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.

Down paymentRate%

Lee$1,680/mo

Typical home $249K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $773/mo · Housing →

Solana$1,260/mo

Typical home $187K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

The difference: $420 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Lee and Solana.

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 –SolanaNot graded

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

LeeSolana

Snow a year0″0″

January low40°F 53°F

July high91°F 94°F

Growing season (days)273d 365d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th 91st

Outdoors & history

LeeSolana

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—10.1%

National Register places—2

Archive photos2 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

LeeSolana

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

252 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeeFL SolanaFL

Lee ↔ Solana252 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.

Only big differences vs Florida average

LeeSolana

People

Population 835Lowest 948Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -9.6% FL: +14.6%

Median age 30.9±19.4Highest 27% below FL 25.4±29.1Lowest 40% below FL

Lee and Solana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 21.1%±5.9Lowest FL: 19.5% 21.6%±11.3Highest FL: 19.5%

Solana and Lee 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% 15.8%±6Lowest FL: 21.3%

Lee and Solana 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% 21.2%Highest FL: 34.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.2%±5.4Highest FL: 6.1% 0%±2.2Lowest FL: 6.1%

Lee and Solana 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 $32,484±$16kLowest 56% below FL

Lee and Solana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $97,900±$47kLowest 73% below FL $186,600±$59kHighest 48% below FL

Solana and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $773±$21 54% below FL —

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.4%±68Highest FL: 60.1% 33.3%±54.5Lowest FL: 60.1%

Lee and Solana 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% 17.5%Lowest FL: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.5%Lowest FL: 67.6% 75.5%Highest FL: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 12 yrs older than FL 1971Lowest 17 yrs older than FL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 18% below FL 18 minLowest 35% below FL

Work from home 0.3%±0.5Highest FL: 15.7% 0%±5.2Lowest FL: 15.7%

Lee and Solana are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.7%Lowest 1.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 19.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 1.38Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Madison (25%)Punta Gorda (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SolanaFew work in Lee

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 10.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.6Lowest 53.3Highest

Schools

School district MADISON—

High school in town None in town—

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.

Solana neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Solana’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lee and Solana

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Lee

+ Compare

Grand Ridge997 people · $107K homes

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Vernon815 people · $116K homes

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Coleman705 people · $162K homes

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Cottondale822 people · $79K homes

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.

Lee vs Solana

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $420 more a month in Lee

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

252 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Lee and Solana

Towns like Lee

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