What it's like to live in Winter Garden
Winter Garden is a small city in Florida with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Winter Garden deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, hot summers, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Winter Garden compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Winter Garden
Based on Winter Garden's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,926
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,520 a year
- 47% of Winter Garden renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,600
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 39% above US
$1,963/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,963 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 are steep, with a median around $476,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $476,000 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 19% below US
322 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1716/100k · Winter Garden Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% 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 50°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 28% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Canaveral National Seashore (54 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Winter Garden's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above 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 ($1,963/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Winter Garden
All Florida guides →Moving to Lake Butler →
4 mi away · pop. 17,125
Rent $2,487/mo · Income $182,500
Compare with Winter Garden →Moving to Horizon West →
5 mi away · pop. 67,416
Rent $2,464/mo · Income $127,335
Compare with Winter Garden →Moving to Clermont →
7 mi away · pop. 46,853
Rent $1,828/mo · Income $82,306
Compare with Winter Garden →Not sure Winter Garden is the one?
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