Despite its ‘old-Florida’ heritage, the demographics of Oviedo reflect the City’s recent growth and development and its well-earned appeal to young families and well-educated professionals. ESRI Business Information Solutions Life Mode categories provide key insights into Oviedo’s demographic composition. Life Mode categories include: Suburban Periphery (88.4%) and Urban Outskirts (11.6%). Within the Suburban Periphery category, Oviedo residents fall into three of seven possible sub-categories:
Suburban Periphery
Up and Coming Families (42.1%): which represent the second highest growth market and the youngest of the affluent family markets. These days, residents are more Generation X than baby-boom. Despite the change in generations, the profile remains that of young, affluent families with small children. Homes are new with a median value of $157,000.
Sophisticated Squires (26.3%): are younger, well-educated families who have escaped urban life for cultured country living in low-density, newer developments with a median home value of $195,000. They hold professional employment positions and have elected to commute to maintain their semi-rural lifestyles.
In Style (19.9%): households favor the lifestyle of city dweller seven though they’re in the suburbs, preferring townhouses to more traditional, single-family homes. These professional couples have careers but few children. Their median age is 37.6.
Urban Outskirts
Boomburbs (11.6%): Members of the Boomburb category are young families living a busy, active lifestyle who populate neighborhoods where the rising home value is nearly $250,000. Two incomes and two vehicles support and transport most of these households.
In the last 10 years, Oviedo has experienced rapid growth of new planned unit developments. Approximately 85 percent of the housing units in Oviedo are detached single-family residential homes. The housing styles vary from basic starter homes to luxury estate homes and all available styles in between. The City plans to construct 1,200 multi-family and town home units within the new Oviedo on the Park downtown center. These units will include both owner-occupied properties and rental opportunities.
Oviedo’s housing values remain extremely stable, especially in light of today’s economy. In 2000, the median value for housing in Oviedo was $131,300. Now, the median value of housing in Oviedo is $203,226. Even though the 2009 value is a slight decrease from 2008, Oviedo’s housing values have remained at a level well above the 2000 median value. This value has been maintained through the relative young age of Oviedo’s housing units and the high rate of home ownership. Since 1990, more than 60 percent of the City’s housing units have been constructed. In 2009, approximately 77 percent of Oviedo’s housing units are owner-occupied, and 13 percent are renter-occupied. The City has a relatively low vacancy rate of approximately 9.7 percent.
Education
Most of Oviedo’s residential neighborhoods are located within a few miles of one of the City’s five elementary schools. In 2008, Oviedo received a $647,000 Safe Routes to School Grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. The grant is being used to improve and build new sidewalks around Jackson Heights Middle School (JHMS), to demarcate crosswalks, install warning signs and advisory speed plates along CR 419, and install additional bike racks within the JHMS campus.
In addition to several top-rated private and parochial schools, Oviedo is served by two public high schools, five elementary, and two middle schools, all of which are rated “A” by the State of Florida. Approximately 85% of the children enrolled in Oviedo’s school system are enrolled in the public schools.
Oviedo is less than three miles from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Offering 225 degree programs, it has become an academic and research leader in numerous fields such as optics, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, science, hospitality management and digital media. UCF’s 1,415-acre main campus provides modern facilities with wireless capabilities, and 600-acres set aside for lakes, woods and the College of Graduate Studies. Over 53,000 students attend UCF’s main campus and its 11 regional campuses located throughout Central Florida.
Seminole State College (SSC) of Florida has a campus located in Oviedo. SSC is a full-service education provider offering four year degrees and two-year college-credit degrees (A.A., A.S.), as well as, specialized career certificates, continuing professional education, and adult education. Additionally, SSC offers an array of culturally stimulating events including theatrical and musical performances, planetarium shows, and culturally relevant guest speakers.
Oviedo offers the educational resources to provide residents with a top-flight education from primary school through postgraduate studies without ever having to leave the area.
