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Compare towns

Lee vs Cottondale

125 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+40% in Cottondale) and street grid (2.3× in Cottondale).

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Lee, FLKnown for its schoolsFlorida · 835 people
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Cottondale, FLHomes around $135KFlorida · 822 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

LeeKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 22%of FL districts Housing$249K typical home34% below the FL typical home All about Lee →
CottondaleHomes around $135K
Housing$135K typical home64% below the FL typical home All about Cottondale →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Rent+40%
Rent runs higher in Cottondale
Cottondale $1,085Lee $773
Street grid2.3×
Cottondale has the more walkable street grid
Cottondale 30.9Lee 13.6
Work from home+11.9 pts
More people work from home in Cottondale
Cottondale 12.2%Lee 0.3%
Average commute5 min
Lee has the shorter commute
Cottondale 28 minLee 23 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $910 more a month in Lee

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Lee$1,680/mo
Typical home $249K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $773/mo · Housing →
Cottondale$780/mo
Typical home $135K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,085/mo · Housing →

The difference: $910 a month, about $10,900 a year, between Lee and Cottondale.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Florida ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
C−LeeBetter than 22% of districts in the state BCottondaleBetter than 56% of districts in the state
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
LeeCottondale
Snow a year0″0″
January low40°F39°F
July high91°F93°F
Growing season (days)273d263d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th80th
Outdoors & history
LeeCottondale
Archive photos2—
Famous people born here1—
Community
LeeCottondale
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

125 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeeFLCottondaleFL
Lee ↔ Cottondale125 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

LeeCottondale
People
Population 835Highest 822Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -9.1% FL: +14.6%
Median age 30.9±19.4Lowest 27% below FL 38.8±14.1Highest 9% below FL
Cottondale and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.1%±5.9Highest FL: 19.5% 20.9%±3.3Lowest FL: 19.5%
Lee and Cottondale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.8%±13.6Highest FL: 21.3% 22.4%±5Lowest FL: 21.3%
Lee and Cottondale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.1%Lowest FL: 34.1% 12%Highest FL: 34.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.2%±5.4Lowest FL: 6.1% 8.3%±5.5Highest FL: 6.1%
Cottondale and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $46,264±$2kHighest 38% below FL $36,959±$16kLowest 50% below FL
Lee and Cottondale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $97,900±$47kHighest 73% below FL $79,200±$29kLowest 78% below FL
Lee and Cottondale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $773±$21Lowest 54% below FL $1,085±$158Highest 35% below FL
Property taxmedian, yearly — $496 82% below FL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.4%±68Lowest FL: 60.1% 56.9%±23Highest FL: 60.1%
Cottondale and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 33.7%Highest FL: 12.6% 28.4%Lowest FL: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.5%Highest FL: 67.6% 66.9%Lowest FL: 67.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest 12 yrs older than FL 1977Highest 11 yrs older than FL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 18% below FL 28 minHighest about the FL average
Work from home 0.3%±0.5Lowest FL: 15.7% 12.2%±10.5Highest FL: 15.7%
Work in townworking residents 0.7%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miLowest 25.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 0.28Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Madison (25%)Marianna (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CottondaleFew work in Lee
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.6Lowest 30.9Highest
Schools
School district MADISONJACKSON
High school in town None in townCottondale High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.1
Florida average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Lee neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lee’s Town Square.

Cottondale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cottondale’s Town Square.

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Raiford382 people

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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