10 Best Areas In Tampa Bay, FL To Buy A House [2024]

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Wesley Chapel
2. Brandon/ Valrico
3. Westchase
4. Hyde Park
5. Northeast St. Pete
6. Beach Park
7. Dunedin
8. Apollo Beach
9. Riverside Heights
10. Indian Rocks Beach

Next Steps

Introduction

Tampa Bay Florida is no doubt one of the most en vogue destination spots in the entire sunshine state right now. I personally think the best big city...if I had to choose one to move to. Central proximity, tons of things to do but not in an overwhelming way, a mix of Gulf Coast beaches and urban options, etc. Now, let's go over some of the best areas in Tampa to live in, pros and cons of living in Tampa Florida, the safest place to live in Tampa FL and everything in between!

Wesley Chapel, Florida



Adam’s Take: 

• When it comes to living near the main Tampa, Florida stuff, but also being attracted to the suburban lifestyle; we have a three-headed monster of sorts...as far as options go. Of those three, going north of town is the belle of the ball at the moment. The northern suburb of Wesley Chapel (you could also group in Tampa Palms, Land O Lakes, Zephyrhills, etc.)is basically where most of the land was at. Because of this, this area would offer more abundant new construction community opportunities, master-plan concepts with communal amenities, great schools, open-air malls, one of the best places to raise a family in/near Tampa and most of that safe/inclusive environment that suburban dwellers seek. I would consider Wesley Chapel to be one of the best suburbs of Tampa to live in.

Pros: 

• New construction, suburban communities, family friendly amenities.

Cons: 

• 30+ minutes from town.
  

Brandon/ Valrico, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• The second direction I would consider if I still wanted that prototypical suburban feel (single-family housing, a nice yard, a community with friendly neighbors, etc.) would be to go east of town. The Brandon, Valrico, Riverview general area would still satisfy those needs that are hard to come by with urban living...albeit a bit more mature from an age of home perspective. But from a historical perspective, this is one of the main directions that people found it feasible to have the home that they wanted while still  having an easy-ish commute into the city centers of work and play. Going from the eastern suburbs to downtown Tampa, South Tampa, the airport, etc., is one of the better proximities to possess. You also have a large presence of MacDill Air Force Base residents, which offers a strong, close- knit community as well. 

Pros:

• Close-ish to working districts, suburban neighborhoods, big military community.

Cons: 

• A bit older, not as master-planned.

Westchase, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• To round out the best suburbs of Tampa, Florida conversation, we have one other direction that you would want to focus on: west. Since going south is basically falling off into the bay, we have three major directions available...and this is the last significant one. I'd categorize this part of town as an "in-betweener" compared to north or east of Tampa. What Westchase (Town 'N' Country, Citrus Park, etc.) would offer those relocating is interesting/balanced proximity to both the beaches and the town. If situated in the perfect spot, a family could be just 20 minutes from both Clearwater Beach and downtown Tampa. And of course, this would be in another area that offers an element of master-planned communities, new construction, and traditional commercial amenities. Westchase is another solid option for people who are seeking a good suburban living with good access to Tampa's highlights. 

Pros:

• Closer to the beach, suburban neighborhoods.

Cons: 

• Limited number of comparable neighborhood options.

Hyde Park, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• If you're saying to yourself, "Yeah, I get it. The suburbs sound interesting and maybe I get more for my money or some newer construction Florida-style housing, but if I'm moving to Tampa. I really want to be in the heart of what makes it special". This would make a strong argument for potentially the nicest area of Tampa to live in. If you want access to walkable town centers, have water on all sides, have a romantic, charming bungalow in an urban district...then Hyde Park in South Tampa probably sits at the top of that heap. When it comes to the best of all worlds in the Tampa Bay area, this is probably the most mature and sought-after area. You have a mix of beautiful restored historic bungalows with front porches, some urban infill modern stuff mixed in between, and loads of lifestyle benefits to boot. Hyde Park offers the upscale, walkable six-block Hyde Park Village, the longest continuous sidewalk in the United States with Bayshore Boulevard right in front of you, and close proximity to Ybor city, International airport, downtown Tampa, and everything in between. 

Pros:

• “Best of” Tampa city living, historic bungalows, most walkable part of Tampa.

Cons: 

• Lack of suburban style neighborhoods, higher price point.

Northeast St. Petersburg, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• All right, let's hop over to coastal Saint Petersburg, Florida for a moment. If you take everything I just said about Hyde Park in Tampa, and relocate it to above downtown St. Petersburg, there lies an area called Northeast. This is basically Pinellas County's version of Hillsborough County's urban claim to fame. Northeast St. Pete consists of a group of historic-based neighborhoods that sit with different degrees of proximity to the very lovely downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With shopping, dining, water access, and a just much more overall laid-back and eclectic feel in general. Old Northeast, Historic Woodlawn, Historic Kenwood, and Euclid Saint Paul would be a few notable players. 

