same $100k income, fresh start from Jacksonville

change
Sarasota, FL cityscape

next stop after jacksonville

Sarasota

fl · metro 262k

photo: Jeffrey Eisen / pexels

a dispatch from

sarasota

FL

27.34°N

82.54°W

Sarasota is the home of the Ringling Brothers Circus (the museum is wild, and yes, there's a vintage clown college history), and Siesta Key's beach is regularly named the best in America for its pure quartz sand. The cultural scene is heavy for a Florida city of its size (theater, opera, art museum). Gulf sunsets here are the brochure shot. The food scene has caught up to the city's wealth and the retirees' time.

metro262k

in our guides

#10

of 10

Sunniest affordable US cities

read the guide
#10

of 10

Affordable cities to escape the cold

read the guide
#3

of 10

Low-tax cities with great weather

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities in states with no income tax

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to live in the South

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best small cities to live in

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities on the East Coast

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities to live in Florida

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for a $150k salary

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for a $200k salary

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities to live in the Southeast

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities for foodies

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities to leave San Diego for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities to live in your 30s

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$442

more expensive each month than Jacksonville

Sarasota runs a little pricier than Jacksonville. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the sarasota entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,121/mo

26% more expensive than Jacksonville(vs $1,679/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Jacksonville

03after rent

$6,212/mo

$442 less than Jacksonville

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$423k

18% more expensive than Jacksonville

vs $358k in Jacksonville

05metro size

262k

vs 1.7M in Jacksonville

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

249

pleasant days a year, in sarasota.

Jacksonville barely cracks 198 pleasant ones.

Jacksonville hosts 17.3× more events.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

59/100

8% lower than Jacksonville

vs 64/100 in Jacksonville

Closest outdoor draw: Myakka River State Park, 15.9 mi.

·walk score®

96/100

3% higher than Jacksonville

vs 93/100 in Jacksonville

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

6

77% fewer than Jacksonville

vs 26 nonstops in Jacksonville

04 · see also

neighbors of sarasota on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

myrtle beach

more flight options

turn the page

see also

wilmington

$71/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

pensacola

$369/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare sarasota with:

Myrtle BeachWilmingtonPensacola