Plantation vs Sarasota
The short version
- Sarasota is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the Plantation area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $463,000 in Sarasota and $483,500 in Plantation.
- Households earn more in Plantation ($92,541 vs $72,105 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Sarasota (21 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Plantation, FL | Sarasota, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 99,183 | 58,458 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.2% | +6.6% |
| People per square mile | 4,560 | 3,976 |
| Median age | 40.2 | 48.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $92,541 | $72,105 |
| Median home value | $483,500 | $463,000 |
| Home value to income | 5.2× | 6.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,240 | $1,684 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 114.2 | 102.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 155.6 | 128.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,600 | $76,800 |
| Homeowners | 64% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.6 | 20.7 |
| Work from home | 18% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 3.6% |
| Poverty rate | 10% | 15% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 76° / 58° | 73° / 52° |
| July high / low | 90° / 76° | 91° / 75° |
| Precipitation per year | 69 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 75 | 85 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.5 | 98.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 53% | 63% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.8% | +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: Plantation: December to April. Sarasota: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Plantation 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 $85,600 in Plantation and $76,800 in Sarasota. Moving from Plantation to Sarasota, you would need about $67,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Plantation 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 Plantation and Sarasota.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.