Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,943, settled in 1884.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Osprey grades B overall, ranked 67th of 634 in Florida. Its schools rank ahead of 84% of Florida towns and residents are healthier than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $661K, 8.2 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income. 48% of residents are 65 or older in Osprey, above both Florida’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). Osprey is more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 46 of Florida’s 779 towns do better.
Where Osprey beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13.6% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Osprey is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 89% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,597 in 1990, 6,690 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Osprey. Close and well known come first.
27 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
14 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
7 mi BeachSiesta Beach
33 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto Park
10 mi State parkMyakka River State Park
16 mi Ancient siteWarm Mineral SpringsAnna Maria Island: Bfpage at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Siesta Beach: 4net, CC BY 3.0 · Fort De Soto Park: Christopher Hollis, Public domain · Myakka River State Park: Mx. Granger, CC0 · Warm Mineral Springs: Blas0082, Public domain
Osprey is unincorporated, so Sarasota 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 Osprey.
Osprey has schools in the top 5% of Florida and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
At 8.2 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home (about $661K) costs more against local pay than in 90% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The typical value, about $661K, is 14% below its August 2022 peak.
Osprey’s median rent is $2,196 a month. The typical Osprey home is worth about $661,000, down 1% in a year, 76% above the Florida typical home. 87% of households own their home in Osprey.
| Osprey | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,196 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 87% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A− ranks #24 of the 638 Florida towns we grade for schools. Its A− for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $661K.
Its public schools are run by the Sarasota school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pine View School, with 1,752 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine View SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 2–12 | Grades 2–12 | 1,752 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
4.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Oscar Scherer State Park, at 481 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. The trail density in Osprey is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Oscar Scherer State Park | 3.3 mi | 481 |
| 2. Historic Spanish Point | 0.8 mi | 30 |
| 3. Osprey dog park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 2020, 51 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Osprey.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
12% of Osprey adults report frequent mental distress. Osprey beats the Florida average on 17 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 86% of Osprey adults had a checkup this year.
| Osprey | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 86% | 79% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Osprey | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.3% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.4% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Venice weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 120 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 52.7°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.8°.
Osprey has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Osprey | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 53°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 1,102 in 2013 to 1,700. 27.2% of workers work from home, against 15.7% across Florida.
Most working residents leave Osprey for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Osprey grew to 1,700 in 2023, 598 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Sarasota (15%), Venice (4%) and South Sarasota (4%).
| Osprey | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 27% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5 within 15 miles of the center of Osprey
About 4 of every 100 Osprey residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
3 places in Osprey on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Osprey is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,690 at the 2020 census, up from 6,100 at the 2010 census. The town is located in Southwest Florida and is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Osprey.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey | #67 | B | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Laurel | #66 | B | C− | — | A− | B+ |
| Vamo | #9 | A− | D | — | A− | A |
| Palmer Ranch | #117 | B | D | — | A− | A− |
Osprey, Laurel, Vamo and Palmer Ranch report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Osprey with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Osprey grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #67 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living 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−.
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