Palm Coast vs Sarasota
The short version
- Palm Coast is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Sarasota area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $350,800 in Palm Coast and $463,000 in Sarasota.
- Households earn more in Palm Coast ($77,350 vs $72,105 median).
- Sarasota has the warmer winter: January highs of 73°F vs 68°F.
- Palm Coast is growing faster: +23.2% since 2020 vs +6.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Sarasota (21 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Palm Coast, FL | Sarasota, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 109,886 | 58,458 |
| Growth since 2020 | +23.2% | +6.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,141 | 3,976 |
| Median age | 50.4 | 48.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $77,350 | $72,105 |
| Median home value | $350,800 | $463,000 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,782 | $1,684 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 99.4 | 102.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 108.4 | 128.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $74,500 | $76,800 |
| Homeowners | 82% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.0 | 20.7 |
| Work from home | 17% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.5% | 3.6% |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 15% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 47° | 73° / 52° |
| July high / low | 91° / 74° | 91° / 75° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 78 | 85 |
| Nights below freezing | 4 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 8 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 82.8 | 98.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 81% | 63% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.2% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +38.6% | +37.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Palm Coast: October to May. Sarasota: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Palm Coast weather by month and Sarasota weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $74,500 in Palm Coast and $76,800 in Sarasota. Moving from Palm Coast to Sarasota, you would need about $77,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Palm Coast and Sarasota
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Palm Coast and Sarasota.
Which would you pick?
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