What it's like to live in Minneola
Minneola is a small city in Florida with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Minneola deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Minneola compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Minneola
Based on Minneola's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,146
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $82,920 a year
- 33% of Minneola renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,080
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 47% above US
$2,073/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,073 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $420,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $420,800 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lake County is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lake County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 69% below US
123 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 708/100k · Minneola Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 51°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Canaveral National Seashore (61 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Minneola's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,073/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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