Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town in Florida has a population of 4,837.
A town of contrasts. Overall, South Sarasota earns a B−: better than 48% of U.S. towns, and 177th of 634 in Florida. Its weakest subject is cost of living (D−): the typical home is worth about $780K, 9.6 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income. Schools are its strong suit (A−): its public schools beat 84% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. It is strong on health as well (A−) — it is healthier than just over four in five U.S. towns. The town has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Edson Keith Estate and Field Estate. 37% of residents are 65 or older here, against 20% in Florida’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where South Sarasota beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Phillippi Shores Elementary School | PK–5 | 696 |
| Ese Special Programs | PK–12 | — |
Where South Sarasota’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far South Sarasota is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,730 in 1970, 5,133 in 2020. The archive holds 4 maps from 1944 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Sarasota. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
19 mi BeachAnna Maria Island
7 mi MuseumJohn and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
2 mi BeachSiesta Beach
34 mi MuseumSalvador Dalí Museum
26 mi Park & preserveFort De Soto ParkTropicana 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
South Sarasota 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 South Sarasota.
South Sarasota has schools in the top 5% of Florida, draws workers from North Port and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
8,025 jobs are based in South Sarasota, 4.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19.9 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
Jobs in South Sarasota grew by 6,181 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 8,025. In South Sarasota, the average commute is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Sarasota (23%), Fruitville (3%) and Lakewood Ranch (3%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 7 miles.
| South Sarasota | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
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 $780K.
Its public schools are run by the Sarasota school district. South Sarasota’s only public school teaches 696 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillippi Shores Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 696 | A |
| Ese Special ProgramsLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Paid flood insurance claims in South Sarasota since 1979: 242. 67% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 23%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among adults in South Sarasota, 18% have been diagnosed with depression. On the CDC’s 31 measures, South Sarasota is ahead of Florida on 18 and behind on 3. Two figures for adults in the town: 31% sleep under 7 hours, 82% had a checkup this year.
| South Sarasota | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 37% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 79% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | South Sarasota | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.8% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Bradenton 5 Ese weather station, 12 miles away, records that about 116 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 52.6°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.7°.
For South Sarasota, the July high is 92°F. Snow almost never falls.
| South Sarasota | 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
Walkers can cover 0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail network density in South Sarasota is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| South Sarasota | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Phillipi Shores Park | — | 7 |
| 2. Red Rock Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 9.6 years of the North Port metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 94% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $4,675, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
South Sarasota’s midpoint rent is $1,693 a month. Homes sold in South Sarasota spent a median 93 days on the market. In South Sarasota, just over three quarters of households are owner-occupiers.
| South Sarasota | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,693 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7 within 15 miles of the center of South Sarasota
About 2 of every 100 South Sarasota residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
2 places in South Sarasota on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
South Sarasota is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,133 at the 2020 census, up from 4,950 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)
4 towns share a border with South Sarasota.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Sarasota | #177 | B− | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Sarasota | #224 | C+ | D | C+ | A− | B |
| Ridge Wood Heights | #124 | B | C− | — | A− | B |
| Siesta Key | #64 | B+ | D− | — | A− | A |
| Southgate | #44 | B+ | D | — | A− | A− |
South Sarasota, Ridge Wood Heights, Siesta Key and Southgate report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Sarasota with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Sarasota grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #177 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $780,000, 108% 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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