What it's like to live in Oldsmar
Oldsmar is a small city in Florida with county unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Oldsmar deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, hot summers, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Oldsmar compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oldsmar
Based on Oldsmar's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,854
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,080 a year
- 66% of Oldsmar renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,030
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,427/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,427 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $380,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $380,300 · 66% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pinellas County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pinellas County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 57% below US
142 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 1378/100k · Oldsmar Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 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; 23% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 53°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% 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
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is De Soto National Memorial (36 miles away).
Bottom line
Oldsmar's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,427/mo) equals 19% 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 (23% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Oldsmar
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