Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Brandon, FL
VS
Lee's Summit, MO
🏆 Lee's Summit leads 15 of 23 categories
Brandon
Florida
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.4⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,156
Violent Crime Index
35 ✓ Safer
Population
114,923 ✓ Larger
Lee's Summit
Missouri
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
93.3 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$103,447 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
39
Population
101,728
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)
Milder winters — January highs near 75°F vs 39°F
Homes cost $25k less ($266,400 vs $291,400)
Cons
Median income trails Lee's Summit by $32,291/yr
Higher rents — median is $1,570/mo
Cost of living runs 10% higher than Lee's Summit
Higher unemployment (4.6% vs 3.8%)
Lee's Summit, MO
Pros
Households earn $32,291 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (149.4 vs 380/100k)
Rent averages $275/mo less ($1,295 vs $1,570)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.8 pts lower (3.8%)
More college-educated — 48.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
10% cheaper overall cost of living than Brandon
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Key Differences at a Glance
Brandon
Violent Crime
12% lower
131.1 vs 149.4 per 100k
Brandon
Median Home Value
$25k less
$266,400 vs $291,400
Brandon
Summer Heat
5.5°F warmer
July avg high 93.8°F vs 88.3°F
Lee's Summit
Cost of Living
10% cheaper
COL index 93.3 vs 103.4 (100 = US avg)
Lee's Summit
Median Income
$32,291
$103,447 vs $71,156/yr
Lee's Summit
Unemployment
0.8 pp lower
3.8% vs 4.6% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Brandon, FL | Lee's Summit, MO |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.4⚠ High | 93.3 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $266,400 ✓ Lower | $291,400 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,570⚠ High | $1,295 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $71,156 | $103,447 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6%⚠ High | 3.8%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.0 min⚠ High | 26.1 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 13.9% | 16.0% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 29 ✓ Safer | 67 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 35 ✓ Safer | 39 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 21 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (96) | A (118) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 19.7:1 | 14.6:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 34.0% | 48.7% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 90.8% | 97.4% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | HILLSBOROUGH | LEE'S SUMMIT R-VII |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 74.8°F ✓ Warmer | 39.0°F |
| Avg High — July | 93.8°F ✓ Warmer | 88.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.1" | 43.9" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 8.6" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 114,923 ✓ Larger | 101,728 |
| Median Age | 37.2 | 38.6 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.1% | 75.1% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 19.9% | 25.7% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.2% | 15.2% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Brandon's cost of living index is 103.4 vs Lee's Summit's 93.3 (US average = 100).
Lee's Summit is 10% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Lee's Summit leads 15 of 23 categories. Brandon wins 8 and Lee's Summit wins 15. 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 Lee's Summit or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($266,400 vs $291,400 median home), income ($71,156 vs $103,447), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Brandon, FL and Lee's Summit, MO are about 1,029 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.