Region preview · 2027 Edition

Moving to Tampa Bay: what to know

The region's big-city option. Tampa has the jobs, the airport and the big-league teams on one side of the bay; St.^1,3,4,5 Petersburg has the arts scene and the Gulf beaches on the other.⁵ Suburbs spread north into Pasco and Hernando and south into Manatee.

Counties: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Hernando. Includes Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton, Wesley Chapel.

71° / 53°¹January high / low, Tampa

91° / 77°¹July high / low

49 in¹rain a year, wettest June to September

$371,500²median home value, Hillsborough County

16.5%²aged 65 and over, Hillsborough County

$79,540²median household income

Weather

Slightly cooler winters than Southwest Florida and a little less rain. Sea-breeze thunderstorms build most summer afternoons, and the area is known as the Lightning Capital of North America.¹

Storms and hazards

Storm surge is the big one. The bay is shallow and funnel-shaped, so even a storm passing offshore can flood it: Hurricane Helene's eye stayed about 100 miles out in 2024, yet it drove up to 8 feet of water onto the Pinellas barrier islands, and 12 people died there.^6,7
Lightning: summer storms make this one of the most lightning-prone areas in the country. Get indoors at the first rumble.⁷
Flooding on low streets after heavy summer rain, even with no storm in the Gulf.⁷

See every hurricane near Tampa Bay since 1851, mapped

Who it suits

Our judgment, from the facts in the full profile.

People who want city jobs and major-league sports without Miami prices
Families: Hillsborough is one of the state's younger big counties
Beach lovers who also want a real downtown and a major airport

A few things to see

Ybor City, and a Tampa Cuban sandwich (with salami)^1,3,4,5,8
Fort De Soto Park: named America's best beach in 2005⁹
The Dalí museum, St. Petersburg^5,10

Only in Florida

Every winter, hundreds of boats escort a 137-foot "pirate ship" across the bay, and the pirates demand the key to the city.¹¹ The ship is a steel barge pulled by tugboats, and the pirate it honors, José Gaspar, was made up for an early-1900s hotel brochure.^4,11 Crowds of about 300,000 turn out anyway.

Visitor information

The official, non-commercial places to ask about things to do, events and local services.^12,13 Many tourism offices also offer a free visitor guide.

County tourism offices

Manatee County: Bradenton Gulf Islands
Hillsborough County: Visit Tampa Bay
Pinellas County: Visit St. Pete-Clearwater
Pasco County: Florida's Sports Coast (Pasco County)
Hernando County: Florida's Adventure Coast (Hernando County)

State-certified visitor information centers

Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center, 201 N Franklin Street, Ste. 102, Tampa
East Pasco Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center, 38550 Fifth Avenue, Zephyrhills
Amplify Clearwater Pier 60 Visitor Information Center, Pier 60, 1 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater Beach
Amplify Clearwater Beach Office & Visitor Center, 429 Poinsettia Ave, Clearwater Beach
Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center, 6990 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach
The St. Pete Store & Visitors Center, 100 Second Avenue N, Suite 150, St. Petersburg
Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center, 5313 Gulf Dr. N., Holmes Beach

The full Tampa Bay profile is in Choosing Your Place

Every county's people, income, home value and rent
Costs, insurance, hospitals, getting around, jobs, culture and history
128 town cards for this region, each with home value, rent, median age and the nearest 24-hour ER and airport
Side-by-side compare with any other region, and the monthly-cost calculator

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99 What's inside

Moving here for sure? Living Here & Staying Ready has Tampa Bay's county emergency and special-needs numbers, and a household plan. Get the Complete Edition for $19.99.

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I've lived in St. Petersburg and in Pasco County, and called on schools across Manatee and Pasco counties.

More about the author and how this manual is made

Towns in Tampa Bay

Free basics for each of the 128 places with 1,000 or more people: home value, rent and the nearest ER.

Apollo Beach · Balm · Bardmoor · Bay Pines · Bayonet Point · Bayshore Gardens · Beacon Square · Bear Creek · Belleair · Belleair Beach · Belleair Bluffs · Bloomingdale · Bradenton · Brandon · Brookridge · Brooksville · Carrollwood · Cheval · Citrus Park · Clearwater · Connerton · Cortez · Crystal Springs · Dade City · Dade City North · Dover · Dunedin · East Lake · East Lake-Orient Park · Egypt Lake-Leto · Elfers · Ellenton · Feather Sound · Fish Hawk · Gibsonton · Greenbriar · Gulfport · Harbor Bluffs · Heritage Pines · Hernando Beach · High Point · Hill 'n Dale · Holiday · Holmes Beach · Hudson · Indian Rocks Beach · Indian Shores · Jasmine Estates · Kenneth City · Key Vista · Keystone · Lacoochee · Lake Magdalene · Lakewood Ranch · Land O' Lakes · Largo · Lealman · Longboat Key · Lutz · Madeira Beach · Mango · Masaryktown · Meadow Oaks · Memphis · Moon Lake · New Port Richey · New Port Richey East · North Brooksville · North Redington Beach · North Weeki Wachee · Northdale · Odessa · Oldsmar · Palm Harbor · Palm River-Clair Mel · Palmetto · Pasadena Hills · Pebble Creek · Pinellas Park · Plant City · Port Richey · Progress Village · Quail Ridge · Redington Beach · Redington Shores · Ridge Manor · Ridgecrest · River Ridge · Riverview · Ruskin · Safety Harbor · Samoset · San Antonio · Seffner · Seminole · Shady Hills · South Bradenton · South Brooksville · South Highpoint · South Pasadena · Spring Hill · St. Leo · St. Pete Beach · St. Petersburg · Sun City Center · Tampa · Tarpon Springs · Temple Terrace · Thonotosassa · Tierra Verde · Timber Pines · Town 'n' Country · Treasure Island · Trinity · University CDP (Hillsborough County) · Valrico · Weeki Wachee Gardens · Wesley Chapel · West Bradenton · West Lealman · West Samoset · Westchase · Whitfield CDP (Manatee County) · Wimauma · Zephyrhills · Zephyrhills North · Zephyrhills South · Zephyrhills West

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