Scores by category

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

Safety33#624/924
Economy42#533/925
Housing10#828/925
Health71#267/925
Healthcare37#586/923
Environment27#669/917
Education83#160/925
Infrastructure40#552/925
Community62#351/925
Leisure & amenities65#324/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Depression · low17.9%
98/100Florida 18.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · high41.4%
91/100Florida 34.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Comfortable days · high32.5%
91/100Florida 32.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
New business applications · high17.5 /1k
89/100Florida 27.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high1.3%
87/100Florida 1.2%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Gyms and fitness centers · high1.6 /10k
87/100Florida 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Rent as share of income · high34.7%
4/100Florida 35.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · high58.2%
4/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Distance to an Amtrak station · high154 mi
6/100Florida 27 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.489
10/100Florida 0.485United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
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
Median Air Quality Index · high50
13/100Florida 422025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

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

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
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
25.9% (Dec 2021) → 35.3% (Aug 2026)
+9.5 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Property crime rateImproving
4,053 /100k (2016) → 2,144 /100k (2020)
−47%4 yearsUS 2,444 /100k → 1,929 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
15.7 /100k (2021) → 9.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−37%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Arts, entertainment and recreationImproving
3.5 /10k (2020) → 4.7 /10k (2025)
+33%5 yearsUS 4.8 /10k → 5.5 /10k

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, Tallahassee, FL metro area improved on 14 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved14

Weekly wage+30%$930 → $1,211
Arts & recreation+33%3.5 /10k → 4.7 /10k
Restaurants+10%8.0 /10k → 8.8 /10k
Gyms+24%1.3 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Firearm deaths−12%17.2 /100k → 15.2 /100k

Declined4

Libraries−9.2%0.4 /10k → 0.3 /10k
Price / income+0.8×3.4× → 4.2×
Suicides+6.4%14.5 /100k → 15.5 /100k
Pharmacies−7.1%1.8 /10k → 1.7 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Tallahassee, FL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.5 /10k2020	4.7 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	90%
Average commute time	23.0 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	+0.1 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Average weekly wage	$9302020	$1,2112025	+30%	Improved	93%
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.4%2015-2019	41.4%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	57%
Broadband subscriptions	83.5%2015-2019	89.4%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Improved	14%
Child poverty rate	22.1%2015-2019	20.1%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Improved	47%
Distance to an airport	90 mi2020	90 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	13.9 /100k2020	9.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−29%	Improved	56%
Effective property tax rate	0.90%2015-2019	0.74%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	63%
Firearm deaths	17.2 /100k2020	15.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	69%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−0.9%	Little change	46%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+24%	Improved	74%
High school diploma or higher	90.6%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	4.2×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	20%
Homicide rate	9.0 /100k2020	7.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−13%	Improved	34%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,9202019	$63,6222024	+33%	Improved	58%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4822015-2019	0.4902020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	33%
Median household income	$51,8742015-2019	$65,2612020-2024	+26%	Improved	44%
New business applications	18.2 /1k2020	17.5 /1k2025	−4.2%	Little change	4%
Pharmacies	1.8 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−7.1%	Declined	53%
Poverty rate	20.0%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Improved	59%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−9.2%	Declined	13%
Public transit commuters	1.5%2015-2019	1.3%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent as share of income	33.9%2015-2019	34.7%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Rent-burdened households	57.2%2015-2019	58.2%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Restaurants and bars	8.0 /10k2020	8.8 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	79%
Suicide rate	14.5 /100k2020	15.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.4%	Declined	44%
Traffic deaths	15.8 /100k2015-2019	16.4 /100k2020-2024	+3.5%	Little change	56%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2020	4.1%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.2%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	57%

“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 Tallahassee, FL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Tallahassee, 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, Tallahassee, FL metro area itself moved −0.2 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

391,730 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

157,965 households (±1,247)

Tallahassee, FL metro area
United States share

Under $25k20%31,288
$25k–50k19%30,624
$50k–75k16%25,998

Homes

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

Owners and renters

157,965 households (±1,247)

Tallahassee, FL metro area
United States share

Own58%91,171
Rent42%66,794

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

187,990 workers (±2,589)

Tallahassee, FL metro area
United States share

Drive alone74%138,337
Carpool8.2%15,476
Public transit1.3%2,361

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 Tallahassee, FL employ 40,440 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Tallahassee, 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
Management Analysts6,160 jobs	6,160	$58,860US $101,860	−42%	5.73×
Fast Food and Counter Workers5,600 jobs	5,600

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.

