The Sarasota metro area: Manatee and Sarasota counties · Population 889,339 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Sarasota area
Household size in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The Sarasota area is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.40 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only six have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.9 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.4 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.0 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
The Sarasota area skews older: half of its residents are older than 52.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 48.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The Sarasota area has the oldest population of any large metro area.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in the Sarasota area: 7.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The Sarasota area has the lowest share of single-parent households of any large metro area.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Sarasota area
Renters in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.8% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.0% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.4% of households in the Sarasota area rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly half of owners (47.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the east. Only two of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in the Sarasota area: 16.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
The Sarasota area has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the west.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,142 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,131 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,399 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,992 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$850 | +$724 | +$606 |
Rent in the Sarasota area runs $1,992 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $850 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Sarasota area
Bachelor's degrees in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.2% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.4% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.7% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.4 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in the Sarasota area than nationally: 39.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 12.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the northwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.4% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.8% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.2% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.1% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Sarasota area is above the national rate: 93.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.7 points, in line with the national trend. The Sarasota area has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of large metro areas.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Sarasota area
| Period | Sarasota area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in the Sarasota area than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Sarasota area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota area (all) | 2.35 | 52.0 | 7.2% | 24.4% | 16.8% | 1993 | $1,992 | 39.7% | 93.1% | 4.1% |
| Bradenton | 2.48 | 50.4 | 7.4% | 28.1% | 17.5% | 1999 | $2,152 | 44.5% | 92.0% | 4.9% |
| North Port | 2.60 | 46.7 | 8.3% | 21.2% | 10.9% | 2001 | $2,012 | 27.0% | 93.3% | 5.0% |
| Venice | 1.91 | 66.6 | 4.0% | 14.9% | 22.7% | 1996 | $2,041 | 44.7% | 95.9% | 3.4% |
| Palmetto | 2.75 | 45.6 | 9.4% | 17.5% | 17.2% | 1996 | $1,896 | 30.4% | 90.6% | 2.8% |
| South Bradenton | 2.33 | 47.5 | 10.2% | 43.0% | 22.2% | 1973 | $1,305 | 17.1% | 80.6% | 4.8% |
| Parrish | 2.74 | 46.8 | 3.6% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 2011 | $2,081 | 43.7% | 98.4% | 2.1% |
| Bayshore Gardens | 2.36 | 44.5 | 15.2% | 34.2% | 18.3% | 1974 | $1,538 | 20.1% | 84.5% | 10.4% |
| Arcadia | 2.59 | 44.1 | 16.6% | 30.2% | 19.0% | 1985 | $909 | 12.9% | 74.2% | 10.2% |
| Fruitville | 2.14 | 50.6 | 7.4% | 37.5% | 8.3% | 1996 | $2,116 | 42.0% | 94.5% | 2.8% |
| Sarasota Springs | 2.49 | 44.3 | 8.8% | 20.4% | 11.0% | 1975 | $2,024 | 30.6% | 93.6% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Greensboro area · Stockton area · Charleston area · Dayton area · Columbia area · Oxnard area · Allentown area · Worcester area · New Haven area · El Paso area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Sarasota area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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