Wildwood-The Villages Punta Gorda

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Wildwood-The Villages to Punta Gorda is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 85.4 to 100.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $142/mo.

-$3,224
BLS median salary lower in Punta Gorda
210 to 210
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.8:1 to 17.8:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$0
DOL infant care higher / yr in Punta Gorda

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 85.4 → 100.5
Rent Delta: +$142/mo

Cons of Moving

  • - 15% higher cost of living
  • - $142/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $3K lower median salary

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 85.4 to 100.5, so the same paycheck buys less in Punta Gorda (ratio 1.18). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $142/mo ($1,704/yr) from $1,328 in Wildwood-The Villages to $1,470 in Punta Gorda.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (0 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Punta Gorda sits #340 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Wildwood-The Villages is #52/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $3,224 lower ($63,776 → $60,552). Labor-market size: 34,870 tracked jobs at origin vs 49,740 at destination.

Both metros sit in Florida: state retirement score 62 (C, #23/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Wildwood-The Villages
Punta Gorda
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 85.4
RPP 100.5
Wildwood-The Villages
Rent (2BR)
$1,328/mo
$1,470/mo
Wildwood-The Villages
Wages
$63,776
$60,552
Wildwood-The Villages
Crime
210 per 100K
210 per 100K
Tie
Schools
17.8:1
17.8:1
Tie
Childcare
$10,505/yr
$10,505/yr
Tie
Environment
2736 violations
2736 violations
Tie

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Florida
62 C #23/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
67
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
12

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Wildwood-The Villages to see what you'd need to earn in Punta Gorda to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Punta Gorda
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026