Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Homes are expensive, about $295K for a typical one and 3.9 times the Wildwood metro’s $77K median household income. Overall it grades C, 369th among Florida's 634 graded towns. Its public schools beat 86% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. Wildwood's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Only 10 of the 122 Florida towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Wildwood.
Where Wildwood beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood Elementary School | PK–5 | 678 |
| Wildwood Intermediate School | 3–6 | 409 |
| Wildwood Middle/ High School | 6–12 | 710 |
6,709 counted in 2010 and 15,730 in 2020; an estimated 19,436 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 23% since 2020, after 134.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Wildwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 419 in 1890, a low of 244 in 1900, 15,730 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2002 and 2 maps from 1893 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wildwood, and how to reach them.
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 Wildwood.
Wildwood has schools in the top 5% of Florida, draws workers from The Villages and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
People 65 and older are 47% of residents (21% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (21% statewide). 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 64.2 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 10% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 31% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 76 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.4 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 74% are men (FL 50%). Median age: women 63.8, men 65.1.
| Wildwood | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.1% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 31.7% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.3% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.7% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.6% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.6% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.3% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its A ranks #20 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 $295K.
Its public schools are run by the Sumter school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Wildwood Middle/ High School, with 710 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 678 | B |
| Wildwood Middle/ High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 710 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
53 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Wildwood’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Harlow Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
13,061 jobs are based in Wildwood, 2.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 4,949 in 2013 to 13,061.
About one in 5 of Wildwood’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Wildwood grew to 13,061 in 2023, 8,112 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Wildwood is 22 minutes.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
72.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 60.1% across Florida. The median property tax bill is $4,246, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Wildwood home is worth about $295,000, down 0.9% in a year, 21% below the Florida typical home.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,519 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 72% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Lisbon weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 73 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 46.1°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.6°.
Wildwood has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 46°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Wildwood beats the Florida average on 14 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 11% of Wildwood adults binge drink.
| Wildwood | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 23% |
| What stands out | Wildwood | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.2% | 13.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.5% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.3% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wildwood.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wildwood's reported crime rate is well below Florida's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 19 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wildwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a year
20 mi MountainSugarloaf Mountain37 mi Theme parkVillains Land
28 mi National forestOcala National Forest
40 mi State parkWeeki Wachee SpringsUniversal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Sugarloaf Mountain: Lithium6ion at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Ocala National Forest: Sandra Friend, Public domain · Weeki Wachee Springs: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Wildwood
About 2 of every 100 Wildwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Wildwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Wildwood.
City in Florida, United States
Wildwood is a city in Sumter County, Florida, United States. Its population was 15,730 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Wildwood.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood | #369 | C | D− | — | A | B |
| The Villages | #105 | B | D | — | A | B+ |
| Leesburg | #526 | D | C+ | C− | B | C− |
| Coleman | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wildwood and The Villages report no FBI crime data of their own. Coleman isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wildwood with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wildwood grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #369 of 634 in Florida. It grades B 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−.
4 notable people were born here, including Elizabeth Cook and Ellis Johnson.
