Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety82#166/924
Economy74#239/925
Housing7#857/925
Health92#74/925
Healthcare37#581/923
Environment52#440/917
Education77#209/925
Infrastructure78#201/925
Community40#551/925
Leisure & amenities76#224/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Depression · low17.0%
99/100Florida 18.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
New business applications · high27.6 /1k
98/100Florida 27.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high93.7%
95/100Florida 91.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Comfortable days · high33.8%
95/100Florida 32.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low11.6 /100k
93/100Florida 15.6 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low14 mi
92/100Florida 21 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
1/100Florida 0.2 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high60.1%
2/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high35.0%
3/100Florida 35.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Hot days · high112 days
5/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Average commute time · high29.2 min
6/100Florida 28.0 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Severe housing problems · high18.8%
10/100Florida 19.0%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
2,680,430 (2020) → 2,957,672 (2025)
+10%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 62% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+62 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
3 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
30.1 /100k (2021) → 12.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−58%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
6.0 /100k (2021) → 3.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
29.7% (Dec 2021) → 37.5% (Aug 2026)
+7.8 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area improved on 16 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 1 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Unemployment−6.5 points10.4% → 3.9%
Household income+35%$58,368 → $78,533
Bachelor's++4.5 points32.2% → 36.7%
Homicides−55%6.6 /100k → 3.0 /100k
Uninsured−1.4 points14.2% → 12.8%

Declined7

Libraries−13%0.2 /10k → 0.2 /10k
Price / income+0.9×3.8× → 4.7×
Transit use−0.7 points1.7% → 1.0%
Rent / income+2.1 points32.9% → 35.0%
Rent burden+4.5 points55.5% → 60.1%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.4 /10k2020	6.0 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	57%
Average commute time	29.0 min2015-2019	29.2 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Average weekly wage	$1,0322020	$1,2982025	+26%	Improved	71%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.2%2015-2019	36.7%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Improved	85%
Broadband subscriptions	87.0%2015-2019	93.7%2020-2024	+6.7 points	Improved	20%
Child poverty rate	19.6%2015-2019	14.5%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Improved	77%
Distance to an airport	14 mi2020	14 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	6%
Drug overdose deaths	24.3 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−48%	Improved	80%
Effective property tax rate	0.93%2015-2019	0.78%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	59%
Firearm deaths	11.9 /100k2020	9.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Improved	81%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−5.8%	Declined	32%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−4.9%	Little change	30%
High school diploma or higher	89.5%2015-2019	91.1%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Improved	49%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	15%
Homicide rate	6.6 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−55%	Improved	82%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,9462019	$59,5942024	+30%	Improved	35%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4672015-2019	0.4612020-2024	−0.007	Little change	74%
Median household income	$58,3682015-2019	$78,5332020-2024	+35%	Improved	84%
New business applications	23.9 /1k2020	27.6 /1k2025	+16%	Improved	13%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	37%
Poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	73%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−13%	Declined	8%
Public transit commuters	1.7%2015-2019	1.0%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Declined	25%
Rent as share of income	32.9%2015-2019	35.0%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Declined	20%
Rent-burdened households	55.5%2015-2019	60.1%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Declined	21%
Restaurants and bars	9.0 /10k2020	9.6 /10k2025	+6.1%	Improved	69%
Suicide rate	11.3 /100k2020	11.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.6%	Little change	55%
Traffic deaths	13.2 /100k2015-2019	12.8 /100k2020-2024	−2.8%	Little change	67%
Unemployment rate	10.4%2020	3.9%2025	−6.5 points	Improved	98%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.2%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Improved	76%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area itself moved +5.6 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,793,746 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,022,315 households (±3,696)

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%134,452
$25k–50k17%177,983
$50k–75k17%177,915

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,022,315 households (±3,696)

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area
United States share

Own63%644,674
Rent37%377,641

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,378,915 workers (±6,874)

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area
United States share

Drive alone69%950,794
Carpool9.2%126,893
Public transit1.0%13,953

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL employ 315,280 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons49,970 jobs	49,970	$32,290US $35,410	−9%	1.41×
Waiters and Waitresses36,820 jobs	36,820

