ZIP 34238 vs ZIP 34229

This side-by-side compares ZIP 34238 (Sarasota, FL) and ZIP 34229 (Osprey, FL) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 34238 has a population of 17,500 at 507 people per square mile, while ZIP 34229 has 7,192 at 462 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 34238 reports a median household income of $97,926 against $103,657 in ZIP 34229, with per-capita income of $68,406 vs $77,211. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 55.7% in 34238 and 60.0% in 34229. Poverty rate reads 6.5% vs 6.7%, and unemployment 1.8% vs 3.9% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $574,600 in 34238 versus $692,700 in 34229, with median rent of $1,850 and $2,196 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 76.4% vs 89.4%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.