Tampa is one of the best places to live in Florida. Find out why on this blog.
Florida is already attractive for those looking to relocate, with no state income taxes, plenty of sun, and hundreds of miles of relaxing beaches. But the Sunshine State has much more going for it than geographical luck. And Tampa embodies most of what makes Florida an enticing place to live, making people take notice.
Recently, Forbes named Tampa the best place to live in Florida. This article discusses the factors making the city an enticing place to live.
The allure of Tampa, Florida
In decades past, Florida was seen as a retirement haven. However, with a volatile economy and more flexible work arrangements, the young and working households aren’t waiting, setting their sights on the coastal city for a bevvy of reasons that include the following:
- Promising career opportunities
- Relatively lower cost of living
- No state income tax
When you factor these with Florida’s abundance of sunshine, mild winters, and extensive coastline, it’s easy to see why over 700,000 people have moved to Tampa since 2020. To come up with their list, Forbes factored in the following lifestyle factors:
- Median home price
- Personal income per capita
- Cost of living
- Unemployment rate
- Crime rate
Moreover, Forbes considered community amenities like outdoor activities, public transit, and health care. Read the Forbes article for the full breakdown of Tampa neighbourhoods. After that, you can check this site for more information.
What makes Tampa a great place to live?
While the above gives you a good idea of what makes Tampa such a great place to live in, it only scratches the surface of what makes it such a desirable address. Keep reading to learn why a move to this Florida city should be on your radar.
- It’s a beautiful place to raise a family.
Different areas of Tampa have recently been included on the list of best places to raise a family in America. This list consists of the following communities:
- Harbour Island
- Palma Ceia
- Hyde Park
- Culbreath
- Davis Islands
- Fish Hawk
When raising a family, one of the primary considerations is the quality of schools in the area. Florida isn’t renowned for its education system. But the Tampa communities mentioned above all have sound school systems, as proven by their graduation rates and percentage of graduates going to college. Speaking of college, Tampa was ranked #5 on 2023’s Best College Cities in America.
While it differs from the educational pedigree of esteemed states, such as Massachusetts, California, and New York, Tampa is excellent in that department.
- It has promising career opportunities.
Tampa has a young population, with a median age of 36 (around 2.5 years younger than the national average). This population is due mainly to the city’s excellent job market, which has an unemployment rate of 1% lower than the rest of the country. And while that may not seem like much, Tampa is establishing itself as the tech hub of Florida, having 25% of all tech jobs in the state. As such, young, skilled professionals are taking their talents to Tampa.
- It has spectacular weather.
The weather has been alluded to earlier, but it bears repeating, especially for those who consider living through long, dreary winters a part of life. While there’s humidity, a rainy season, and a few colder nights in January – for about half the year (from around Thanksgiving to Mother’s Day), Tampa weather is spectacular.
- It boasts gorgeous beaches.
Perfectly complementing the stunning weather are Tampa Bay’s world-class beaches. The city has around 17 miles of creamy white sand that can rival any of those renowned in the country. A few of its famous beaches include:
- Clearwater Beach
- St. Pete Beach
- Madeira Beach
On top of that, waters in the Gulf of Mexico are not only warm, but they’re also shallow. Walking away from the beach for a while, you’ll still have the water level comfortably between your waist and your chest. For families, you don’t have to worry about kids being pulled by powerful waves and rip tides.
- It offers an ideal lifestyle.
Of course, you need things to do with all the sun and clear waters of Tampa. And the city doesn’t disappoint in this regard, with many activities for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of them:
- Kayaking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Kite surfing
- Soccer leagues
- MTB/BMX trails
- Camping grounds
If you’re outdoorsy, Tampa is paradise, with everything apart from mountains at your fingertips.
- It has (relatively) affordable homes.
Of all the things Tampa has going for, its real estate market is the most important. Tampa’s median real estate cost reaches the national average—considering everything you’re getting, that’s a steal. While you have expensive homes fetching USD$14 million, you can find a condo for $200,000 and a manufactured home for $15,000. There’s a home for every budget in Tampa, whether a single-family home, townhome, condo, or villa.
Final words
As you can see, Tampa offers a fantastic quality of life. Every city will have pros and cons, but it’s tough to see the latter outweighing the benefits of living in Tampa. So, if you’re planning a budget-friendly move, consider one of Florida’s best cities.
POSTED BY 
