Starting Over in Orlando, Florida

Home to Walt Disney's famed theme parks, Orlando, Florida is a growing city with diversity. For anyone relocating to Orlando, this information provides a snapshot of the city.

The county seat of Orange County, Orlando is Florida's largest inland city.
In 2005, 213,223 people lived in this mid-size city, a 14.7% increase in five years by U.S. Census estimates. In the decade after the 1990 census, the citizenry had grown by 12.7%. Encompassing four counties, Orlando is the hub of "Greater Orlando" with its 1,933,255 people. The average age of Orlando residents was 33.2 years by 2005 census reports. The city's population was made up of 41.7% White non-Hispanic residents, 35% African American and 20% Hispanic. The average household size was 2.3 people. Families made up 54% of city households. Orlando supports large minority populations and has an above average percentage of foreign born citizens for a city in Florida. A large student population can be found in Orlando with the University of Central Florida and its full-time enrollment of 26,717 students. Valencia Community College has another 15,792 full-time students.

People living in Orlando made below average income in 2005. The average household had earnings of $36,699, about $10,000 below the national average. Median family income lagged by over $15,000 with $40,143 yearly. The most common jobs for both men and women were in accommodation and food services, each providing 12% of each gender's workforce. Poverty was slightly above average, affecting 15% of the city's people. Greater Orlando had a very low jobless rate of 2.8% in October, 2006. The area economy thrives on the tourism and convention industry, especially with its Disney World attractions. Orlando is one of the busiest for conferences and conventions, home to the second-largest convention complex in the U.S. Manufacturing is another big sector. Because of its location near "Space Coast" and the Kennedy Space Center, many high-tech companies have been relocating to Orlando and the surrounding area. Lockheed-Martin has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related research. Other notable engineering firms include multiple U.S. Air Force facilities, GE, AT&T, Boeing, HP, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Systems.

With an increase in the job market, people relocating to the Orlando area impacted a dramatic growth in urban sprawl. As a result, housing prices have soared. In 2005, Greater Orlando home values climbed 34% in just one year. By the summer of 2006, homes surged to $254,900 on average, according to the National Association of Realtors. Within the city, the 2005 median home value was $194,300, according to U.S. Census reports. That figure is nearly double what it was five years prior. Orlando's housing landscape is changing, with 31% of the city's homes built since 1990. Renters occupied over three of every five housing units. With 56% of renters spending 30% or more of their take home pay on housing, the average rent was $808 per month in 2005. There is a serious risk for personal and property crime in the city of Orlando. The FBI Crime Index reports Orlando's crime has been about three times worse than the national average since 1999. The city ranked as the 25th most dangerous city in America in 2006, according to Morgan Quitno Press, an independent research and publishing company.

Anyone relocating to Orlando will find a warm and humid subtropical climate. It can either hot and rainy from May until October, or cooler and drier with moderate temperatures the rest of the year. During the humid season, daytime highs average in the 90s with heat indices as high as 110 degrees. During the summer, violent storms will appear, bringing high wind, heavy rain, hail and lightening. The humidity is lower in winter with an average low of 50 in January and highs around 72 degrees. and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. Orlando records an average rainfall of 50.6 inches annually, most of it during the hurricane season. While the city faces a considerable hurricane risk, the area is safer than South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal areas. Hurricanes are likely to weaken before reaching Orlando. The Orlando-area has experienced tornado activity that is slightly higher than the rest of Florida, and 96% greater than the U.S. average.

The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and Sea World Orlando. The Disney resort is the area's largest attraction with its Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney-MGM Studios. Cypress Gardens Adventure Park is in nearby Winter Haven. Disney operates an animation studio at the Disney/MGM Studios in Orlando. The city is also known as the capital of pop, mainstream and alternative rock music, with music acts like Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, N-SYNC, Backstreet Boys, Creed, and Matchbox Twenty. The NBA Orlando Magic is the city's one professional sports franchise. The Citrus Bowl is also located here, home of the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Florida Citrus Bowl). Orlando is the birthplace of sit-com star Delta Burke.

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