Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The weak point is cost of living (C−): the typical home is worth about $268K, 3.8 years of the Punta Gorda metro’s $70K median household income. Overall, Port Charlotte earns a D: better than 10% of U.S. towns, and 542nd of 634 in Florida. It lags on hazard risk as well — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for schools and B− for walkability. The city has 2 places on the National Register. 33% of residents are 65 or older here, above both the Florida town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Its midpoint age is 55.4 years, against 42.4 years in Florida’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, at 415 acres.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · schools, state test and graduation results · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Port Charlotte is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,197 in 1960, 60,625 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1915 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
54,392 counted in 2010 and 60,625 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Ordered by what stands out in Port Charlotte.
Port Charlotte has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Punta Gorda and other neighbors.
Port Charlotte has had 754 paid flood insurance claims since 1982. Four fifths of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 14%. Federal aid has come to Port Charlotte households in 9 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The public schools here belong to the Charlotte school district. Three of its 14 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Public school enrollment in Port Charlotte: 2,814 students across 4 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Charlotte Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 858 | B |
| Port Charlotte High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,730 | C− |
| Neil Armstrong Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 763 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $268K, is 23% below its August 2022 peak. At about $268K, home values are up 0% in five years, against a rise of 19% across Florida.
In Port Charlotte, 83% of households are owner-occupiers. The typical home value here is about $268,000, down 3% in a year, 29% below the Florida typical home. Its rent at the middle of the market comes in at $1,553 a month.
| Port Charlotte | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,553 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Punta Gorda 4 Ese weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 136 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 53.2°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.9°.
It almost never snows. In Port Charlotte, the July high is 92°F.
| Port Charlotte | 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
Against the 9,708 U.S. towns with household incomes like Port Charlotte’s, it is healthier than 51%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
For adults in Port Charlotte, the share who have high blood pressure is 43%. CDC measures, 31 in all: Port Charlotte beats Florida on 6 and trails on 10. In Port Charlotte, 16% of adults have diabetes, and 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Port Charlotte | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| What stands out | Port Charlotte | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.7% | 13.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 13.6% | 15.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Port Charlotte has about as many jobs (19,981) as working residents, but only 4,533 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 15,297 in 2013 to 19,981.
Jobs in Port Charlotte grew by 4,684 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 19,981. Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles. The top destinations are Punta Gorda (6%), North Port (5%) and Charlotte Harbor (3%). The town’s middle household income stands at $64,000.
| Port Charlotte | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
There are 4.7 miles of trail across 20 parks and preserves. For Port Charlotte, the trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Port Charlotte | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kiwanis Park | 1.4 mi | 29 |
| 2. Ollie's Pond Park | 1 mi | 40 |
| 3. William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Port Charlotte. Close and well known come first.
39 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
10 mi Ancient siteWarm Mineral Springs10 mi Park & preserveMyakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park
21 mi State parkMyakka River State Park
28 mi MuseumEdison and Ford Winter Estates
33 mi BeachSiesta BeachJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Warm Mineral Springs: Blas0082, Public domain · Myakka River State Park: Mx. Granger, CC0 · Edison and Ford Winter Estates: Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Siesta Beach: 4net, CC BY 3.0
Port Charlotte is unincorporated, so Charlotte 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.
None within 15 miles of Port Charlotte; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Port Charlotte residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
4 notable people were born in Port Charlotte.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Port Charlotte is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,625 at the 2020 census, up from 54,392 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Sarasota metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Port Charlotte.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Charlotte | #542 | D | C− | — | B− | C+ |
| Charlotte Harbor | #469 | C− | C | — | B− | C+ |
Port Charlotte and Charlotte Harbor report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Port Charlotte with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Port Charlotte grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #542 of 634 in Florida. It grades C+ for health and B− 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 C−.
4 notable people were born here, including Matt LaPorta and John Hall.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.
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