Tallahassee, FL has 9,695 employer establishments, 246 for every 10,000 residents (0.99× the US rate of 248), with 123,521 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,311. The Census Bureau also counts 34,606 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,695; 34,606 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 246; US 248
Paid employees: 123,521
Average annual pay: $54,311; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	695	17.6	0.96×About typical	14,084	$20,512	166
Ambulatory health care services	693	17.6	0.84×About typical	8,836	$75,873	1,911
Specialty trade contractors	667	16.9	1.09×About typical	5,414	$50,619	2,009
Lessors of real estate	484	12.3	1.00×About typical	2,348	$48,926	3,079
Legal services	360	9.1	1.70×More than typical	2,486	$126,692	426
Management, scientific and technical consulting	359	9.1	1.36×More than typical	2,763	$135,627	1,500
Services to buildings and dwellings	359	9.1	1.35×More than typical	2,936	$30,699	2,888
Limited-service restaurants	332	8.4	1.05×About typical	6,781	$18,097	65
Full-service restaurants	293	7.4	0.97×About typical	6,337	$22,970	55
Computer systems design and related services	284	7.2	1.66×More than typical	2,370	$88,973	389
Construction of buildings	280	7.1	0.94×About typical	1,639	$68,479	893
Religious organizations	257	6.5	1.17×About typical	1,880	$24,187	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 394,551 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 $127.9M on contracts performed in Tallahassee, FL metro area: $322 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $127.9M; −28% vs FY2025
Per resident: $322; US $1,994
Sole-source: 20%; US 30%
Single offer: 15%; 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

Department of the Air Force$69.7M54%
Forest Service$16.7M13%
Defense Logistics Agency$13.1M10%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$7.5M5.9%
Department of the Navy$4.9M3.8%
Department of the Army$3.7M2.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2.8M2.2%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$2.6M2.0%

Top recipients

NOVA TECHNOLOGIES AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED ENGINEERING COMPANY$69.7M54%
GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS INC.$10.7M8.4%
BLASCO CONSTRUCTION CORP$5.2M4.1%
EDGE TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTORS, INC.$4M3.1%
GULF COAST HEAVY EQUIPMENT / FORESTRY SERVICES LLC.$3.6M2.8%

Spending by fiscal year

63.3MFY2017
126.6MFY2018
184MFY2019
75.6MFY2020
116.5MFY2021
155.8MFY2022
149.6MFY2023
148.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$70.1M55%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$13.3M10%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$8.7M6.8%
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors · 2381$5.2M4.1%
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$3.3M2.6%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362

Largest awards

C130-J MAINTENANCE AND AIRCREW TRAINING SYSTEM$368.3M
NOVA TECHNOLOGIES AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED ENGINEERING COMPANY· Leon County, FL· Equipment maintenance· Jan 8, 2020 – Jun 8, 2026· FA862120F6310
ABRAMS OBSOLESCENCE$44.4M
GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS INC.· Leon County, FL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 5, 2019 – Apr 24, 2026· W56HZV19C0062
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY - CENTER FOR ADVANCED POWER SYSTEMS (FSU-CAPS), TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES OF NAVY ADVANCED SHIPBOARD ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS.$20.4M
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY· Leon County, FL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 12, 2021 – Apr 30, 2026· N0002421C4113

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 $2.9B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Tallahassee, FL metro area: $7,412 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $2.9B; −1.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,412; US $12,955
Loan face value: $88.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.4B49%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$250.5M8.5%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$196.7M6.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$147.1M5.0%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$125.5M4.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$125.3M4.3%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$102.2M3.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$85.4M2.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY$136.1M4.6%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY$95.1M3.2%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY$62.1M2.1%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
TALLAHASSEE STATE COLLEGE$33.6M1.1%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
TALLAHASSEE HOUSING AUTHORITY$32.6M

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$1.8B60%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$361.1M12%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$284.9M9.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$157.6M5.3%
National Science Foundation$76.2M

Assistance by fiscal year

2.9BFY2021
2.5BFY2022
2.8BFY2023
2.8BFY2024
3BFY2025
2.9BFY2026

County aggregates

82%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Tallahassee, 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.

TallahasseePrincipal city201,875

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
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/M45220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Tallahassee, 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 Tallahassee, 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

Improved14

Declined4

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