ORLANDO REALTOR |MOVING TO FLORIDA: SANFORD VS LAKE MARY
Lake Mary Downtown, FL | Orlando realtor Irina Paul | Photo credit Amir Tabrizi
Sanford or Lake Mary? Often times these are 2 popular towns in Seminole County that my buyers compare. Well, the winner is not so obvious because these 2 towns are like siblings with Sanford being an older brother .
Take a look at the zip code map, some areas of Sanford and Lake Mary are so close that it is hard to determine whether one ends and another starts. So let’s compare these two towns and hopefully this information will help you to decide which one is a better fit for you.
Lake Mary has definitely received more media attention and was ranked one of the best places to live in the US by CNN Money Magazine in 2007 (based on economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a sense of community).
Economic opportunity. Lake Mary is a home for major employers such as Verizon, Mitsubishi, Dixon Ticonderoga (largest pencil manufacturer in the world), Deloitte Consulting, The Institute of Internal Auditors, SunGard and many more.
Lake Mary is a decidedly white-collar city, with fully 91.66% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Lake Mary is a city of managers, professionals, and sales and office workers.
Sanford, on the other hand, is a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Sanford is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers.
Lake Mary is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 50% of adults in Lake Mary have college education. In Sanford this number is 23%.
Historic Downtown Sanford, FL. Views of St Johns River Orlando Realtor Irina Paul | Photo Credit: Amir Tabrizi
2. Let’s talk about schools.
Both Sanford and Lake Mary are in Seminole County Public School District which not only ranks as one of the top school systems in the state but also ranks nationally. Washington Post ranked Seminole County Public Schools in the top four percent in the nation. Sanford and Lake Mary are so close to each other that some of the areas in both towns share the same schools . With that said your property address will dtermine the school you are assigned to. Please, visit Seminole County Public schools website to find your school.
3. Things to do.
Sanford has a vibrant historic downtown with tons of options for dining, music and entertainment and tours vs Lake Mary with its cute but quite small downtown area. Sanford has its own mall, zoo, and with a multi- million project of River walk with 26-mile loop around Lake Monroe made up of many beautiful scenic roads and trails, this town will keep everyone entertained.
Historic Downtown Sanford, FL | Iconic Hollerbach’s German Restaurant | Orlando Realtor Irina Paul | Photo credit Amir Tabrizi
Lake Mary Downtown, FL | Restaurant Row | Orlando Realtor Irina Paul | Photo credit Amir Tabrizi Captive Emotions
4.Let’s talk about housing affordability. Lake Mary is among most expensive areas in FL with average home value at 321k vs Sanford at 235k. When it comes down to a new construction home prices, you will go from low 400s in Lake Mary and from mid 200s in Sanford. These are average numbers and of course Sanford has upscale areas with much higher averages.
In my opinion, with proximity of these 2 towns, especially if you are in West side of Sanford chances are you will visit same restaurants, same stores, same attractions and with a few exceptions kids will go to the same schools. So quite often you will only pay for the address. But let’s score these two towns based on the criteria above. Lake Mary wins in “Jobs “category; Sanford scores higher for schools as it has its own college; “things to do” both have a lot to offer so here I give each a score and on “house affordability“ - you can get “more house” for dollar spent in Sanford. So the winner today is Sanford! Comment below on what is important for you when deciding on an area to live and would you choose Lake Mary or Sanford?
Contact Irina Paul | Your Orlando REALTOR.
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