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Princeton vs St. Cloud

194 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4.6× in St. Cloud) and street grid (3× in Princeton).

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Princeton, FLAn outdoors townFlorida · 42,625 people
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St. Cloud, FLHomes around $390KFlorida · 65,130 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.

PrincetonAn outdoors town
Outdoors#8 most walkable in FL2.4 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 60%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Schools#242 for schools in FLof 488 towns All about Princeton →
St. CloudHomes around $390K
Housing$390K typical home4% above the FL typical home SchoolsBetter than 26%of FL districts HealthHealthier than 52%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about St. Cloud →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Trails4.6×
St. Cloud has more miles of trail
St. Cloud 11.0 miPrinceton 2.4 mi
Street grid3×
Princeton has the more walkable street grid
Princeton 218St. Cloud 73.0
Property tax bill+65%
Tax bills are bigger in Princeton
Princeton $4,577St. Cloud $2,770
Growth since 2010+10.8 pts
Princeton has grown faster since 2010
Princeton +78.4%St. Cloud +67.6%
Home values+20%
Homes cost more in Princeton
Princeton $426,900St. Cloud $356,200
Jobs per worker+61%
St. Cloud is more of a job hub
St. Cloud 0.37Princeton 0.23
★ What stands out · Report cards

Princeton places higher on 11 of 21 FL lists

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.

Safety
–PrincetonNot graded BSt. CloudSafer than 63% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−PrincetonBetter than 49% of districts in the state CSt. CloudBetter than 26% of districts in the state
Health
BPrincetonHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns B−St. CloudHealthier than 52% of U.S. towns
11Princeton
10St. Cloud

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest obesityHealth · 633 towns #150#537 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 635 towns #125#494 Most walkableOutdoors · 635 towns #8#323 Lowest depressionHealth · 633 towns #32#299 Lowest property taxCost of living · 626 towns #550#368 Most activeHealth · 633 towns #480#318 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 633 towns #575#456 Most affordableCost of living · 630 towns #447#335

Left end = #1 in Florida. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Princeton’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $320 more a month in Princeton

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.

Princeton$2,620/mo
Typical home $427K (Census) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,647/mo · Housing →
St. Cloud$2,300/mo
Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,683/mo · Housing →

The difference: $320 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Princeton and St. Cloud.

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.

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
PrincetonSt. Cloud
Snow a year0″0″
January low55°F50°F
July high90°F92°F
Growing season (days)365d355d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th77th
Outdoors & history
PrincetonSt. Cloud
Trails2 mi11 mi
Conserved land1%1.1%
Settled—1909
National Register places—4
Archive photos28
Famous people born here—3
Community
PrincetonSt. Cloud
Library hours a week—69 hrs
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

194 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PrincetonFLSt. CloudFL
Princeton ↔ St. Cloud194 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.

PrincetonSt. Cloud
People
Population 42,625Lowest 65,130Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +78.4%Highest FL: +14.6% +67.6%Lowest FL: +14.6%
Median age 33.5±1.4Lowest 21% below FL 36±1.4Highest 15% below FL
St. Cloud and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.4%±2.9Highest FL: 19.5% 26.5%±2.2Lowest FL: 19.5%
Princeton and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 8.6%±1.5Lowest FL: 21.3% 12.3%±1.3Highest FL: 21.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28%Lowest FL: 34.1% 31.6%Highest FL: 34.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.7%±1.1Lowest FL: 6.1% 6.9%±1.4Highest FL: 6.1%
St. Cloud and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $83,426±$7kHighest 12% above FL $83,174±$6kLowest 12% above FL
Princeton and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $426,900±$17kHighest 19% above FL $356,200±$9kLowest about the FL average
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,647±$165Lowest about the FL average $1,683±$122Highest about the FL average
St. Cloud and Princeton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,577Highest 68% above FL $2,770Lowest about the FL average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63.5%±8.5Highest FL: 60.1% 61.8%±9.4Lowest FL: 60.1%
Princeton and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.5%Highest FL: 12.6% 10.1%Lowest FL: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.3%Lowest FL: 67.6% 72.5%Highest FL: 67.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2008Highest 20 yrs newer than FL 2003Lowest 15 yrs newer than FL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 41 minHighest 45% above FL 36 minLowest 28% above FL
Work from home 14.2%±4.3Highest FL: 15.7% 13.4%±2.3Lowest FL: 15.7%
Princeton and St. Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3%Lowest 8.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miLowest 20.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.23Lowest 0.37Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Miami (15%)Orlando (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in St. CloudFew work in Princeton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 1.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.4 miLowest 11.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 218Highest 73.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #242 of 488 in FL#249 of 488 in FL
School district MIAMI-DADEOSCEOLA
High school in town Somerset Academy Charter High SchoolST. Cloud High School
Students per teacherat that high school 38.8Highest 22.9Lowest
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.

Princeton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Princeton’s Town Square.

St. Cloud neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Cloud’s Town Square.

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Bordering Princeton

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Goulds14,425 people · $481K homes
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Naranja15,796 people · $372K homes

Towns like Princeton

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Ocoee49,033 people · $406K homes
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Plant City40,887 people · $292K homes
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Greenacres44,373 people · $291K homes
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DeLand41,611 people · $331K 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.

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