The city of Tavares, FL is the county seat of Lake County. It's one of the most charming cities in the area, and it's an incredibly convenient location for anyone wanting easy access to all the diverse offerings of Central Florida. Orlando, the theme parks and resorts, and the Tampa Bay area are close at hand, as are quaint towns, numerous state parks and nature reserves, so many lakes and springs, campgrounds, beautiful beaches, and just about anything else an active adult could want.

If you're looking for the ideal spot to call home or purchase a vacation home in an amenities-rich 55+ community in sunny Central Florida, Tavares has some excellent homebuying opportunities and is well worth a close look. Here are some fast facts and lifestyle information about the city to help you get a better idea of what it's like:

  • Tavares is relatively centrally located in Florida, with a few major thoroughfares running through for easy road trips anywhere you want to go
  • The city is 7.5 square miles with close to 15,000 residents and about 5,000 households
  • Over half the population is 45 and older
  • As of early 2016, the average household income is $40,000 and the median home value is $146,500, a 5.9% increase over the past year
  • This is a residential-oriented community with a small but fun commercial downtown district
  • Tavares is a lake-lover's dream, nestled between Lake Eustis, Lake Harris, and Lake Dora
  • It's also “America's Seaplane City,” offering a variety of seaplane excitement, including day trips, “flightseeing,” vacations and charters, flight training, and more through the city's aviation partner Jones Brothers & Co. Air and Seaplane Adventures
  • It's just a little over half an hour's drive from downtown Tavares to The Villages, less than an hour to downtown Orlando, and about 1.75 hours to downtown Tampa
  • Just a few other cool nearby smaller cities include Leesburg, Mount Dora, Clermont, DeLand, Winter Garden, Winter Park, Sanford, Clearwater, Winter Haven, and Lakeland
  • Ride the Old West-style Orange Blossom Cannonball steam train between Tavares and neighboring Mt. Dora, a funky, hilly little city renowned for its antique shops and festivals
  • Downtown's Wooten Park is a hub of recreational life in Tavares (and it has an awesome splash pad for when the grandkids are visiting) 
View our very own Nicky Martz as she takes an actual Seaplane flight over Central Florida.