Best Beach Towns Near Tampa To Live

Chrissie Smuts
Coastal Living
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There are very many reasons why one would want to move to Florida. There are lovely beach towns to suit just about every need, from a young single person wishing to start their life to a couple wanting to start their family to retirees wanting to enjoy their retirement close to the ocean, Tampa in Florida has it all, everything you could need.

There are many stunning beach towns near Tampa, including Holmes Beach, Marco Island, and Fort Meyers Beach. Each of these beach towns has unique attributes making them more appealing to certain types of people, like nature lovers or those who prefer a day spent shopping.

Planning a significant move can be very stressful and require a lot of research; if you know what you want in the town you wish to live in, you could find it in a beach town near Tampa and be thankful to do so.

Best Beach Towns Near Tampa To Live

Although it may have an elevated crime rate, Tampa is a great place to live, but it is an excellent mix between city and suburban life; however, this may be too busy and exciting for some people. A day trip or overnight trip to Tampa while living in one of the many nearby beach towns may suit some people better.

One of these beach towns is Holmes Beach, and Holmes Beach is home to one of the gorgeous beaches in Florida. Holmes Beach is just over an hour away from Tampa by car, so you would be close enough to enjoy the day in Tampa while still being able to sleep in your own bed that evening.

Holmes Beach has a very small population of about 5 000 people, so if you’re looking for small-town living, then this beach town could be precisely what you’re looking for.  This town offers activities like a volleyball court and an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at a local cafรฉ. This town seems like the ideal place to retire and enjoy your time.

Another beach town close to Tampa is Marco Island. One of the very significant benefits of living in this small beach town is that as a resident in Marco Island, you would have access to the resident’s beach, a beach strictly for the residents. How many towns boast a private beach for their residents?

Marco Island has multiple resorts and boasts some excellent golfing facilities as well. If you are finishing school and want to take a gap year, working at one of the many resorts in Marco Island might be the opportunity you need. Alternatively, if you are looking for a place to settle down, this place may be the perfect fit.

Best Beach Towns To Retire Near Tampa

Many people know that Florida is well-known for being the place to settle down once you have finished working hard at your career and you want to rest and enjoy your well-deserved off time. It doesn’t mean that you should put up shop anywhere in Florida, instead find the perfect spot in Florida for you.

Sarasota is only an hour away from Tampa, so when the grandkids come over, you can easily take them to experience the hustle and bustle of the busy city. The town has fewer than 60k people, giving it a cozy small-town feel while you won’t run into all the same people every day.

The cost of living in Sarasota is affordable to an extent, luxuries remain luxuries no matter where you go, and so you will pay for them accordingly. You should, however, be able to maintain your current standard of living at around about the same price you are currently spending on your standard of living.

Naples would be another lovely beach town to retire near Tampa, and it is a little further from Tampa. Naples is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away from Tampa, which is still close enough to plan a day trip out or make a semi-regular overnight trip to Tampa when the grandkids are over for the summer.

Naples is better suited for the more well-off retirees as it boasts high-end boutiques and shops. Don’t worry, men, you won’t be left out; Naples also offers many championship-level golf courses where you could spend your days improving your swing, and what would a beach town be without some of the most beautiful beaches?

Naples offers you some of the most stunning beaches along the gulf coast of Florida, and it definitely seems like the perfect place to retire if you can afford it, that is.

Best Beach Towns To Live With Kids Near Tampa

Suppose one has started a family and is considering moving to the sunshine state. In that case, there are many new aspects to consider, like whether there are good schools available and what after-school activities would be available “out of season” in the beach town you are planning to move to.

Bonita Springs is just over a two-hour drive away from Tampa, which is very reasonable when you consider that Bonita Springs has some great schools available for every grade and even a great music school. No one can compare a slightly longer drive to the quality of education your kids would receive.

Bonita Springs has the same average crime rate as the rest of the state of Florida, which is just below the national average of crime. As anywhere one lives, you would need to exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings, and even though the crime rate is slightly lower than the rest of the country, self-defensive classes couldn’t hurt.

One could also look at Hyde Park, Spanishtown Creek, a neighborhood within Tampa itself, as a great place to live with your kids in Florida. This neighborhood offers some fantastic schooling. The community has a population of fewer than four thousand people giving it an excellent small-town feel.

