Scores by category

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

Safety62#348/924
Economy64#335/925
Housing13#807/925
Health77#217/925
Healthcare33#618/923
Environment66#315/917
Education58#387/925
Infrastructure69#285/925
Community46#501/925
Leisure & amenities51#454/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Punta Gorda, FL metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

New homes permitted · high15.1 /1k
99/100Florida 7.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Distance to an airport · low10 mi
98/100Florida 21 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Depression · low19.0%
96/100Florida 18.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high56.0%
92/100Florida 46.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low11.7%
90/100Florida 17.9%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · low9.0%
90/100Florida 12.1%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Weaknesses

Rent-burdened households · high62.3%
1/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Hot days · high132 days
2/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
2/100Florida 0.2 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high35.9%
2/100Florida 35.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Social associations · low5.2 /10k
5/100Florida 6.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · high85%
11/100Florida 78%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
188,023 (2020) → 217,212 (2025)
+16%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 85% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+85 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New business applicationsImproving
11.1 /1k (2020) → 17.2 /1k (2025)
+54%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Homicide rateWorsening
3.2 /100k (2021) → 4.9 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+53%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
24.6 /100k (2021) → 11.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−53%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

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, Punta Gorda, FL metro area improved on 13 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 10. 5 moved within the margin of error and 3 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.

Improved13

Child poverty−8.5 points19.0% → 10.5%
Household income+36%$51,499 → $69,952
Weekly wage+27%$834 → $1,061
Poverty−2.1 points11.1% → 9.0%
Bachelor's++3.6 points23.4% → 27.0%

Declined10

Homicides+145%2.0 /100k → 4.9 /100k
Libraries−10%0.2 /10k → 0.2 /10k
Pharmacies−32%2.0 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Firearm deaths+35%13.3 /100k → 17.9 /100k
Price / income+0.9×3.8× → 4.7×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Punta Gorda, FL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.7 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	11%
Average commute time	24.8 min2015-2019	26.9 min2020-2024	+2.1 min	Declined	11%
Average weekly wage	$8342020	$1,0612025	+27%	Improved	81%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.4%2015-2019	27.0%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	69%
Broadband subscriptions	84.7%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Improved	27%
Child poverty rate	19.0%2015-2019	10.5%2020-2024	−8.5 points	Improved	92%
Distance to an airport	10 mi2020	10 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	15.4 /100k2020	11.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−25%	Improved	50%
Effective property tax rate	0.94%2015-2019	0.84%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	40%
Firearm deaths	13.3 /100k2020	17.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+35%	Declined	16%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+6.2%	Improved	71%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	23%
High school diploma or higher	90.6%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	15%
Homicide rate	2.0 /100k2020	4.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+145%	Declined	1%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,8482019	$59,6822024	+25%	Improved	7%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4602015-2019	0.4482020-2024	−0.012	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$51,4992015-2019	$69,9522020-2024	+36%	Improved	88%
New business applications	11.1 /1k2020	17.2 /1k2025	+54%	Improved	63%
Pharmacies	2.0 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−32%	Declined	8%
Poverty rate	11.1%2015-2019	9.0%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Improved	74%
Property crime rate	860 /100k2020	712 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	20%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−10%	Declined	11%
Rent as share of income	34.7%2015-2019	35.9%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Rent-burdened households	58.2%2015-2019	62.3%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Restaurants and bars	10.4 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	−4.6%	Little change	27%
Suicide rate	19.7 /100k2020	22.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+13%	Declined	34%
Traffic deaths	14.2 /100k2015-2019	15.5 /100k2020-2024	+9.3%	Declined	46%
Unemployment rate	8.0%2020	4.9%2025	−3.1 points	Improved	53%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.1%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Violent crime rate	152 /100k2020	118 /100k2025	−22%	Improved	62%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; 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 Punta Gorda, FL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Punta Gorda, 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, Punta Gorda, FL metro area itself moved −3.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

201,064 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

90,542 households (±1,202)

Punta Gorda, FL metro area
United States share

Under $25k15%13,141
$25k–50k20%18,057
$50k–75k20%17,709

Homes

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

Owners and renters

90,542 households (±1,202)

Punta Gorda, FL metro area
United States share

Own84%75,877
Rent16%14,665

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

71,770 workers (±1,515)

Punta Gorda, FL metro area
United States share

Drive alone72%51,470
Carpool7.8%5,611
Public transit0.1%†101

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 Punta Gorda, FL employ 14,960 people. 2 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Punta Gorda, 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 Salespersons2,720 jobs	2,720	$34,290US $35,410	−3%	1.89×
Waiters and Waitresses1,780 jobs	1,780

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.

