Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Brandon, FL
VS
Cape Coral, FL
🏆 Brandon leads 11 of 19 categories
Brandon
Florida
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.4⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$71,156
Violent Crime Index
35
Population
114,923
Cape Coral
Florida
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$72,474 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Brandon, FL
Pros
Violent crime is well below the national average (131.1 vs 380/100k)
Homes cost $36k less ($266,400 vs $302,400)
More college-educated — 34.0% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Key Differences at a Glance
Brandon
Cost of Living
2% cheaper
COL index 103.4 vs 104.9 (100 = US avg)
Brandon
Median Home Value
$36k less
$266,400 vs $302,400
Cape Coral
Median Income
$1,318
$72,474 vs $71,156/yr
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Brandon, FL | Cape Coral, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.4⚠ High ✓ Cheaper | 104.9⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $266,400 ✓ Lower | $302,400 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,570⚠ High ✓ Lower | $1,630⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $71,156 | $72,474 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6%⚠ High | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.0 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 28.6 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 13.9% ✓ Higher | 11.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 29 | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 35 | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 21 | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (96) ✓ Better | C+ (87) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 19.7:1 ✓ Smaller | 20.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 34.0% ✓ Higher | 24.6% |
| High School or Higher | 90.8% | 92.8% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | HILLSBOROUGH | LEE |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 74.8°F | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 93.8°F ✓ Warmer | 91.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.1" ✓ Drier | 57.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 114,923 | 198,912 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.2 | 48.2 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.1% | 77.4% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 19.9% ✓ More | 17.5% |
| Over 65 | 14.2% | 24.7% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Brandon's cost of living index is 103.4 vs Cape Coral's 104.9 (US average = 100).
Brandon is 2% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Brandon leads 11 of 19 categories. Brandon wins 11 and Cape Coral wins 8. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Brandon to Cape Coral or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($266,400 vs $302,400 median home), income ($71,156 vs $72,474), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Brandon, FL and Cape Coral, FL are about 91 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.