What it's like to live in Mount Dora
Mount Dora is a small city in Florida with crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a highly educated workforce, 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. Mount Dora deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Mount Dora compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mount Dora
Based on Mount Dora's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,444
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,880 a year
- 59% of Mount Dora renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,190
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 22% above US
$1,722/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,722 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $381,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $381,900 · 59% 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▼ 49% below US
203 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 3142/100k · Mount Dora Police Department · 2020 data
Getting around▲ 14% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.7 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; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% 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 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Canaveral National Seashore (53 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mount Dora's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,722/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Mount Dora
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