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Living in
Tavares.
About
Life in Tavares
Living in Tavares means settling into a quieter, more mature community where the pace is deliberately slower than what you'll find in nearby Orlando. As Lake County's county seat, it's a working town first and foremost—the seaplane base on Lake Dora is charming local color, but what actually matters day-to-day is that the median household income sits around $58,886 with an unemployment rate of just 4.2%, making the job market relatively stable if you're already employed or willing to commute the 26 minutes to Orlando for better opportunities. Housing is genuinely affordable compared to Florida's coasts; you're looking at a median home value around $254,500 and median rent near $1,496 a month, which feels reasonable given the region's growth, though understand that the population has jumped 17.8% recently and that momentum is changing the character of neighborhoods.
Tavares at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
53.1 yrs
Poverty Rate
9.3%
Foreign-Born
10.6%
Broadband Internet
86.7%
of households
Population Growth
+18.4%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.6% foreign-born, most often from Venezuela
Who lives in Tavares: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Tavares, the largest foreign-born group is from Venezuela (18.5%), and 12.3% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
14.7%
of residents
65 and Older
35.9%
of residents
Households with Kids
16.8%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
36.6%
of households
Married Couples
46.5%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.11
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 10% below FL average
Rent, home values, and income in Tavares
In Tavares, rent runs 10% below the FL average, and home values are 29% below the FL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
55.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
27.1%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
101.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,118
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
76.8%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1996
median year built
Vacant Homes
10.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $306,546 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for FL
Unemployment in Tavares and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Lake County, which includes Tavares, is close to the FL average.
Unemployment rate
Tavares: Lake County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Lake County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Tavares Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area
Commute30.6 min avg
How Tavares residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Tavares, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 58% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 30 mi
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
Small hub1.6M passengers boarded in 2025
- 36 mi
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Major hub28.0M 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 83% below national average
Crime rates for 2023
Older dataThe latest complete year reported to the FBI is 2023. It's compared with the national rate for 2023.
Violent crime in Tavares runs 83% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
66.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (386 national, 2023)
Property Crime Rate
294.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,951 national, 2023)
Tavares Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 5 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
91.9 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Lake County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Lake County, which includes Tavares, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 5 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | Flash Flood | $2.8M |
| 2024 | 8 | Tropical Storm | $14.4M |
| 2023 | 6 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5,500 |
| 2022 | 12 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5.9M |
| 2021 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | $500 |
| 2020 | 6 | Tornado | $2,000 |
| 2019 | 3 | Thunderstorm Wind | $250,000 |
| 2018 | 6 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1,000 |
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.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Lake County, county-wide
Air Quality35 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Lake County, which includes Tavares, is typically good — 342 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
35
Good Days
342
per year
Moderate Days
17
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Lake County, county-wide
Climate91°F summers, 51°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Tavares has hot summers (avg high 91°F) and warm winters (avg low 51°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
83°/62°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
91°/74°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
84°/65°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
72°/51°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
43.8"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
108
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
2
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
122
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°F | 49°F | 2.51" |
| Feb | 73°F | 52°F | 2.08" |
| Mar | 77°F | 56°F | 3.22" |
| Apr | 83°F | 62°F | 2.04" |
| May | 88°F | 68°F | 2.68" |
| Jun | 91°F | 73°F | 6.98" |
| Jul | 91°F | 75°F | 5.88" |
| Aug | 92°F | 75°F | 6.63" |
| Sep | 90°F | 73°F | 5.21" |
| Oct | 85°F | 66°F | 2.62" |
| Nov | 77°F | 57°F | 1.76" |
| Dec | 72°F | 52°F | 2.17" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Tavares
Tavares has 1 hospital, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
9.9%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
Adventhealth Waterman
Acute Care Hospitals
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Uf Health Leesburg Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.2 mi away · Leesburg
Lifestream Behavioral Center
Psychiatric · 10.2 mi away · Leesburg
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.
Education19.4:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Tavares
Tavares's student/teacher ratio is 19.4:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
7
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
25.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.4:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Tavares (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 4,177 students · in-state tuition $3,292 · 35% graduate · median earnings $44,593 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 506 students · in-state tuition $54,256 · 59% graduate · median earnings $28,501 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Canaveral National Seashore, 59 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Tavares
Tavares has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Canaveral National Seashore (59 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Canaveral National Seashore
National Seashore
59 mi awayFort Matanzas National Monument
National Monument
70 mi awayCastillo de San Marcos National Monument
National Monument
81 mi awayPublic Libraries in Tavares
Tavares Public Library
314 North New Hampshire Ave., Tavares
Cities Near Tavares
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Tavares?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Tavares FAQ
Is Tavares, Florida affordable?⌄
Tavares's median rent is $1,496/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $58,886/year. Median home value is $254,500.
Is Tavares, Florida safe?⌄
Tavares's violent crime rate was 66 per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 386/100k that year. Property crime rate is 294 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Tavares, Florida?⌄
Lake County, which includes Tavares, has an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Tavares, Florida?⌄
The cost of living in Tavares is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,496/month and median household income is $58,886/year. The median home value is $254,500. About 56% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Tavares, Florida?⌄
The average commute in Tavares is 31 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