing village that was founded by settlers from North Carolina in the 1880s. The population was 4,121 at the 2020 census, down from 4,241 at the 2010 census. It is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cortez.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortez | #442 | C− | D | — | C+ | B+ |
| Bradenton Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cortez reports no FBI crime data of its own. Bradenton Beach isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Cortez with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cortez grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #442 of 634 in Florida. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