It is an excellent place for your kids to grow up and go through school all the way to university as Hyde Park, Spanishtown Creek, is not too far from the University of Tampa. It is an excellent way of future-proofing your kid’s education, making sure they can stay at home while they study so that they do not have to worry about accommodation fees.

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Best Beach Towns Near Tampa To Start A Career

Although Tampa does not always have jobs available, there are many great career opportunities in and around Tampa. The best-paying career option in Tampa is to be a family doctor. If you had already gone through medical school and got your M.D., you would be set to open your personal family medical practice in or near Tampa.

Gulfport, which is only a half-hour away from Tampa by car, has some great companies to work for, including the Boca Ciega High School, so if you have your teaching degree and want to live in a stunning beach town, then it may be worth submitting your resume to this school in Gulfport.

Another career opportunity also in the education field would be to work at Stetson University. They currently have an opening in Gulfport for the assistant director of media relations position. They have a couple more openings in Deland, which is slightly longer than a two-hour drive away from Tampa.

The opportunities currently available at the university in Deland include the position of university chaplain, director of women’s basketball, facilities setup technician, and a couple more options, all great ways to start your career and live in a beach town close to Tampa while doing so.

Most Affordable Beach Towns To Live Near Tampa

Clearwater Beach is a mere half an hour away from Tampa, and it is classified as one of the least expensive towns to live in Florida, actually in Florida and the country. The living costs in Clearwater Beach are 8% lower than in the rest of the country, and the cost of housing is a massive 20% lower than the national housing costs.

Clearwater Beach may be an inexpensive place to live, but it is still a stylish place to live, offering some stunning beaches and shopping experiences, and it also boasts direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. All of this can be expected from the third-largest city in the Tampa Bay Metro area.

Tampa Bay itself is also classified as one of the cheapest urban areas to live in Florida. Tampa was actually named the most liveable city in America; Tampa Bay has no state income tax helping your salary to stretch further every month. Tampa has made its way onto multiple lists of good reasons to live in Tampa.

Some of these lists include best pet-friendly city, best city for first-time home buyers, best metro for new businesses, and many more, including the Tampa Riverwalk, voted one of America’s Great Places. No wonder Tampa Bay and surrounding areas are inviting so many new people, especially millennials, to join the community.

Downside Of Tampa And Surrounds

There is no doubt about it; Tampa and places near Tampa are unique places to live for young and old. However, there are some drawbacks you need to be aware of before making your final decision of whether to move to Florida or not. Some of the disadvantages are subtle, and others can be pretty significant.

One of the subtler drawbacks of living in or near Tampa is the heat and humidity. If you have not grown up in humid conditions, you may take a while to get used to this weather, and some people have passed out because of the extreme heat before. Many of the towns have much older residents, although this is slowly starting to change.

A major drawback of living in or near Tampa and some of the greater Florida area is the predisposition to tropical storms and sometimes even hurricanes. You would need to have insurance against hurricane damage and take measures to protect your home should a hurricane come past, which is a very real possibility when living near Tampa.

Sadly, even though Tampa is becoming a bustling business-orientated, the public transport seems to need still to catch up. Hopefully, this is something that the local government and mayor’s office are attending to as implanting proper public transport will support exponential growth in Tampa’s cities.

Another thing that could be considered a drawback of Tampa, although it could be a good thing as well, all depending on how you see it and how you intend to make use of it, is that most if not all of the neighborhoods and suburbs are under a homeowners association, as I say this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Home owners’ associations help to keep a neighborhood looking pristine and encourage some neighborly culture and even friendly competition. Home owners’ associations may introduce the best-decorated streets for Halloween or Christmas competitions, even year-round things like the best-looking gardens.

However, some homeowners’ associations may be slightly over the top and force unreasonable regulations on the neighborhood. Some of these associations may even be slightly corrupt and favor some houses over others. There may also be some fees payable due to the neighborhood belonging to a homeowners’ association.

Conclusion

All around Tampa Bay and surrounding areas is a magnificent place to stay. There are places better suited to retirees and better suitable for people with kids or those who want to start their careers. Some of the beach towns close to Tampa can be expensive to live in, and you would need to consider that before moving.

There are dangers to living in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas like tropical storms and extreme heat and humidity. Tampa itself is listed as one of the most affordable places to live in America and has been added to many lists that prove it is a terrific place to live, and you can find the perfect place to live in a beach town near Tampa.

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