Name: Port Charlotte, FL
Rating: 0.0

( 21 Ratings )

Living in Port Charlotte, FL

Ranks better than 64% of areas Follow

Population

64,335

Median Age

55.6 Years

Port Charlotte Area Facts

Port Charlotte has a Livability Score of 64_/100, which is considered average
Port Charlotte crime rates are 38% higher than the Florida average
Cost of living in Port Charlotte is 4% higher than the Florida average

What do the locals think about Port Charlotte?

65%

Family friendly

29%

Public transit is accessible

29%

Walkable to grocery stores

71%

Yards are well-kept

76%

Lots of parks

29%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

88%

A quiet area

59%

Sense of community

Based on 17 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

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Port Charlotte Reviews

Write a review about Port Charlotte Tell people what you like or don't like about Port Charlotte…

Friendly but boring. 3 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 03, 2024) I have lived in Port Charlotte on 3 separate occasions and my Mom lives there now.

The good:

The people there are very friendly, you can go up and start a coversation with just about anybody and they don't look at you like you have 3 heads like in other places I've lived.

Tho ...Read More ugh depending where you live, the closest stores may be over a mile away, but roads are straight and flat so it is fairly easy to get places even on bicycle.

In the wintertime the weather is beautiful, there's lots of places to eat that are good. There are 3 walmarts, a Target and a bunch of other stores in many retail plazas that are mostly along 41 but some on King's hwy area.

They have a little beach area at the harbor, not amazing but it's something to go to and sometimes have events, also a few parks around the city but again nothing special.

They do not have car inspection or income tax but that's all of Florida.

Medical access is good there.

The bad:

Most of the year is unbearably hot humid and bright with blinding Sun. Sunburn is eminent if you stay out more than 5 minutes without sunscreen.

A lot of the faster roads (like Olean) have no sides, no sidewalk or shoulder so it makes it very dangerous to walk or bike on them, try and stick to the backstreets if you walk or bike but sometimes you can't avoid.

There is an extremely limited amount of activities including both outdoor adventure type stuff, no mountain biking, camping and hiking not good, fishing is probably good especially if you have a boat but other outdoorsy stuff isn't really here. Nightlife, clubs, music venues is also a limited thing around there, do not expect to see any national act rock bands.

The Mall isn't great but that's common everywhere now

OVERALL ADVICE:

My overall advice is if you are retired and have ok money but not Fancy city money and you have a car and drive, then Port Charlotte may be good for you.

If you are somewhat younger and like outdoor activities other than fishing, or you like nightlife, I would avoid this place.

If you have adolescent children I would also avoid it as I lived there when I was 14 for 6 months and I was SOOOOOO bored I hated HATED it then and made extra double sure my parents were aware of this, every 30 minutes or so...for months on end. So just keep that in mind. Read Less

Worst Place I have ever lived. 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 16, 2019) Lived in many places throughout the US and Port Charlotte comes up as what is called "Port Toilet"' a complete and nasty town with the Charlotte County representatives as useless as they come one has to have a permit to do absolutely anything. The local contractors have gathered ...Read More from every part of the US to lay in wait for their scam on everyone. Finding an honest contractor is nigh near impossible and when you find them they are usually scammers who know that almost every entity protects them from responsibility of carrying out a professional job One has to remember that the average age is around 70 and the drivers are either blind or aggressive especially when the Northerners come down for their winter getaway and have no regard to basic road etiquette. If one looks into the County hygiene report on restaurants they will certainly prefer to cook at home, most do not and rate many establishments highly without checking their record online. Absolutely no culture within its boundaries another easily checked fact and the person who states in regard to amenities but does not apparently have a clue what they are talking about. The elementary school ranks a 6 out of ten and is based on where you live, there is an open four weeks to enrollment in other schools but there is little point as they are all pretty much the same. The Charlotte middle school looks like a prison of war camp from WWII even although the education department gets money from the Florida lottery. Bust transportation is only after a two-mile radius under that and your little darling has to find their own way to school along one of the busiest roads in Port Charlotte. My advice stay clear there are many other way better places to live just not Port Toilet. Read Less