Punta Gorda, FL has 4,601 employer establishments, 222 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248), with 44,163 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,625. The Census Bureau also counts 20,173 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,601; 20,173 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 222; US 248
Paid employees: 44,163
Average annual pay: $47,625; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Punta Gorda, FL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	529	25.6	1.65×More than typical	3,391	$55,511	1,433
Ambulatory health care services	446	21.6	1.03×About typical	4,277	$78,044	910
Lessors of real estate	346	16.7	1.36×More than typical	828	$45,324	2,732
Restaurants and other eating places	264	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	5,826	$24,142	74
Services to buildings and dwellings	262	12.7	1.88×More than typical	1,156	$40,989	1,647
Real estate agents and brokers	212	10.3	2.11×More than typical	430	$48,774	1,192
Offices of physicians	203	9.8	1.52×More than typical	1,789	$98,270	132
Construction of buildings	199	9.6	1.27×More than typical	793	$55,392	893
Building equipment contractors	198	9.6	1.59×More than typical	1,244	$56,037	250
Building finishing contractors	151	7.3	1.92×More than typical	523	$40,402	544
Full-service restaurants	142	6.9	0.89×About typical	3,665	$27,372	35
Management, scientific and technical consulting	122	5.9	0.88×About typical	259	$58,255	705

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 206,814 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 $19.4M on contracts performed in Punta Gorda, FL metro area: $89.44 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $19.4M; +65% vs FY2025
Per resident: $89.44; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.9%; US 8.8%

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

Top buying agencies

Transportation Security Administration$15.1M78%
Defense Logistics Agency$2M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.5M7.6%
Department of Energy$856.1K4.4%
Federal Acquisition Service$43.2K0.2%
Agricultural Research Service$27K0.1%
United States Mint$19K0.1%
Department of the Navy$8,0330.0%

Top recipients

AVIATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT LLC$15.1M78%
DOWNEAST LOGISTICS LLC$1.3M6.4%
VECTOR RESOURCE INC$856.1K4.4%
AMERICAN SURGICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIR LLC$802.7K4.1%
QUALITY SOCKET SCREW MANUFACTURING CORP$642.7K3.3%

Spending by fiscal year

6.6MFY2017
14.5MFY2018
13.4MFY2019
11MFY2020
11.7MFY2021
12.1MFY2022
22.8MFY2023
19.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$15.1M78%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$856.1K4.4%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$678.4K3.5%
Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing · 3333$602.3K3.1%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112$499.4K2.6%

Largest awards

COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY SCREENING SERVICES AT PUNTA GORDA AIRPORT (PGD) IN PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA IN SUPPORT OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA), SCREENING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (SPP).$34.8M
AVIATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT LLC· Charlotte County, FL· Facilities & utilities· Sep 20, 2023 – Sep 11, 2026· 70T05023F5900N015
NA-113'S TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES$3.9M
VECTOR RESOURCE INC· Charlotte County, FL· Professional services· Sep 18, 2023 – Jul 23, 2026· 89233123FNA400549
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIR - BASE YEAR$835.8K
AMERICAN SURGICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIR LLC· Charlotte County, FL· Equipment maintenance· May 14, 2025 – May 15, 2026· 36C25525P0308

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 $2.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Punta Gorda, FL metro area: $10,327 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $2.2B; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,327; US $12,955
Loan face value: $90.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.7B74%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$206M9.2%

Counties in Punta Gorda, 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.

Charlotte CountyCentral county59217,212

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Punta GordaPrincipal city20,278

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 2026-09-29
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
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/M39460

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined10

Metro and micro areas like Punta Gorda, 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

Counties in Punta Gorda, 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

Improved13

Declined10

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 buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates