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Are you mulling over moving to Tampa, Florida?

If you’d like to do away with the winter, moving to Tampa FL will be perfect for you. Known as the Big Guava, Tampa gets zero inches of snow in a year making it the perfect city for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tampa’s zero income tax, affordable homes, and low cost of living make it one of the best places for families and young couples in Tampa, FL.

If you’re considering moving to Tampa and need key data to figure out if moving to the Big Guava is right for you or not, this guide contains key information you need to make the right decision.

QuickFacts

Quick Facts to know before moving to Tampa, FL

  • Homes are affordable in Tampa, FL
  • Tampa averages 246 sunny days per year
  • Tampa’s cost of living is just around Florida’s average
  • Tampa’s median home cost is $219,400
  • Tampa’s unemployment rate is lower than the U.S. average
  • There is no income tax in Florida
  • The average pay of the average job in Tampa, FL is $55,181 a year

What’s the population of Tampa, FL?

Tampa is home to 404,636 people. It’s currently the third-largest city in Florida and the 47th largest in the country. If you’re moving to Tampa, here’s a quick breakdown of the city’s population:

  • Tampa is nestled in Hillsborough County in Florida
  • Tampa’s population is currently growing at a rate of 20.53%
  • The city has a population density of 3,549 people per square mile
  • The city’s median age is 35.7
  • The average age of males in Tampa is 35 years and 36.2 years for females

How fast can you commute in Tampa, FL?

Tampa’s average one-way commute time takes 24.0 minutes. The national average is 26.4 minutes. That means the average one-way commute time in Tampa is faster than the national average. Since you’re considering moving to Tampa, check out how most of the people in the city commute to work:

  • About 78.1% of Tampa residents drive their own car alone
  • Up to 8.4% of Tampa residents carpool with others
  • Around 6.1% of Tampa residents work from home
  • About 2.5% of Tampa residents take mass transit

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How is the weather like in Tampa?

Tampa gets 246 sunny days per year on average. The national average is 205 sunny days. So, how’s the weather like if you’re moving to Tampa, FL?

  • On average, Tampa gets 51 inches of rain per year. U.S. average is 38 inches
  • Tampa gets zero inches of snow per year. U.S. average is 28 inches
  • Tampa’s summer high in July is around 90 degrees
  • Tampa’s winter low in January is around 52 degrees
  • Tampa averages 51 inches of rain a year
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Top 10 Reasons to move to Tampa, FL

Why does moving to Tampa, FL sounds so great? People are moving to Tampa for various reasons.

  • Tampa has a great sunny weather
  • Access to top-quality education
  • Traffic isn’t too heavy for the city size
  • The food in Tampa is rated world-class
  • You can enjoy spending time outdoors all year long
  • The beach is just less than an hour away
  • Home rental prices aren’t so expensive
  • You’ll find quiet and peaceful neighborhoods in Tampa
  • There are lots of bilingual job opportunities in Tampa
  • The cost of living in the city is low, compared to the rest of the state
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Pros & Cons of living in Tampa, FL

You can easily figure out if moving to Tampa, FL is right for you or not by considering the pros and cons of living in the city.

So, we’ve made a list of the pros and cons of living in Tampa, FL to give you a head start.

Pros of living in Tampa
  • You’ll enjoy lots of festivals in Tampa, FL
  • Home rental costs are affordable in Tampa
  • Tampa has a growing job market
  • Tampa is an art and music haven
  • You’ll find lots of charming and historic neighborhoods in Tampa
  • You don’t have to bother about state income tax in Tampa
  • Homes are affordable in Tampa, FL
  • There are large and diverse school districts in the city
  • You’ll find several locally-owned restaurants in Tampa, FL
  • You’ll find lots of things to do all year round
  • There’s always a beautiful beach where you can have fun
  • You’ll find four professional teams to cheer
Cons of living in Tampa
  • You’ll have to put up with high humidity level in summer
  • The poor public transport system
  • Risk of tropical storm
  • Most suburbs are under a Home Owner’s Association
  • Finding a good job can be a challenge sometimes
  • You need a car to get around in Tampa, FL
  • Some people had to put up with allergies all year long
  • There’s always the risk of running into an alligator
  • Lower paycheck compared to similar size cities across the country

Best Places to Live in Tampa, FL

Where are the best places to live if you’re moving to Tampa, FL? Here’s a list of the ten best places to live in Tampa Florida including their population, home values, and median income:

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Parkland Estates 2,674 $646,375 $142,082
2 Harbour Island 3,273 $322,600 $96,380
3 Bayshore Beautiful 6,623 $377,222 $95,240
4 Palma Ceia 4,502 $409,775 $112,029
5 Belmar Gardens 1,578 $375,650 $106,292
6 Ballast Point 5,721 $317,267 $73,914
7 Bon Air 2,764 $296,467 $88,854
8 Virginia Park 5,484 $361,625 $99,392
9 Culbreath 1,712 $508,020 $139,733
10 Beach Park 3,781 $523,414 $113,685

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Cost of living in Tampa, FL

The cost of living in Tampa is 100.1. The national average is 100.

That means the average cost of living in Tampa is slightly higher than the national average. Since you’re considering moving to Tampa, here’s a breakdown of the cost of living in the city:

Cost of living Tampa Florida United States
Overall 97 99 100
Grocery 104 105 100
Health 103 100 100
Housing 96 96 100
Services 95 99 100
Utilities 90 102 100
Transportation 99 98 100

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How is the job market in Tampa, FL?

Tampa’s unemployment rate is 5.0%. The national average is 6.0%.

This could be one of the key things you’ll have to consider if you’re moving to Tampa, FL. Also, over the past year, jobs in the city have increased by 2.3%.

Since you’re mulling over moving to Tampa, here’s a breakdown of the state’s job market:

Employment Information Tampa, Florida United States
The income per Cap $32,869 $31,177
Household Income $48,245 $57,652
Unemployment Rate 5 6.0%
Recent Job Growth -4.31% -6.18%
Future Job Growth 42.67% 33.51%

What’s the median salary in Tampa, Florida?

  • The average pay of the average job in Tampa, FL is $55,181 a year
  • Florida’s minimum wage is $8.65
  • The average hourly rate of the average job in Tampa, FL is $26.53 an hour
  • The average weekly pay for the average job in Tampa is $1,061 per week
  • The average monthly pay of the average job in Tampa, FL is $4,598 a month

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Top Career Options in Tampa, FL

If you’re interested in a new career after moving to Tampa, FL we’ve made a list of the leading career options in the city. Check out the list below to have a glimpse of the top career options in Tampa, FL:

Rank Job Title Average Salary Entry Level Salary # Of People
1 Family Medicine Physicians $245,770 $144,960 1,270
2 Dentists, All Other Specialists $235,990 $167,770 50
3 Physicians, All Other; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $216,340 $24,780 4,890
4 Podiatrists $185,040 $50,600 110
5 Pediatricians, General $154,230 $87,150 40
6 Computer and Information Systems Managers $150,150 $89,000 3,970
7 Dentists, General $149,280 $88,380 1,260
8 Marketing Managers $145,740 $68,910 1,910
9 Sales Managers $143,840 $56,060 3,490
10 Architectural and Engineering Managers $143,420 $93,840 1,130

Top Industries in Tampa, FL

Tampa is home to some of the leading industries in Florida making the city of the best place to live in the state. Since you’re considering moving to Tampa, here are the largest industries in the city:

  • Avionics, Defense and Marine Electronics
  • Business and Information Services
  • Financial Services
  • Manufacturing (Microelectronics, Medical Devices)
  • Marine Sciences
  • Port/Maritime
  • Tourism

Tampa, FL housing market

Homes are affordable in Tampa, FL compared to several other similar-size cities across the country. If you’re interested in buying a property after moving to Tampa, check out the following key stats about the state’s housing market:

  • Tampa’s median home cost is $219,400
  • Over the last 10 years, home values in Tampa have increased by 47.3%
  • Presently, Tampa’s home values are up by 9.2%
  • About 43.9% of Tampa’s population are renters
  • Up to 3.0% of homes and apartments in Tampa are open to rent

The home rental average cost in Tampa, Florida

If you’re interested in renting a home after moving to Tampa, FL, we’ve collated key stats about the city’s rental market. The following are the average costs of renting various homes and apartments in Tampa, FL:

  • The average cost of a studio apartment in Tampa, FL is $951
  • The average cost of a 1-bedroom home or apartment in Tampa, FL is $1,014
  • The average cost of a 2-bedroom home or apartment in Tampa, FL is $1,253
  • The average cost of a 3-bedroom home or apartment in Tampa, FL is $1,642
  • The average cost of a 4-bedroom home or apartment in Tampa, FL is $2,000

Tampa FL Taxes

If you’re moving to Tampa from out of state, you may not be familiar with the city’s taxes.

Since Tampa is in Florida, taxes in the state applies to the city. Here are the key taxes in Florida:

  • There is no income tax in Florida
  • Florida’s sales tax is 6% - 8.50%
  • Property tax in Florida is 0.83% average effective rate
  • Florida’s gas tax is 4 cents per gallon of regular diesel and gasoline

Best things to do in Tampa, FL

Moving to Tampa, FL means you’ll get the chance to enjoy some of the most amazing things the city is offering.

To make it easier for you to come up with a bucket list, we’ve made a list of the best things to do in the city if you’re moving to Tampa, FL:

  • Go off-road at the Hillsborough River State Park
  • See corals and crabs at the Florida Aquarium
  • Have a tipple at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company
  • Unravel Tampa’s past at the Tampa Bay History Center
  • Take a stroll on the Tampa Riverwalk
  • Sample the delights of Peru at Happy Fish Tampa Authentic Peruvian Cuisine
  • Take a dolphin tour into Tampa Bay
  • Immerse yourself in the streets of historic Ybor City
  • See the sheer extent of the University of South Florida Tampa campus
  • Enjoy a meal over Tampa Bay at Oystercatchers
  • Ride into the wilds at Busch Gardens
  • Get in touch with your wild side at Big Cat Rescue
  • Cool off from the sun at the Adventure Island water park
  • See the critters at the Lowry Park Zoo
  • Wonder at the designs and the history at the Henry B. Plant Museum

How safe is Tampa, FL?

If you’re moving to Tampa, Florida, you’ll most likely be interested in the city’s crime rates. To make it easier for you to figure out if moving to Tampa is right for you or not, we’ve collated key stats about various crimes in the city. Check out the following stats:

  • The violent crime rate in Tampa, FL is 36.0. The national average is 2.7
  • Tampa residents have a 1 in 246.9 chance of being the victim of a violent crime
  • The property crime rate in Tampa, FL is 33.4. The national average is 35.4
  • Tampa residents have a 1 in 61.4 chance of being the victim of a property crime

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Statistic Count Raw Tampa/ 100k People Florida/ 100k People National/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 8,145 2,033.7 2,524.1 2,476.7
Murder 31 7.7 5.2 5.0
Robbery 285 71.2 75.5 81.6
Aggravated Assault 1,186 296.1 258.3 250.2
Violent Crime 1,622 405.0 378.4 366.7
Burglary 1,022 255.2 295.2 340.5
Larceny 4,978 1,242.9 1,668.7 1,549.5
Car Theft 523 130.6 181.8 219.9
Property Crime 6,523 1,628.7 2,145.7 2,109.9

Best Schools & Universities in Tampa, FL

Moving to Tampa, FL means having access to several top-quality schools in the city.

From universities, colleges, high school, middle, and elementary, Tampa, FL is home to several top-quality schools. Since you’re considering moving to Tampa, FL, here’s a list of the best schools in the city:

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