Things to do in Port Charlotte, FL 3.5 rating By TamRE ( Jun 25, 2015) I live and work in Port Charlotte, FL. It is a small town compared to larger cities in Florida. It has just about any type of amenity you may be looking for such as schools, Port Charlotte Town Center Mall, restaurants, grocery stores, commercial businesses, hotels, hospitals a ...Read More nd medical facilities, churches, libraries and more. Many of the businesses along US 41 were rebuilt or renovated after hurricane Charley in 2004.

If you are looking for things to do there are two bowling alleys, a miniature golf course, regular golf courses, Town Center mall, strip malls, Visani Comedy Club, Port Charlotte Beach Complex, parks, boat ramps, car shows, Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Charlotte County Fairgrounds, Charlotte Sports Park (Stone Crabs and Tampa Bay Rays Training field), movie theaters, Sun Flea Market, YMCA, boating, fishing, kayaking, sailing and other sports. A short driving distance to North Port or Punta Gorda offers additional activities and to Englewood or Venice to go to a gulf beach.

Traffic is heavier seasonally when the winter residents arrive. There is new construction happening once again and many families are choosing to make it their home. There are different lifestyles to choose from such as condos, villas, townhouses, single family homes, mobile homes, 55+ communities, golf course communities, gated communities, non-deed restricted communities and more. Some homes are on canals with access to the Peace River or the Gulf of Mexico. Others are located right in the heart of the city. There is no walkable downtown. The Murdock area is kind of the heart of the city. Read Less

Not what it seems - Beware! 0.5 rating By hmitchell ( Jun 17, 2015) Port Charlotte is a very congested town with much of the population coming in "snow bird" season, roughly October-March. It's economically depressed. The pictures you find online are very deceiving, as there are few places that actually look that way in the town. Based on what ...Read More most say, the town has never fully recovered from the devastation that Hurricane Charlie brought over 10 years ago and the low cost of living attracts some less-than-ideal people. Unemployment is always much higher here than the rest of the state. There isn't much to do. The restaurants are fine - there are many to choose from but most don't serve fresh sea food even when they claim to, which is peculiar since we're minutes from the Gulf. I've lived here two years. In that time my neighbor's car has been stolen, somebody was mugged at gunpoint, and numerous arrests have occurred within feet of my house - and this area is the "safer" part of town. At night the town comes alive and not in a good way. People are everywhere, just hanging around - outside gas stations, convenience stores, pizza shops. There are a lot of drugs and a heavy police presence, but the police focus on traffic violations almost solely. Burglaries are reported by the dozen every day. The news doesn't cover any of the worst crimes that happen here. The cost of living is very cheap but just remember that you get what you pay for. I would recommend Punta Gorda if you're looking for a hot steamy climate and safe town, and it's just across the Harbor. The problem is that there isn't much there, and you'd have to come to Port Charlotte frequently. After dark, I won't walk to my mail box across the street - and I am not a paranoid person. The criminals, paired with the danger that the elderly pose on the roads, makes this a pretty miserable place to live and I am actively seeking work elsewhere. Read Less

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Things to do in Port Charlotte, FL 3.5 rating By TamRE ( Jun 25, 2015) I live and work in Port Charlotte, FL. It is a small town compared to larger cities in Florida. It has just about any type of amenity you may be looking for such as schools, Port Charlotte Town Center Mall, restaurants, grocery stores, commercial businesses, hotels, hospitals a ...Read More nd medical facilities, churches, libraries and more. Many of the businesses along US 41 were rebuilt or renovated after hurricane Charley in 2004.

