Is Brandon, FL a Good Place to Live?
Brandon is a mid-sized city of 114,923 in Florida, with a median household income of $71,156 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 103 (US average = 100), which is 3% above the national average.
Strengths: Brandon stands out for solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Brandon is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Brandon city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 103.4Brandon's overall cost of living index is 103.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Brandon costs roughly 3% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Brandon, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $266,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,570 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,156 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBrandon's violent crime rate is 131.1 per 100,000 residents — 66% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Brandon is served primarily by HILLSBOROUGH. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Brandon, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | HILLSBOROUGH | — |
| Elementary Schools | 178 | — |
| Middle Schools | 41 | — |
| High Schools | 48 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 34.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Brandon sees average highs of 74.8°F in January and 93.8°F in July, with 55.1 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Brandon, FL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 74.8°F |
| Average High — July | 93.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Brandon, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 114,923 | — |
| Median Age | 37.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 28.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 56.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 16.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 4.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Brandon
Brandon, FL is covered by 2 ZIP codes: