© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Living in
Punta Gorda.
About
Life in Punta Gorda
Living in Punta Gorda means joining a small-city community of about 19,500 people where the median household income sits around $86,000 and homes average $518,100—making it accessible compared to many Florida metros, though not cheap. The population skews notably older, with a median age of 67.6 years and over half of residents 65 or older, which shapes the town's culture toward quieter neighborhoods, established routines, and strong retiree networks, though younger families are starting to move in. The real draw for locals is the waterfront lifestyle—Punta Gorda sits on the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor with the Harborwalk, Linear Park, and trails threading through the city for walking and cycling, plus easy access to boating and fishing that actually shapes how people spend weekends.
Punta Gorda at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
66.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
8.3%
Foreign-Born
7.3%
Broadband Internet
94.3%
of households
Population Growth
+4.0%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics7.3% foreign-born, most often from Canada
Who lives in Punta Gorda: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Punta Gorda, the largest foreign-born group is from Canada (19.1%), and 2.4% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.
Under 18
8.2%
of residents
65 and Older
53.6%
of residents
Households with Kids
11.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
29.0%
of households
Married Couples
59.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
1.96
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 16% below FL average
Rent, home values, and income in Punta Gorda
In Punta Gorda, rent runs 16% below the FL average, and home values are 44% above the FL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
60.0%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
28.5%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
100.5
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$4,774
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
81.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1994
median year built
Vacant Homes
25.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $334,685 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1 pts above FL average
Unemployment in Punta Gorda
Unemployment in Charlotte County, which includes Punta Gorda, is 1 percentage points higher than the FL average.
Unemployment rate
Punta Gorda: Charlotte County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Charlotte County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Punta Gorda Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute27.4 min avg
How Punta Gorda residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Punta Gorda, most residents drive alone to work (71%), and 67% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 4 mi
Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
Small hub1.1M passengers boarded in 2025
- 33 mi
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Medium hub5.5M passengers boarded in 2025
- 78 mi
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Major hub12.1M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 79% below national average
Crime rates for 2024
Violent crime in Punta Gorda runs 79% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
78.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (363 national, 2024)
Property Crime Rate
659.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,767 national, 2024)
Punta Gorda Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 10 events in 2024
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
95.2 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Charlotte County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Charlotte County, which includes Punta Gorda, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 10 recorded events in 2024.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | Funnel Cloud | $60,000 |
| 2023 | 5 | Funnel Cloud | $50,000 |
| 2022 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $3000.7M |
| 2021 | 3 | Tropical Storm | None reported |
| 2020 | 3 | Tropical Storm | $100,000 |
| 2019 | 2 | Lightning | $8,000 |
| 2018 | 5 | Lightning | $585,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Charlotte County, county-wide
Air Quality40 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Lee County, FL (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 23 miles from Punta Gorda) is typically good — 279 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
40
Good Days
279
per year
Moderate Days
86
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Lee County, FL (23 mi away)
Climate94°F summers, 54°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Punta Gorda has hot summers (avg high 94°F) and warm winters (avg low 54°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
87°/63°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
94°/74°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
88°/68°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
78°/54°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
54.8"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
136
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
1
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
101
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77°F | 53°F | 2.04" |
| Feb | 80°F | 55°F | 1.99" |
| Mar | 83°F | 58°F | 2.57" |
| Apr | 87°F | 63°F | 2.27" |
| May | 91°F | 67°F | 3.46" |
| Jun | 93°F | 73°F | 9.58" |
| Jul | 94°F | 75°F | 8.51" |
| Aug | 94°F | 75°F | 9.17" |
| Sep | 93°F | 74°F | 7.50" |
| Oct | 89°F | 68°F | 3.23" |
| Nov | 83°F | 60°F | 1.83" |
| Dec | 79°F | 56°F | 1.87" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Punta Gorda
Uninsured
4.1%
of residents
No hospitals inside Punta Gorda's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6.7 mi away · Port Charlotte
Adventhealth Port Charlotte
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6.9 mi away · Port Charlotte
North Port Behavioral Health
Psychiatric · 12.7 mi away · North Port
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education19.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda's student/teacher ratio is 19.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
4
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
41.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: De Soto National Memorial, 56 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being De Soto National Memorial (56 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
De Soto National Memorial
National Memorial
56 mi awayBig Cypress National Preserve
National Preserve
88 mi awayPublic Libraries in Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda Public Library
401 Shreve Street, Punta Gorda
Cities Near Punta Gorda
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Punta Gorda?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Punta Gorda FAQ
Is Punta Gorda, Florida affordable?⌄
Punta Gorda's median rent is $1,410/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $85,779/year. Median home value is $518,100.
Is Punta Gorda, Florida safe?⌄
Punta Gorda's violent crime rate was 78 per 100,000 residents in 2024, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 363/100k that year. Property crime rate is 659 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Punta Gorda, Florida?⌄
Charlotte County, which includes Punta Gorda, has an unemployment rate of 4.9%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Punta Gorda, Florida?⌄
The cost of living in Punta Gorda is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,410/month and median household income is $85,779/year. The median home value is $518,100. About 60% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Punta Gorda, Florida?⌄
The average commute in Punta Gorda is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from