Local Mover Banner Image

Moving to Sarasota, FL?

Get Moving Quotes
Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5 Vendor 6 Vendor 7 Vendor 8 Vendor 9

Everything You Should Know Before Moving to Sarasota, FL

Thinking of relocating to Sarasota, FL? With a vibrant population of 56,888 and beautiful weather featuring 76% sunny days, Sarasota blends coastal charm with a moderate cost of living. The median home price sits at $505,000, and average rents are around $1,730, while the average commute is a manageable 22.8 minutes. Residents enjoy reputable schools, abundant healthcare options, and a lively arts scene, though property crime rates are higher than the national average. Explore more on housing, lifestyle, and local highlights to see if Sarasota fits your next move!

Demographics - Sarasota, FL

Demographics - Sarasota, FL

Sarasota is home to 56,888 residents, with a population density of 3,820 people per square mile and a median age of 49.5, reflecting its appeal to both retirees and families. The city is predominantly White (79.1%), with notable Black (14.5%) and Hispanic communities, and about 16% of residents speak a language other than English at home.

demograph population
Population:
56,888
demograph density
Density:
3,820 per sq mi
demograph median age
Median Age:
49.5
Demograph Gender Ratio
Gender Ratio:
90 males per 100 females
demograph Non English Speakers Percentage
Non-English Speakers Percentage:
16.2%
demograph ethnicCompositionEthnic Composition
demograph whites
White:
79.1%
demograph blacks
Black:
14.5%
demograph asian
Asian:
2.0%
demograph others
Others:
4.4%
People moving
People moving

Cost Of Living

Cost Of Living

What is the average cost of living in Sarasota, FL?

Sarasota's cost of living index is 11% above the U.S. average, largely due to higher housing costs, with median home values at $505,000 and typical rents around $1,730 per month. Residents benefit from Florida’s absence of state income tax, but utilities, groceries, and transportation remain close to national averages.

cost of living medianHouseValue
Median House Value:
$505,000
cost of living grossRent
Gross Rent:
$1,730
cost of living monthlyElectricityCharges
Monthly Electricity Charges:
$135
cost of living autoInsurance
Auto Insurance:
$2,250
cost of living houseownerCostWithMortgage
House Owner Cost With Mortgage:
$2,270
cost of living houseownerCostWithoutMortgage
House Owner Cost Without Mortgage:
$780
cost of living stateTaxes State Taxes:
Low:
0% (no state income tax)
|
High:
0% (no state income tax)
cost of living costOfLivingIndex
Cost Of Living Index:
111.5
cost of living grocery
Grocery:
106.1
cost of living housing
Housing:
124.2
cost of living utilities
Utilities:
98.7
cost of living transportation
Transportation:
104.3
cost of living health-care
Health Care:
102.5
cost of living miscellaneous
Miscellaneous:
101.0

Crime

Crime

Is Sarasota, FL a safe place to live?

Sarasota experiences a higher property crime rate than the national average, with about 2,160 property crimes per 100,000 residents and a 1 in 46 chance of being affected. Violent crime is less prevalent, with a rate of 332 incidents per 100,000 people, or a 1 in 301 chance.

crime voilentCrimes
Violent Crimes Per 100k:
332
crime propertyCrime
Property Crimes Per 100k:
2,160
crime crimeIndex
Crime Index:
2,492
crime chanceOfViolentCrime
Chance Of Violent Crime:
1 in 301
crime chanceOfPropertyCrime
Chance Of Property Crime:
1 in 46
People moving
People moving

Weather

Weather

What is the weather like in Sarasota, FL year-round?

Sarasota boasts a warm, subtropical climate with mild winters (lows near 52°F) and hot, humid summers (highs up to 91°F). Residents enjoy abundant sunshine—about 76% of days are sunny—and the city receives around 56 inches of rainfall annually, making it ideal for outdoor activities.

weather winterWinter
weather min
Min:
52°F
weather max
Max:
73°F
weather springSpring
weather min
Min:
62°F
weather max
Max:
84°F
weather summerSummer
weather min
Min:
74°F
weather max
Max:
91°F
weather fallFall
weather min
Min:
67°F
weather max
Max:
85°F
weather averageRainfallInches
Average Rainfall Inches:
56.0 inches
weather sunnyDays Percentage
Sunny Days Percentage:
76%

Neighbors

Neighbors

Sarasota’s households earn a median income of $64,142, and about 42.7% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Commutes average 23 minutes, the unemployment rate is low at 3.6%, and 13.5% of residents live below the poverty line, reflecting moderate economic diversity.

neighbor medianIncome
Median Income:
$42,800
neighbor householdIncome
Household Income:
$64,142
neighbor familyIncome
Family Income:
$81,070
neighbor perCapitaIncome
Per Capita Income:
$48,271
neighbor incomeMale
Income Male:
$53,900
neighbor incomeFemale
Income Female:
$39,100
neighbor povertyRate
Poverty Rate:
13.5%
neighbor nonEnglishSpeakers
Non English Speakers:
16.2%
neighbor rent
Rent:
$1,730
neighbor unemployment
Unemployment Rate:
3.6%
neighbor publicTransport
Public Transport Usage:
1.9%
neighbor commuteTime
Commute Time:
22.8 minutes
neighbor educationEducation
neighbor highSchool
High School or Higher:
92.1%
neighbor bachelors
Bachelors or More:
42.7%
People moving
People moving

Education

Education

How are the schools in Sarasota, FL?

