?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Brandon, FL vs Lakeland, FL

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Brandon needs about $80,000 in Lakeland to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Lakeland, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $90,000 in Brandon.

A few differences

Brandon vs Lakeland · facet by facet
FacetBrandon, FLLakeland, FL
Median home price$339,000$249,400
2-bedroom rent$1,756/mo$1,355/mo
Property tax rate0.8%0.8%
State & local income tax0%0%
Sales tax7%7%
Cost of living index10493
Groceries index103103
Utilities$180/mo$180/mo
Median household income$79,685$64,185
Unemployment rate3.3%3.3%
Crime index45/10045/100
School rating5.8/105.8/10
Sunny days / year240 days240 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Brandon, FL · Lakeland, FL
Questions & answers
Is Brandon cheaper than Lakeland?
Lakeland has the lower day-to-day cost index (93 vs 104 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Lakeland equals $85,000 in Brandon?
A household earning $85,000 in Brandon needs about $80,000 in Lakeland to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Lakeland lifestyle costs about $90,000 in Brandon.