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%

Starke$1,330/mo

Typical home $236K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.48% · or rent about $840/mo · Housing →

Springfield$1,240/mo

Typical home $218K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $1,307/mo · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,100 a year, between Starke and Springfield.

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

Springfield places higher on 10 of 20 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

–StarkeNot graded DSpringfieldSafer than 13% of U.S. towns

Schools

CStarkeBetter than 32% of districts in the state B−SpringfieldBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

DStarkeHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns C−SpringfieldHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns

8Starke

10Springfield

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 631 towns #59#482 Shortest commuteGetting around · 635 towns #361#109 Most conserved landOutdoors · 578 towns #262#487 Fastest growingGrowth · 614 towns #397#592 Best schoolsSchools · 488 towns #315#466 Cheapest rentCost of living · 626 towns #11#164 Most walkableOutdoors · 635 towns #422#297 Most activeHealth · 633 towns #544#455

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

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

StarkeSpringfield

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 43°F

July high91°F 91°F

Growing season (days)277d 301d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th 93rd

Outdoors & history

StarkeSpringfield

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land3.5%0.8%

Settled—1935

National Register places3 —

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here12 —

Community

StarkeSpringfield

Library hours a week49 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

209 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

StarkeFL SpringfieldFL

Starke ↔ Springfield209 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

StarkeSpringfield

People

Population 5,877Lowest 8,230Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.4%Highest FL: +14.6% -9.3%Lowest FL: +14.6%

Median age 37±2.6Lowest 13% below FL 38±1.8Highest 11% below FL

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

Kids under 18 25.9%±6.4Highest FL: 19.5% 20%±3.9Lowest FL: 19.5%

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

Age 65+ 13.6%±3.4Lowest FL: 21.3% 17.7%±3.4Highest FL: 21.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.2%Highest FL: 34.1% 15.5%Lowest FL: 34.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±3.2Highest FL: 6.1% 4.8%±2.2Lowest FL: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,258±$16kLowest 30% below FL $54,462±$13kHighest 27% below FL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $214,300±$36kHighest 40% below FL $188,600±$23kLowest 47% below FL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $840±$61Lowest 50% below FL $1,307±$171Highest 22% below FL

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,027Highest 62% below FL $990Lowest 64% below FL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.9%±17.5Lowest FL: 60.1% 59.4%±14.5Highest FL: 60.1%

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

Below poverty line 28.7%Highest FL: 12.6% 22.3%Lowest FL: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 56.3%Lowest FL: 67.6% 62%Highest FL: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 10 yrs older than FL 1988Highest same as FL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the FL average 23 minLowest 18% below FL

Work from home 7.1%±5.4Lowest FL: 15.7% 7.2%±3.9Highest FL: 15.7%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.1%Highest 3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 miHighest 5.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.64Highest 0.38Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Jacksonville (17%)Panama City (32%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SpringfieldFew work in Starke

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.5%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 1.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 55.9Lowest 78.7Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #315 of 488 in FL #466 of 488 in FL

School district BRADFORDBAY

High school in town Bradford High SchoolRutherford High School

Students per teacherat that high school 23.8Highest 17.4Lowest

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.

Starke neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Life in Starke on a Saturday

1 neighbor in Starke can answer.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Starke and Springfield

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

Towns like Starke

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Parker4,509 people · $224K homes

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Pahokee5,609 people · $152K 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.

Starke vs Springfield

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Springfield places higher on 10 of 20 FL lists

What daily life feels like in each

209 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Life in Starke on a Saturday

Set another town beside Starke and Springfield

Towns like Starke

Post to Starke

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