Tampa City Named One Of The Best Places To Live In The U.S.
You hear this a lot. Florida cities always make these lists of best places to live in the U.S. This time, Money.com released its findings for 2024. Multiple Florida cities made the list and one is right here in Tampa.
Last year, Stacker recognized Westchase as one of the best suburbs in the U.S., which we totally agree with. Other than the high HOA fees, Westchase is a great area to live in Tampa Bay. You’re close to downtown but not far from other great spots like Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Carrollwood, and more. In 2024, a few more Florida cities were considered one of the best places to live in the U.S.. This study came from Money.com.
This list celebrates cities and towns where a thriving economy meets affordability, diversity, and an exceptional quality of life. What else makes these cities so great? Money.com turned to heaps of data to answer. Instead of using predetermined data, their researchers crafted a list of cities that invested in the livability, equity, and sustainability of their communities. They also polled hundreds of people in their audience from across the country.
During this process, they vetted the best cities by several factors including:
- The health of the local job market
- The average housing costs for homeowners and renters
- The percentage of residents in poverty
- The quality of public schools
Instead of assigning a numerical rank, Money.com grouped the 50 cities into 5 categories: Suburbs with a soul, Hidden gems, New boomtowns, Not just college towns, and Culture hubs. Can you guess which category the Tampa city made? You can read their full methodology here.
These Florida Cities Were Named Best Places To Live In The U.S. According To Money.com
Ybor City
Ybor was one of the first cities mentioned in Money.com’s list. In fact, they’ve been boasting the Tampa area for a few years now. In 2023, they named it one of best places to travel domestically, and in 2022, the 9th best place to live. Ybor made the list of best Cultural Hubs because of the historic La Setima. The melting pot of Cuban, Spanish, and Italian cultures make for great award-winning restaurants and cozy cafe’s.
Ybor also earned points for the TECO streetcar system that connects to Downtown Tampa. The future of Ybor is only going to get brighter with the addition of the Brightline train (no pun intended) and the Gasworx development project. Which also means in a few years we’ll see the median home price jump from its current $322,000.
Babcock Ranch, Florida
Babcock Ranch is located in Southwest Florida in Charlotte County. It is the first completely solar-powered community built on U.S. soil, and dates back to 2017. The town is divided into a patchwork of walkable villages, each leading to Founder’s Square. You can find homes here for as low as $200,000, but the median is closer to $464,000.
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Another SWFL town makes the list. Despite the threats of major storms like Hurricane Ian, people aren’t letting that stop them from living in paradise. The city has over 60 parks and recreation areas, including the Saints Golf Course. The median home price in Port St. Lucie is $450,000.
Realistic Advice For Moving To Tampa
Pack Some Patience
This is slightly a joke but also kind of serious because it really does take an hour to get anywhere in Tampa. If you plan on moving to Tampa be sure to bring some patience. Trust us, you’ll need it for driving on 275 or across the Howard Frankland during rush-hour (or any time of day really).
Get Your Insurance FAST
One of the biggest cons of moving to Florida/Tampa is the insurance rates. You have 10 days to title and register your car, boats, mobile home, etc. You’ll have 30 days to obtain a Florida driver license. If you don’t, you could see a hefty $500 fine. It’s also worth noting the cost of car insurance is 30% higher than the national average.
Also since Florida is constantly threatened by major hurricanes, expect to pay A LOT for home/flood insurance.
Learn Our Driving Habits
It’s something that even locals are guilty of doing. If you want to fit right in with the rest of Tampa, be sure to never use your blinker and let other drivers know your next move. Also, instead of making a u-turn, it’s Florida policy to cut over 3 lanes of traffic to correct your mistake. (For legal reasons, this is a joke).
If you go anything under the speed limit in the left lane, be prepared to be met with a lot of middle fingers from Tampa locals.
Don't Brag About Your Hometown
Seriously, you made the move. Now you’re a Floridian. We don’t care “how you did it in New York”. If you liked it so much, you could’ve stayed. Related note: Once you make the transfer to Tampa, leave behind your old team sports gear. You’re a Bucs/Rays/Lightning fan now.
Sunscreen, Bug Spray, and Allergy Medication Are Your New Best Friends
One thing you may not have realized in Florida is the bugs are INTENSE. Mosquitoes, fire ants, and palmetto bugs are extremely common. You also might want to get used to wearing sunscreen daily and have some allergy medication on hand. We have plants that bloom year-round which causes a lot of issues for people with bad allergies. Plus the ocean breeze can move pollen for miles.
Learn To Wait Out The Rain
If you’ve visited on vacation you probably experienced this. It’s a beautiful sunny day until around 4pm when we get our daily showers. If you’re at an amusement park like Busch Gardens, don’t worry about gathering your things and leaving (unless otherwise stated by the park). Majority of the time, you can wait out the storm in 30-60 minutes.
Do A Trial Run
Before making the move to Tampa, maybe consider doing a trial run during our “worst” months. It’s the hottest in July/August, hurricanes really pick up in September, traffic is TERRIBLE during spring break. If you plan a 2-3 week visit during any of these months, you’ll get a real taste of what it’s like living in Tampa.