If you are looking for things to do there are two bowling alleys, a miniature golf course, regular golf courses, Town Center mall, strip malls, Visani Comedy Club, Port Charlotte Beach Complex, parks, boat ramps, car shows, Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Charlotte County Fairgrounds, Charlotte Sports Park (Stone Crabs and Tampa Bay Rays Training field), movie theaters, Sun Flea Market, YMCA, boating, fishing, kayaking, sailing and other sports. A short driving distance to North Port or Punta Gorda offers additional activities and to Englewood or Venice to go to a gulf beach.

Traffic is heavier seasonally when the winter residents arrive. There is new construction happening once again and many families are choosing to make it their home. There are different lifestyles to choose from such as condos, villas, townhouses, single family homes, mobile homes, 55+ communities, golf course communities, gated communities, non-deed restricted communities and more. Some homes are on canals with access to the Peace River or the Gulf of Mexico. Others are located right in the heart of the city. There is no walkable downtown. The Murdock area is kind of the heart of the city. Read Less

Not what it seems - Beware! 0.5 rating By hmitchell ( Jun 17, 2015) Port Charlotte is a very congested town with much of the population coming in "snow bird" season, roughly October-March. It's economically depressed. The pictures you find online are very deceiving, as there are few places that actually look that way in the town. Based on what ...Read More most say, the town has never fully recovered from the devastation that Hurricane Charlie brought over 10 years ago and the low cost of living attracts some less-than-ideal people. Unemployment is always much higher here than the rest of the state. There isn't much to do. The restaurants are fine - there are many to choose from but most don't serve fresh sea food even when they claim to, which is peculiar since we're minutes from the Gulf. I've lived here two years. In that time my neighbor's car has been stolen, somebody was mugged at gunpoint, and numerous arrests have occurred within feet of my house - and this area is the "safer" part of town. At night the town comes alive and not in a good way. People are everywhere, just hanging around - outside gas stations, convenience stores, pizza shops. There are a lot of drugs and a heavy police presence, but the police focus on traffic violations almost solely. Burglaries are reported by the dozen every day. The news doesn't cover any of the worst crimes that happen here. The cost of living is very cheap but just remember that you get what you pay for. I would recommend Punta Gorda if you're looking for a hot steamy climate and safe town, and it's just across the Harbor. The problem is that there isn't much there, and you'd have to come to Port Charlotte frequently. After dark, I won't walk to my mail box across the street - and I am not a paranoid person. The criminals, paired with the danger that the elderly pose on the roads, makes this a pretty miserable place to live and I am actively seeking work elsewhere. Read Less

Port Charlotte, FL City Review 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 22, 2012) I currently live in Port Charlotte Florida. I moved here about 3 months ago. I have noticed many good things about this area. I have noticed that the weather is amazing and so is the actual area.

When it comes to the attractions here there are quite a few things to do. There are ...Read More several things for adults along with many children's attractions. One great attraction would have to be the historic center. This is a great place to take your family out for the day. It is not only educational but loads of fun for the whole family. Another attraction Port Charlotte has to offer is its numerous golf courses. This is more meant for adults but you can also teach your children this fun sport. There are also several pools in the local area that are great for soaking in on a hot day. The community is pretty laid back. They do not do a whole lot of community events but the community looks great overall. They take pride in how well they keep the natural beauty of Port Charlotte looking. There are some pretty amazing places to get a bite to eat in the local area. There are many waterfront restaurants that are great for a couple's night out. When it comes time to go out for a family dinner there are more than enough places to choose from. Some of these places include olive garden, bob evens, and outback steakhouse. These are just a few out of many. Overall, there are more than enough places to sit down and have a relaxing meal. There are quite a few places to go out for the night and have a good time. Several of the bars are always running some kind of convincing drink special. You should have no problem finding something to go out and do at nighttime. There are several places to shop at while in Port Charlotte. Some of these places include an outlet mall, department stores, and grocery stores. There is almost any store you could imagine conveniently located in Port Charlotte.

Overall, Port Charlotte is a great place to live. Keep in mind how much there is to do next time you are passing through Port Charlotte. You will be glad you stopped by and checking out the local shopping! Read Less