3 Florida Cities Among Money’s Best Places To Live

FLORIDA — Tampa and Sarasota in Florida are among the best places to live in the United States, according to a new ranking released this week by Money.

The 2022 ranking of 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S. includes cities that offer the best in what matters most to residents: economic opportunities, quality of life, and diversity, according to Money. This year, researchers also set out to feature a more diverse list of cities than in past years.

“We kept returning to the question, ‘best places to live for whom?’” researchers said on Money’s website. “(Previous cities were) often quaint, affordable — and unintentionally yet overwhelmingly white. We wanted to create a more welcoming list for a broader group of people this year, so we restructured our data gathering and ranking processes to reflect that priority.”

Tampa ranked the highest on the list among cities in Florida at No. 9 on the list. With a population of 379,742 people, Tampa residents have a median household income of $70,145, while the city’s unemployment rate is 2.7 percent.

Here is some of what Money found to be among Tampa's assets: "Tampa is a rare combination of action-packed and affordable: The median home sale price is about $381,000, one of the lowest on our list, and you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck. There’s nightlife galore in the Ybor City district. Tampa’s 20- and 30-somethings also flock to spots like Angry Chair Brewing, which serves its famous stouts alongside kitchen faves like pickle dip, and Taco Bus, which was dishing burritos out of its yellow school bus way before food trucks were cool.

"The Tampa Bay area — which includes nearby cities like St. Petersburg and Clearwater — is bursting with culture. Check out Surrealist art at the Dalí Museum or see a touring Broadway show at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. Go to the beach or Busch Gardens, home of the award-winning Iron Gwazi roller coaster. And don’t miss Gasparilla, an annual pirate festival with a Mardi Gras-style parade."

Sarasota ranked No. 43 on the list. With a population of 56,115 people, Tampa residents have a median household income of $64,142, while the city’s unemployment rate is 2.6 percent.

Among the top selling points for Sarasota, Money says: "Located on the west coast of Florida, Sarasota is a paradise for beach, culture and wildlife lovers. Sunbathers can enjoy sandy stretches on nearby Siesta Key (which has a thriving social scene — ever seen that MTV reality show?) and Longboat Key (where hundreds of sea turtles lay their eggs every year).

"Art fans won’t feel out of place, either. Sarasota boasts the Ringling Museum, a museum built by circus operator John Ringling and his wife in the 1920s. Styled after the Uffizi in Florence, Italy, the museum is home to pieces from artists like Peter Paul Rubens as well as a massive courtyard filled with bronze cast statues — including a replica of Michelangelo’s David.

Also included on the list is Altamonte Springs north of Orlando, ranked 38th.

To determine the cities on this year’s list, Money analyzed data in nine different areas: cost of living, diversity, economic opportunity, education, fun and amenities, health and safety, the housing market, income and personal finance, and quality of life.

Data was collected from several sources including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Read more about the methodology for Money’s Best Places To Live.

The top city on this year’s list is Atlanta, Georgia.

“This is no accident,” researchers said. “At a time when people are becoming much more introspective about their role in society, our goal this year was to name a number one where anyone can feel like they belong. And for that, Atlanta is hard to beat.”

Following Atlanta is Tempe, Arizona, at No. 2, and Kirkland, Washington, at No. 3.

See the full list of Best Places To Live.