Lakewood RanchFL
A town of 43,945, settled in 1994.
Is Lakewood Ranch a good place to live?
The typical home is worth about $590K, 7.3 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income. Overall it grades B−, 142nd among Florida's 634 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 90% of the country. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. 61% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lakewood Ranch, against 31% in Florida’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 27 of Florida’s 779 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is James L. Patton Park, at 84 acres.
What makes Lakewood Ranch stand out
Where Lakewood Ranch beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Lakewood Ranch grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Lakewood Ranch is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Tropicana Field and 49 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakewood Ranch. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
21 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
36 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
11 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
28 mi MuseumSalvador Dalí MuseumPhoto credits
Tropicana 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 · Salvador Dalí Museum: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0
Moving to Lakewood Ranch: who provides what
Lakewood Ranch 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lakewood Ranch.
Lakewood Ranch has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of Florida, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
Lakewood Ranch earns a D− for cost of living
At 7.3 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home (about $590K) costs more against local pay than in 85% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The typical value, about $590K, is 17% below its August 2022 peak.
Lakewood Ranch’s median rent is $2,299 a month. The typical Lakewood Ranch home is worth about $590,000, down 2.6% in a year, 57% above the Florida typical home. 80% of households own their home in Lakewood Ranch.
| Lakewood Ranch | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,299 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lakewood Ranch’s public schools outperform 68% of Florida districts
Its public schools are run by the Manatee school district. Three of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.D. Gullett Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,314 | A |
| Lakewood Ranch Preparatory AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,369 | – |
| Robert Willis Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 785 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Lakewood Ranch earns an A for health
Its widest gap with Florida is tooth loss: 5.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
13% of Lakewood Ranch adults report frequent mental distress. Lakewood Ranch beats the Florida average on 20 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 8.8% of Lakewood Ranch adults smoke cigarettes.
| Lakewood Ranch | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 25% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Lakewood Ranch | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.8% | 12.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.9% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lakewood Ranch faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Since 2019, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lakewood Ranch.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bob Gardner Community Park | 0.3 mi | 45 |
| 2. Greenbrook Adventure Park | 0.3 mi | 24 |
| 3. Greenbrook Park | 0.3 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Lakewood Ranch, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Bradenton 5 Ese weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 116 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 50.1°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.5°.
Lakewood Ranch has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Lakewood Ranch is 50°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Lakewood Ranch | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 50°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A job hub: Lakewood Ranch has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 16,856 commuters
Jobs based here grew from 8,001 in 2013 to 18,359. 31.6% of workers work from home, against 15.7% across Florida.
Most working residents leave Lakewood Ranch for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Lakewood Ranch has added 10,358 jobs, to 18,359 in 2023. The top destinations are Sarasota (10%), Bradenton (8%) and Tampa (7%).
| Lakewood Ranch | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 32% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $123,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Everything we know about Lakewood Ranch
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Lakewood Ranch
About 5 of every 100 Lakewood Ranch residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
About Lakewood Ranch
Planned community in Florida, United States
Lakewood Ranch is a planned community and a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Manatee County and northeastern Sarasota County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately 35,000 acres (14,000 ha). It is part of the Sarasota metropolitan area. According to the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 34,877.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1994
- Area
- 8.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 30 ft
Questions about Lakewood Ranch
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakewood Ranch, FL a good place to live?
Lakewood Ranch grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #142 of 634 in Florida. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lakewood Ranch, FL expensive?
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−.