Sarasota offers a variety of public and private education options, including Sarasota High School and The Out-of-Door Academy, plus local colleges like New College of Florida and Ringling College of Art and Design. Over 92% of adults have at least a high school diploma, supporting a well-educated community.

education PublicSchoolsPublic Schools
education publicName
Name:
Sarasota High School
education publicStreet
Street:
2155 Bahia Vista St
education publicPhone
Phone:
941-955-0181
education publicStudents
Students:
2,400
education publicStudentTeacherRatio
Student Teacher Ratio:
19.5


education publicName
Name:
Southside Elementary School
education publicStreet
Street:
1901 Webber St
education publicPhone
Phone:
941-361-6420
education publicStudents
Students:
750
education publicStudentTeacherRatio
Student Teacher Ratio:
15.7


education privateSchoolsPrivate Schools
education privateName
Name:
The Out-of-Door Academy
education privateStreet
Street:
444 Reid St
education privatePhone
Phone:
941-349-3223
education privateStudents
Students:
765


education collegesColleges
education collegeName
Name:
New College of Florida
education collegeCity
City:
Sarasota
education collegeState
State:
FL
education collegeDistance
Distance:
0 miles
education collegeStudents
Students:
675


education collegeName
Name:
Ringling College of Art and Design
education collegeCity
City:
Sarasota
education collegeState
State:
FL
education collegeDistance
Distance:
0 miles
education collegeStudents
Students:
1,700


Healthcare

Healthcare

The city offers excellent healthcare access, with top-rated hospitals like Sarasota Memorial and Doctors Hospital, and a strong physician presence at 3.2 doctors per 1,000 residents. About 89% of locals have health insurance, contributing to Sarasota’s reputation for high-quality medical care.

healthcare majorHospitals Major Hospitals
healthcare hospitalName
Name:
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
healthcare hospitalAddress
Address:
1700 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239
healthcare hospitalPhone
Phone:
(941) 917-9000
healthcare hospitalType
Type:
General & Surgical
healthcare emergencyServices
Emergency Services:
Yes


healthcare hospitalName
Name:
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
healthcare hospitalAddress
Address:
5731 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233
healthcare hospitalPhone
Phone:
(941) 342-1100
healthcare hospitalType
Type:
General & Surgical
healthcare emergencyServices
Emergency Services:
Yes


healthcare physiciansPer1000
Physicians Per 1000:
3.2
healthcare healthInsuranceCoverage
Health Insurance Coverage:
88.6%
healthcare healthCareIndex
Health Care Index:
78.4
Healthcare
Housing Market

Housing Market

Housing Market

What is the housing market like in Sarasota, FL?

Sarasota’s housing market features a median home price of $505,000 and average two-bedroom rents of $1,730, with 58% of homes owner-occupied. The area has seen steady appreciation (6.1% over the past year), relatively low vacancy and foreclosure rates, and moderate new construction activity.

housing market medianHomePrice
Median Home Price:
$505,000
housing market averageRentFor2Bedroom
Average Rent For 2 Bedroom:
$1,730
housing market ownerOccupiedRate
Owner Occupied Rate:
57.6%
housing market rentalVacancyRate
Rental Vacancy Rate:
6.9%
housing market homeAppreciationRate1Yr
Home Appreciation Rate (1yr):
6.1%
housing market newConstructionRate
New Construction Rate:
2.3%
housing market foreclosureRate
Foreclosure Rate:
0.6%

DMV Information

DMV Information

Vehicle services for Sarasota residents are managed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, accessible online or at the main office in Bartow. The DMV provides licensing, registration, and titling services, with statewide support and helpful resources for new arrivals.

dmv state
State:
Florida
dmv department
Department:
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
dmv address
Address:
601 North Broadway Ave, Bartow, FL 33830
dmv phone
Phone:
1-850-617-2000
DMV

Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is based on publicly available sources including AccuWeather, U.S. Census Bureau, local government data, and third-party partners such as Neustar. While we strive to ensure accuracy, all data is provided “as is” and should be independently verified before making any decisions. Movers.com makes no guarantees regarding the completeness or reliability of the information.

Top Movers in Sarasota, FL

Planning a relocation in or near Sarasota? We have you covered. Whether you're moving across a street or across town, our dependable network of local movers is ready to handle every aspect of your relocation. Find expert movers who will make your move as seamless, efficient, and stress-free as possible, from packing and loading to transporting and unpacking. Explore specialty moving services, compare estimates, and contact a reputable moving company in Sarasota.

Local Moving Services Local Movers

Sarasota, FL

Piano Moving Services Piano Movers

Sarasota, FL

Cheap Movers Cheap Movers

Sarasota, FL

Small Mover Small Movers

Sarasota, FL

Small Mover Apartment Movers

Sarasota, FL

Small Mover Long Distance Movers

Sarasota, FL

FAQs About Moving to Sarasota, FL

Moving illustration

Check the cost of living, housing, traffic, and public transit in Sarasota. Each neighborhood has its own vibe, so pick one that fits your lifestyle. Be prepared for Sarasota climate and weather.

Moving within Sarasota usually costs between $300 and $1,500. Moving long distances can cost anywhere from $2,000 to more than $5,000. The price may go up if you need extra services like packing or storage. Fill out Movers.com quote form to compare the quotes easily.

While moves happen year-round, spring and fall are often more comfortable in Sarasota. Booking outside of peak summer or winter seasons can save money and make scheduling easier.

Yes! Majority of moving companies in Sarasota offer full service moving, which means they will help you pack, unpack, and arrange your belongings.

You should plan your move from Sarasota at least 4 to 8 weeks in advance, especially if you're moving during the busy season (summer). You can get better availability, prices, and flexibility with your moving date if you book early. If you book at the last minute, you may have fewer choices or pay more.
Get Quotes