Pros:

• “Best of” St. Pete city living, historic bungalows, 8 miles to the beach, 1 mile to downtown St. Pete.

Cons: 

• Lack of suburban style neighborhoods, large variety from house to house.

Beach Park, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• At this point in the list, we're getting to a bonus territory in my opinion, since the main foundational areas have been accounted for. Beach Park in Tampa would basically give you the adjacent bookend of its Eastern neighbor, Hyde Park. Beach Park is directly parallel, facing the other side of the bay. The reason I really like Beach Park (other than location alone) is the unique alternative aesthetic to its very close historic neighbors. This still gives you an "Old Florida" vibe with romantic charm with the age and history of how it evolved, but more of a Florida-style housing variety mix than some of the bungalow-heavy boroughs that you typically see. This almost looks like many of the places that you would see up in northern Pinellas county on the Gulf side. Beach Park is a great second or third option, if the overall geography is of interest.

Pros:

• Close to major Tampa amenities, waterfront, charming Florida-style homes/ neighborhoods.

Cons: 

• Higher price point, limited inventory.

Dunedin, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• Number seven on my list is a real unicorn of sorts. This is a complete Florida throwback in time. If you take the barrier island beaches all the way up north in Pinellas County, above the outermost tip (which would be Clearwater Beach out to Caladesi Island) you come across a little town called Dunedin, Florida. Dunedin offers a slower pace of life and a really intentional, close-knit community. The locals are happy there, they're happy you're possibly coming there too, and no one really ends up there on accident. This is a real choice of lifestyle in my opinion. A mix of old Florida-style coastal homes, cottages, restricted commercial development, quaint little downtown, and relative proximity to beaches, downtown, and everything that you might want when you come home...with close access to big-city amenities.

Pros:

• Old-Florida style paradise, gulf front, close-knit community.

Cons: 

• A little bit further from everything, lack of new construction homes.

Apollo Beach, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• For the eastern suburb that I mentioned earlier (with number two), one interesting alternative could be to go slightly south to the area around Apollo Beach, Florida. What you may lose in a few minutes of Tampa city proximity, you gain in unique master-planned new construction, open bay views, and some perspective affordability. One of the great things about Tampa Bay is regardless of what your absolute favorite place may be to live, there is always a plan B or C that could give you more house, less money, or some other subtle advantage with a trade-off in proximity. This would answer some of those questions related to the parts of Tampa that are the cheapest to live or best areas for young professional to buy a 1st house.
• **The master-planned development of Waterset is something to really keep an eye on in 2024**

Pros:

• Emerging master plan communities, waterfront, a little cheaper than northern neighbors.

Cons: 

• Harder to get to the beaches, 30 minutes from most city amenities.

Riverside Heights, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• Number nine is one of my absolute favorite communities in Southwest Florida, Riverside Heights. When I bought a house here in 2019, I was seeking a development that I could get the closest access to all the cool Tampa stuff , but with a steep discount (versus Hyde Park or Palma Ceia). Consequently, this was also one best neighborhoods for real estate investment at the time, albeit that ship has slightly sailed. Riverside Heights gives a nice example of the proximity trade-off that I mentioned above. You can still get some of your historic bungalow homes, mature trees, walkable streets, and parks, but gain a little bit more of a "normal" neighborhood mix of home types...and give you a more feasible shot at accessing the up-and-coming Riverwalk district, working in downtown Tampa, enjoying the kid-friendly city pass, etc., in a balanced way.

Pros:

• “Junior Hyde Park”, proximity to the River Walk, good mix of home styles.

Cons: 

• Maturity of house - house home value, limited inventory.

Indian Rocks, Florida

Adam’s Take: 

• Lastly, to throw one more peacock in the mix: Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. In a world of abundant barrier island beaches (with your tourist-friendly Clearwater Beach, Saint Pete Beach, and Treasure Islands of the world), Indian rocks is high on my list because of the homestead nature of things. As much as I enjoy having access to different beaches (depending on the particular day) if I'm spending more than 50% of my year coming home to one of them, Indian rocks is hard to beat. Limited public access, very residential and private feel, great seafood, and a tight-knit community. Indian Rocks is a great example of living that potential prototypical for retirement lifestyle, while still being able to benefit from Tampa's big city amenities. 

Pros:

• Residential beach paradise, gulf front, great seafood.

Cons: 

•  Hard to get to town, high price point, limited inventory.

Next Steps

Okay, that's a wrap for today's blog post regarding 10 of the best places to live within Tampa Bay Florida. Regardless of which one may be right for you, this particular area I think can have tremendous value to most people in 2024.

 If this content resonates with you in anyway, please see below for a few some great next steps:

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