How Much Does It Actually Cost to Live in Sarasota and Manatee Counties Right Now?
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In May, United Way Suncoast released its annual ALICE report, which provides in-depth economic data about households in United Way Suncoast’s five-county service area of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto. ALICE stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed” and refers to households which earn more than the federal poverty level ($32,150 for a family of four), but make far less than what’s required to meet the basic cost of living in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The 2025 ALICE report shows a sharp increase in the cost of living between 2022 and 2023—and how tenuous financial security is, even for working families.
Florida
$8,796
Average annual amount Floridian households spent on groceries in 2023, based on the latest information available
Sarasota County
469,013
Sarasota County population
218,010
No. of households in Sarasota County
$77,705
Median income in Sarasota County
$104,424
Survival budget for a family of four (the minimum cost to live and work in Sarasota County, including housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and a basic smartphone plan)
10 Percent
The increase in the average household survival budget in Sarasota County from 2022 to 2023—the highest across United Way Suncoast’s five-county region
34 Percent
ALICE households in Sarasota County
43 Percent
Number of Sarasota County households now living below the ALICE threshold
$500,494
The median price of a home in Sarasota County in April 2025
Manatee County
441,095
Manatee County population
190,091
No. of households in Manatee County
$79,524
Median income in Manatee County
$95,004
Survival budget for a family of four (the minimum cost to live and work in Manatee County, including housing, child care, food, transportation, health care
and a basic smartphone plan)
8 Percent
The increase in the average household survival budget in Manatee County from 2022 to 2023
31 Percent
ALICE households in Manatee County
42 Percent
Number of Manatee County households now living
below the ALICE threshold
$450,535
The median price of a home in Manatee County in April 2025
Sources: United Way Suncoast, Lending Tree, Realtor Association of Sarasota-Manatee
