South Gate RidgeFL
Public schools that outperform most of Florida. 5,310 people call this town in Florida home.
Is South Gate Ridge a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its best grade is for schools (A−): its schools rank ahead of 84% of Florida towns. Overall, South Gate Ridge earns a B−: better than 50% of U.S. towns, and 162nd of 634 in Florida. Health is another plus: it is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. The weak point is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $445K, 5.5 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income. It lags on hazard risk as well — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. 29% of residents are 65 or older locally, where Florida’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index.
How South Gate Ridge grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far South Gate Ridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes South Gate Ridge stand out
Where South Gate Ridge beats most towns.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Gate Ridge.
South Gate Ridge has schools in the top 5% of Florida, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
For schools, South Gate Ridge earns an A−
That grade ranks #24 of the 638 Florida towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $445K.
The largest public high school is Suncoast Polytechnical High School, with 556 students. Below: Two of its 6 schools, each with why it was picked. Its public schools are run by the Sarasota school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkinson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 422 | C+ |
| Suncoast Polytechnical High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 556 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
South Gate Ridge has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes
26 flood insurance claims have been paid in South Gate Ridge since 1982. FEMA puts 73% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 20% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in South Gate Ridge once, in 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For health, South Gate Ridge earns a B+
Against the 10,547 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Gate Ridge’s, it is healthier than 87%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income. Its widest gap with Florida is tooth loss: 7.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
South Gate Ridge beats the Florida average on 9 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. A third of South Gate Ridge adults sleep under 7 hours. Among adults locally, 17% binge drink and 20% have been diagnosed with depression.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Gate Ridge | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.7% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Young adults are less common in South Gate Ridge than in Florida
In South Gate Ridge, 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 18 to 34 are just over one in ten residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (21% statewide). For South Gate Ridge, the midpoint age is 50.6 years.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 50.6 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 31% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| South Gate Ridge | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.4% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.2% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.3% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expect mild winters and hot summers in South Gate Ridge
The Bradenton 5 Ese weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 116 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 51.7°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.9°.
The typical July afternoon high for South Gate Ridge comes to 92°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 52°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of South Gate Ridge’s workers commute out
The average commute for its 2,597 working residents takes 20.9 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
Commuting out is the norm in South Gate Ridge: 2% of working residents work locally. The town’s mean commuting time is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Sarasota (17%), South Sarasota (6%) and Bee Ridge (5%). For residents here, the share who live below the poverty line is 7.5%.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Protected land: 4.3% of South Gate Ridge
There are 0.9 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Red Bug Slough Preserve, at 49 acres. The density of trails in South Gate Ridge is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Bug Slough Preserve | 0.8 mi | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in South Gate Ridge sell for about $361K
Among households in South Gate Ridge, 66% live in a home they own. The town’s typical rent stands at $1,612 a month. On the market locally: a median 48 days to sell.
| South Gate Ridge | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,612 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about South Gate Ridge
Tropicana Field and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Gate Ridge. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
21 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
8 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
4 mi BeachSiesta Beach
34 mi MuseumSalvador Dalí Museum
27 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto ParkPhoto credits
Tropicana Field: EaglesFanInTampa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anna 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 · Salvador Dalí Museum: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0 · Fort De Soto Park: Christopher Hollis, Public domain
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Moving to South Gate Ridge: who provides what
South Gate Ridge 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.
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of South Gate Ridge
About 3 of every 100 South Gate Ridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About South Gate Ridge
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
South Gate Ridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,024 at the 2020 census, up from 5,688 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)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- Area code
- 941
South Gate Ridge’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with South Gate Ridge.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Gate Ridge | #162 | B− | D | — | A− | B+ |
| Ridge Wood Heights | #124 | B | C− | — | A− | B |
| Bee Ridge | #80 | B | D | — | A− | B+ |
South Gate Ridge, Ridge Wood Heights and Bee Ridge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Gate Ridge with a neighbor →
Questions about South Gate Ridge
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Gate Ridge, FL a good place to live?
South Gate Ridge grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #162 of 634 in Florida. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is South Gate Ridge, FL expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $445,000, 18% above the Florida typical home. 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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