Living in St. Leo, Florida: homes, schools and costs

The book's checklist

Lower cost of livingEveryday prices run 0.9% above the U.S. average in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area.
More house for the moneyThe Census survey didn't reach enough homes in St. Leo to say.
A safer neighborhoodThe FBI has no 2025 figures for St. Leo itself. Many small towns are patrolled by the county sheriff, so call the sheriff's office and ask what calls they get most.
Schools in townNo public schools inside the town. The nearest high school is Pasco High School, about 3 miles away.
A hospital close byAdventhealth Zephyrhills in Zephyrhills, about 8 miles away, has the nearest emergency room.
Within reach of a big cityTampa is about 29 miles away as the crow flies. The book suggests staying within about 60 miles if you'll miss big-city sports, concerts and theater.

A check means St. Leo meets the rule of thumb from Frank and Dave's book. An empty box isn't a deal breaker: it's something to weigh for your family. A question mark means there isn't enough data.

What kind of town

College town. About 92% of residents are college students, with Saint Leo University in town. Concerts, sports and good food all year, and a big employer that rarely closes. Expect higher home prices close to campus.

The book sorts small towns into six types. These labels come only from the numbers; take the quiz to see which type fits your family.

For a lifetime

Homes and money

Home prices since then: Up 8%Pasco County, 2022 to 2025
Typical household income: $96,389U.S.: $80,734
Homes built before 1940: 4%U.S.: 12%
Everyday prices: 100.9U.S. average = 100 (the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area)

Home values and rents are what households told the Census Bureau across 2020 to 2024, so they trail today's market: county prices have moved up 8% since 2022. Everyday prices are the government's average for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area, not St. Leo alone. Check current listings before you budget.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates; Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index for counties (all transactions); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.

The people

Population, 2025 estimate: 2,4682020: 2,466
Median age: 19.9 yearsU.S.: 38.9
Age 65 and older: 3%U.S.: 17%
Under 18: 2%U.S.: 22%
Moved here from another county or state in the past year: 22%U.S.: 6%
College students: 92%share of all residents

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates (Vintage 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Work

Biggest lines of work: Arts, recreation, lodging and restaurants (22%); transportation, warehousing and utilities (5%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Health care

Nearest emergency room: Adventhealth Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills, FL, about 8 miles away. It's a general hospital. Medicare gives it 4 of 5 stars.

Look up doctors, clinics and the hospitals themselves on Medicare's Care Compare. Ask where the most serious cases are sent.

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information.

Schools

There are no public schools inside St. Leo itself. The nearest public high school is Pasco High School, about 3 miles away.

Colleges in or next to town: Saint Leo University (5,000 to 9,999 students).

See each school on the federal school search, then check test scores and graduation rates on Florida's school report card.

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2023-24 (via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal); National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS institution directory, 2024.

Weather

January average low: 49°F
July average high: 90°F
Days 90°F or hotter: 114 a year
Nights at or below freezing: 3 a year
Rain and melted snow: 53.5 inches a year
Snow: 0 inches a year
Elevation: 174 feet

Weather station: Saint Leo (less than a mile away). Averages for 1991 to 2020.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020; U.S. Geological Survey, 3D Elevation Program.

Getting around

Adventhealth ZephyrhillsEmergency room8

Lakeland, FLCity of 126,00027

Tampa, FLMetro of 3.4 million29

Straight-line miles. The road is always longer, and as the book says, an interstate at 70 is a different trip from a farm road at 45. Check the real drive: Adventhealth Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Tampa.

Pasco County is in a metro area of 1 million people or more (USDA rural-urban code 1, on a scale where 1 is the biggest metro areas and 9 the most rural counties).

For a day

1 place on the National Register of Historic Places, including the St Leo Abbey Historic District.

Campus life. Check Saint Leo University's events calendar for games, concerts and plays open to the public.

Read about St. Leo's history on Wikipedia.

Know St. Leo?

Tell us what a visitor shouldn't miss, and what living there is really like. Write to Main Street at mainstreet@smalltownguide.com. The best notes from people who know the town will be added here.

Nearby

Straight-line miles.

Small towns

San Antonio, FL1,600 people, 1 miles
Dade City, FL10,200 people, 4 miles
Pasadena Hills, FL13,500 people, 4 miles
Dade City North, FL2,800 people, 5 miles
Zephyrhills West, FL6,000 people, 8 miles
Zephyrhills North, FL2,800 people, 8 miles

Smaller places

Trilby, FL (unincorporated)197 people, 9 miles
Lacoochee, FL (unincorporated)1,289 people, 10 miles
Spring Lake, FL (unincorporated)563 people, 11 miles
Crystal Springs, FL (unincorporated)1,298 people, 12 miles
Garden Grove, FL (unincorporated)637 people, 14 miles
Masaryktown, FL (unincorporated)1,262 people, 14 miles

Sources

Census survey figures are estimates with a margin of error; we leave out any figure whose margin is too wide to be useful. Data last gathered October 5, 2026. See something wrong? Write to mainstreet@smalltownguide.com.