Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when North Port scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Growing
83 / 100
Growing faster than 83% of metros
Less so: lively, historic.
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Of about 86,063 rented homes in the North Port area, 71% rent for under $2,000 a month and 93% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 13%
$1,000 to $1,499: 29%
$1,500 to $1,999: 29%
$2,000 to $2,499: 16%
$2,500 to $2,999: 6%
$3,000 or more: 7%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in the North Port area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Florida: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Florida DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools
One public school district serves this county, with about 45,077 students. The county also has 14 public charter schools and 32 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of North Port: Sarasota County School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of North Port
Elementary
Cranberry Elementary School0.6 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 779 students · 13.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 64%, math about 64% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
Glenallen Elementary School2.7 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 760 students · 13.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 50%, math about 52% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
Lamarque Elementary School2.8 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 1,076 students · 12.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 54%, math about 54% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
Middle
Heron Creek Middle School1.9 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 909 students · 15.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 47%, math about 55% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
Imagine School at North Port3.3 mi
Public charter
grades K to 12 · 1,177 students · 15.7 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 55%, math about 54% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
Woodland Middle School5.2 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 1,016 students · 16.9 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 55%, math about 59% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
High school
North Port High School2.0 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 2,577 students · 20 per teacher
Imagine School at North Port3.3 mi
Public charter
grades K to 12 · 1,177 students · 15.7 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading about 55%, math about 54% (state: reading about 53%, math about 55%)
State College of Fla Collegiate School-Venice7.5 mi
Public charter
grades 9 to 12 · 237 students · 23.7 per teacher
Private
Kindergarten Prep3.7 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 2 · 35 students · 11.7 per teacher
Englewood Christian School12.1 mi
Private
grades K to 12 · 73 students · 10.4 per teacher
Hope Presbyterian School13.0 mi
Private
grades K to 12 · 26 students · 2.2 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of North Port, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on Florida's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
45,077 students · 15.3 students per teacher · 62 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
School choice and pre-K in Florida
Going to school in another district
State law says districts must accept students from other districts when they have room, under set rules. Ask the district you'd like about space and deadlines.
Picking a different school in your district
State law says families can ask for a different school in the same district, and the district must allow it when there's room.
Free state pre-K
63% of 4-year-olds in Florida attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Florida keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$210/week
about $10,900 a year
$200/week
about $10,400 a year
Toddler (2)
$193/week
about $10,000 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$185/week
about $9,600 a year
$180/week
about $9,400 a year
School-age
$140/week
about $7,300 a year
For an infant at a center: $210/week here, $225 across FL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Public, 4-year · 8,411 students · $3,074 in-state, $11,595 out-of-state
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$403,540
What a typical home sells for across the North Port area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 2% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $102 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 102.4 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 7 min at rush hour
To downtown Tampa, FL, 63 miles. About 1 hr 2 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
26 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $7,136 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in FL. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
None within 5 miles
No hospital is mapped within 5 miles of the center. Check the drive to the nearest one before you move.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
14.7 per 100,000 people a year
70 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. FL average: 17.1 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 10.4 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 970 people without housing in the Sarasota, Bradenton/Manatee, Sarasota Counties area (2 counties): 445 in shelters and 525 outside, down from 1,157 in 2024. FL: 11.9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$80,633
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.76% of home value a year
About $760 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
FL's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
