Lakewood Ranch, FL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Florida·Lakewood Ranch

Manatee County · North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton · population 34,877

Bargain huntersRenter-friendlySmall-town feel
View watchlist →
40
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lakewood Ranch stands

17% off 5-year peak. home values down 6.4% in the last year.

Median home $587,723
1-year -6.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.6%
vs 5-yr peak -17.0%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$588k$344k$475k$606k$736k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
81/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,402/mo$0$1,431$2,861202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent13211880100120140160202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.4
Lean rent

At a 20.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Lakewood Ranch. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
19 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
68 · w22%
Distance from peak
27 · w18%
Rent YoY
31 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
59 · w10%
Long thesis

Lakewood Ranch has held up across the cycle: home values at $587,723 with +5.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Lakewood Ranch is down 6.4% over the last 12 months and the trend isn't flattening. Falling knife rule applies: you don't catch one with your hands, you wait for it to hit the floor and stop moving.

About Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch is a city in Manatee County, Florida, with an estimated population of 34,877. It anchors the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro area. The median home value in Lakewood Ranch is $587,723 as of 2026-04, down 6.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.6% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 17% below its 5-year peak. Rents in Lakewood Ranch average $2,402 per month, down 2.8% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 40 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +5.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
The data is the data: Lakewood Ranch has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Prices actively falling: down 6.4% in the last 12 months — buyer sentiment has flipped. Sellers competing on price.
17% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Manatee County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Manatee County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Lakewood Ranch

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
70° / 51°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
90° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
233
~64% of year
Annual precip
54″ rain
0″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very high
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Very high

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lakewood Ranch listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
76%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$67,900
Florida state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismHealthcareConstruction

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Lakewood Ranch

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Florida cities →    Browse best-of lists →