What it's like to live in Palmetto
Palmetto is a small city in Florida with air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Palmetto deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Clean air
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Palmetto compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Palmetto
Based on Palmetto's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,732
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,640 a year
- 56% of Palmetto renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$62,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,340
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,366/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,366 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $313,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $313,400 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Manatee 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.
Manatee County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 67% above US
608 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1786/100k · Palmetto Police Department · 2024 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% 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 54°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 22% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is De Soto National Memorial (4 miles away).
Bottom line
Palmetto's strongest point is air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,366/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Palmetto
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