The 2025 state report of the region shows that the Tampa Bay area remains a magnet for talent, families and businesses. Also one of the best places for young professionals to live and start a business.
But there are still some areas for improvement, such as affordability and poverty levels.
Competitive regional report, collected from the Tampa Bay partnership, along with a companion Report From the University of the Business College in Southern Florida, it reveals the main data on the cost of living, the development of workforce and racial inequality.
In general, 64% of the 67 metrics that the regional ratio watches have improved compared to the 2024 version.
A team of about a dozen researchers worked for four months to compile and analyze data from Google Trends, Zillow, and other sites. These data were subsequently compared to 19 other regions, called metropolitan statistical areas, throughout the country with which Tampa Bay, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baltimore and Orlando.
The Tampa Bay region surveyed is an eight district area, including Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Citrus, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota.
Partnership President Tampa Bay and CEO Bemetra Simmons said the report compares the size and population of other competitive regions. For example, Minneapolis-St. Paul is also separated from a water body with three main sports teams.
At a Thursday’s Lunch at USF, the researchers showed some main metrics.
The affordability and economic results
While affordability was a major concern in the 2024 report, living in Tampa has become a little more affordable. Last year, households were spending about 57 cents on each dollar on housing and transportation. This year, it’s 55 cents.
Simmons said this helped families, but there is still room for improvements. She said an ideal cost would be about $ 41 per dollar.
“Our housing costs are still much higher than our average salary where we want to be in the region and so people are further pushing in terms of where they can allow to live,” Simmons said.
Simmons showed the need for additional infrastructure. With 200,000 Tampa Bay employees traveling over an hour, she said lowering time will reduce the cost of transport and knock that cost of 55 cents-dollar.
“We have to reach some better traffic and transport solutions,” she said.
While average wages are rising about $ 2,500 a year, residents are still not doing enough to live quietly. Food insecurity affects 13% of the population.
The degree of poverty has fallen little, but 45.81% of households are considered in poverty or classified as limited, limited, employed assets (Alice). This number is higher than the national average, which is about 42%.
The development of the workforce
The president of the guests Kat Daniel, who is a senior adviser to Bloomberg Associates, shared which trends think they will affect future workers.
She encouraged business leaders to have less emphasis on having a bachelor’s degree, which two -thirds of the working -age population do not.
She also said that embracing new technology, including exploitation, will lead to more jobs than to losing them.
Sarah Burgoyne is the Senior Director of Public Research and Policy for Tampa Bay’s partnerships.
“Another area that helps our region highlight is our entrepreneurial spirit,” Burgoyne said. “The business level of business for Tampa Bay is about 14%, much above the national average.”
Moreover, the black unemployment rate in the Tampa Bay region is decreasing.
EDUCATION
While Bay Area counties are spending more on K-12 education, other competitive regions are investing 30-40% more. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is one of the most important regions for the affordable education of the College and the University, both for university education and graduates.
School enrollment for children 3- and 4 years old has increased and high school graduation level has stayed approximately the same with nearly 86%.
However, the high school graduation rate for students with economic disadvantage has continued to decline, falling to 79%.
While the rate of bachelor’s degree in the US has increased to 40%, the Tampa Bay level fell to 36%.
Next steps
Researchers encouraged the audience of decision makers to mark the metrics they want to see – and make policies and build infrastructure that help the community.
While Tampa Bay’s partnerships do not make policies, they protect for changes that will improve things, like affordability, in the region.
They told of various “drivers” that can improve the Tampa Bay region, such as finding ways to cut the white unemployment gap or increase the infrastructure to reduce travel time by just five minutes.
The Benchmark report is a stone in step for organizations to make data -informed changes, Simmons said.
Past data showed high levels of detached youth, which encouraged the club of boys and girls to grow up and engage more young people.
Similarly, the metrics that showed that working families could not make meetings encountered changes in the Pinellas District. Looking at Alice’s high numbers, the county made an effort to prioritize in higher salary work training, which led to an increase in average income.