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL has 77,951 employer establishments, 272 for every 10,000 residents (1.10× the US rate of 248), with 1,232,903 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,921. The Census Bureau also counts 417,590 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 77,951; 417,590 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 272; US 248
Paid employees: 1,232,903
Average annual pay: $55,921; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	6,462	22.6	1.08×About typical	66,930	$67,681	16,782
Specialty trade contractors	5,657	19.8	1.28×More than typical	56,127	$59,618	26,484
Lessors of real estate	5,568	19.4	1.58×More than typical	29,088	$63,727	38,262
Restaurants and other eating places	5,316	18.6	1.01×About typical	116,024	$25,116	2,918
Management, scientific and technical consulting	2,947	10.3	1.53×More than typical	17,244	$79,476	12,600
Services to buildings and dwellings	2,899	10.1	1.50×More than typical	23,910	$37,936	30,658
Real estate agents and brokers	2,720	9.5	1.95×More than typical	11,429	$76,765	11,909
Construction of buildings	2,653	9.3	1.23×About typical	18,584	$86,892	15,735
Offices of physicians	2,378	8.3	1.28×More than typical	25,035	$99,888	2,476
Full-service restaurants	2,325	8.1	1.06×About typical	61,120	$29,412	1,379
Limited-service restaurants	2,312	8.1	1.01×About typical	46,717	$19,990	817
Legal services	1,968	6.9	1.28×More than typical	14,435	$117,728	2,519

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 2,863,651 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.8B on contracts performed in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area: $2,308 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $6.8B; −30% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,308; US $2,007
Sole-source: 47%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.2%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$2.5B37%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2B29%
Department of the Navy$789.6M12%
Department of the Army$730.7M11%
Federal Acquisition Service$328.7M4.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$228.4M3.3%
Defense Contract Management Agency$90.2M1.3%
Defense Microelectronics Activity$29.2M0.4%

Top recipients

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION$2.6B38%
LOYAL SOURCE GOVERNMENT SERVICES LLC$1.8B27%
V2X AEROSPACE LLC$287.2M4.2%
THE BOEING COMPANY$251.5M3.7%
LEIDOS, INC.$226.5M3.3%

Spending by fiscal year

5.8BFY2017
4.8BFY2018
5.4BFY2019
5.9BFY2020
7BFY2021
6.2BFY2022
6.5BFY2023
8.6B

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$2.8B41%
Offices of physicians · 6211$1.8B27%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$553.7M8.1%
Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing · 3333$358.9M5.3%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$329.1M4.8%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341

Largest awards

LONG RANGE ANTI-SHIP MISSILE/JOINT AIR-TO-SURFACE STANDOFF MISSILE LARGE LOT PROCUREMENT$7.2B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION· Orange County, FL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 27, 2024 – Apr 27, 2026· FA868224CB001
HELLFIRE BUY 17 PRODUCTION.$2.9B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION· Orange County, FL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 29, 2018 – May 16, 2026· W31P4Q18C0130
AGMS PRODUCTION$1.4B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION· Orange County, FL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 30, 2023 – May 15, 2026· W31P4Q23C0005
ARRW DEVELOPMENT

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $15.4B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area: $5,207 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $15.4B; −0.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,207; US $12,975
Loan face value: $1.7B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$9.4B61%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$2B13%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$1.2B7.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$739M4.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$460.8M3.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$459.8M3.0%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$121.3M0.8%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$100M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES$252.2M1.6%
ORLANDO, FL
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$221.3M1.4%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
VALENCIA COLLEGE$133.4M0.9%
ORLANDO, FL
FULL SAIL LLC$127.2M0.8%
WINTER PARK, FL
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$11.7B76%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$2.3B15%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$520.4M3.4%
Federal Highway Administration$233.5M1.5%
Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration$118.4M

Assistance by fiscal year

13.4BFY2021
12.6BFY2022
13.6BFY2023
14.5BFY2024
15.5BFY2025
15.4BFY2026

County aggregates

92%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Florida

Areas based in Florida, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M36740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Florida

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought