2 Florida Cities Make the Top 5 Places To Staycation in America List

Q105 listeners love our Trip A Day contest because it's nice to get away but not deal with the stress of airports. After all, the rest of the world travels TO US for a reason. WalletHub did a study on the best places to just relax without leaving town. Honolulu topped the list. Two Florida cities made the top 5. Any guesses?

No Tampa was NOT actually one of them. We landed at #11. We ranked #9 for rest and relaxation, #12 for food and entertainment and #31 for recreation. That last part seems odd to me. We have a zillion things to do here. We have concerts from club shows to stadium acts, tons of live shows at places like the Mahaffey and Straz, great museums, beaches and other outdoor options.

By the way, I have to give props to my hometown of Portland, Maine for coming in 5th. I could never live in Maine again. I despise winter with every fiber of my being. But I do love to go back and visit for lobster rolls and to cool off a bit when it gets too hot in Florida.

Orlando came in at #2, scoring first in food and entertainment. When you have Mickey Mouse as a full-time resident, you are kind of a shoe in. The other city top crack the Top 5? Fort Lauderdale! They placed 4th scoring well in recreation and relaxation, but a poor #42 ranking for food and entertainment. Miami ranked 16th with St. Pete way down at #33 and Jacksonville at #49. [Source: WalletHub]

With the cost of real estate sky high, many here in the Tampa area are tempted to sell and start over somewhere else. COVID-19 and working from home changed a lot of mindsets. If you could work from anywhere, why not go somewhere cheaper or more in tune with your lifestyle? Channel 8 reports a record number of people have quit their jobs over the past year so they could just up and move to get away.

Of the top 20 cities Tampa residents are moving to, only 2 are out of state... Atlanta at #16 and New York City at #19. So where are those who are ready to leave Tampa moving to? Below is the list of the top 10 Florida cities where residents from Tampa and Clearwater are sending the U-Haul, according to a report they got from Stacker.

Maybe if you are a Gator, it's like a homecoming for you. The "New American City" is growing fast just like it is here in the Tampa area and longtime locals are unhappy with the influx of new residents.

I'd imagine just wanting to get out of the hustle and bustle is the big appeal here. I'd miss living by the beach.

I spent a few days in the area last year for a concert. I guess if you're a NASCAR driver, there's probably more job security there. Otherwise, I can't see a single reason one would choose Daytona over Tampa. Yeesh.

I prefer a sunset over a sunrise and I'd miss the Florida west coast sunsets, but ya gotta pay the bills I guess.

Shows that once you live near the beach, you always want to live near the beach.

About 7-1/2 percent of those who leave the Tampa/Clearwater area are headed to start a new job just south of the Skyway.

Polk County residents won't be too surprised to hear this. The whole "we full" thing isn't exclusive to Tampa.

You risk seeing a little snow this far north in Florida, but just like Tampa, Jacksonville is seeing explosive growth. And a good chunk of those transplants are from here in the bay area.

If you're leaving Tampa to move here, I hope it's for a huge paycheck because you're going to need it. The cost of living in South Florida is crazy compared to Tampa. And Tampa is expensive as it is.

Not a big surprise, right? As much as we hate that drive on I-4, it's a lot easier than moving across the country and starting over. The Orlando area accounts for almost 20% of the job related moves from the Tampa area.  But if you're leaving Tampa because the traffic is bad, I got baddddd news for ya!