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Retirement Living In Tampa Bay - Florida


Jump to: Area, Characteristics, Cost, Amenities, Climate, Demographics, Housing, Assistance

Area Description

Tampa Bay region combines everything people love about Florida – roller coasters, Cuban culture, year-round outdoor activities and waterfront sunsets – in a single destination. About 3 million people live in the three counties that make up the greater Tampa Bay region. The City of Tampa (population 350,000) is the cultural and business hub for the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is the home of Busch Gardens Tampa, as well as The Florida Aquarium and award-winning Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, one of three locations in Florida licensed to rehabilitate injured West Indian manatees. The city has a diverse history and a vibrant population that blends new Latin American immigrants, Florida Cracker culture and the descendants of the Cuban, Spanish, German and Italian immigrants who built history Ybor City, once the Cigar Capital of the World. Spanish is widely spoken. Tampa Bay is a hotbed of award-winning restaurants and the hub of craft beer brewing in the state of Florida. Beyond its urban adventures, the region includes a number of large nature parks replete with black water cypress swamps, migratory birds and the occasional alligator.

Region Characteristics



Area Amenities

Things to Do, Recreation & Fitness


    Tampa Bay is Florida’s hip, historic, urban tourism destination on the Gulf coast. With direct flights from nearly 100 domestic and international destinations, Tampa Bay is a great place to enjoy the Florida sunshine while hosting family and friends from all over. Downtown's newly completed Tampa Riverwalk has become the common thread that links some of Florida's best theatres, museums, restaurants and waterfront activities like gems on a string. With some of the nation's best young chefs and more than two dozen craft breweries, Tampa Bay has a growing reputation among those who love to wash down a great meal and with an excellent draft. Year-round warm weather makes Tampa Bay the ideal place to get outdoors to view wildlife and take to the water. Cuban culture lives every day in historic Ybor City, where expert still roll traditional cigars by hand while Spanish-speaking locals debate the issues of the day over a café on leche. Tampa Bay has plenty of treasure to discover.

Cultural Activities


Tampa Bay hosts the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, the largest theater complex in the Southeast and home to the Florida Orchestra, Opera Tampa and the Jobsite Theatre troupe. The Straz hosts an annual Broadway Series as well as a varied schedule of other performances.
Tampa Bay is also a hub for visual arts: Home to the Tampa Museum of Art, which displays a range of art from ancient to Pop all in a building whose lighted façade becomes itself a work of art after the sun goes down. Nearby the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in the architecturally significant Rivergate Tower complex, reflects the founders' labor of love to reveal the power of photography to transform the human experience.
Throughout Downtown, public art makes even the most mundane piece of sidewalk worth of admiration.
The 1926 Tampa Theatre movie palace is a jewel box of riches and among the few theatres of its kind still in operation. A pre-film performance on the lovingly maintained Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ is worth the price of admission alone.
Across the region, Tampa Bay draws upon its unique history and cultural mix for hundreds of festival, parades, and performances of all kinds every year.

Public transportation


HART (Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit) bus systems has service through the urban parts of the county. The TECO Historic Streetcar operates between downtown and Ybor City, stopping in the convention district and at the cruise ship terminal along the way. Uber is widely used across the area and a great way to get around. The new Downtowner electric shuttle system offers free rides in downtown, whenever available. Alternatively, taxis are available and the Streetcar will take you to some destinations (See below). Downtown's Pirate Water Taxi gives you a great way to experience Tampa Bay from the water on your way to dinner or a hockey game.

Medical Facilities


Tampa General Hospital, located in the heart of downtown, is the region's Level I trauma center. As a national center for medical research, Tampa Bay boasts a wide range of medical expertise, including the Moffitt Cancer Center on the campus of the University of South Florida and the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, a major center for research and rehabilitation.


What Will The Climate And Weather Be Like If I Retire In Tampa Bay, Florida?

Tampa Bay’s subtropical weather means winters are hot and humid while winters are warm and dry. The region can see a few weeks when temperatures dip near freezing briefly at night, but even day time temperatures remain in the 40s F or above. Even in winter, the sun can be intense -- sunglasses, a hat and sunblock are also wise to use year-round. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and Tampa Bay can see one low-level tropical storm each season. But because of its location, Tampa Bay has not experienced a direct hit from a hurricane since the 1920s.

Monthly Temperature Ranges

 Month  Low  Avg  High
 Jan  53 F°  61 F°  70 F°
 Feb  55 F°  64 F°  73 F°
 Mar  59 F°  68 F°  76 F°
 Apr  64 F°  72 F°  81 F°
 May  70 F°  78 F°  87 F°
 Jun  75 F°  82 F°  90 F°
 Jul  76 F°  83 F°  91 F°
 Aug  76 F°  84 F°  91 F°
 Sep  75 F°  82 F°  89 F°
 Oct  69 F°  77 F°  84 F°
 Nov  62 F°  70 F°  78 F°
 Dec  55 F°  64 F°  72 F°

Monthly Average # of Hot and Cold Days

 Month  Days Greater Than 90 F°  Days Less Than 32 F°  Days Less Than 0 F°
 Jan  0  1  0
 Feb  0  0  0
 Mar  0  0  0
 Apr  0  0  0
 May  5  0  0
 Jun  15  0  0
 Jul  19  0  0
 Aug  19  0  0
 Sep  13  0  0
 Oct  2  0  0
 Nov  0  0  0
 Dec  0  0  0

Rain & Humidity

 Month  Rainfall  Rainy Days  Humidity
 Jan  3 "  7  52 %
 Feb  3 "  6  53 %
 Mar  3 "  7  56 %
 Apr  2 "  5  60 %
 May  2 "  5  66 %
 Jun  7 "  12  72 %
 Jul  8 "  15  73 %
 Aug  8 "  16  74 %
 Sep  7 "  12  73 %
 Oct  3 "  6  67 %
 Nov  2 "  5  60 %
 Dec  3 "  6  54 %

Snow

 Month  Snowfall  Snow On Ground Days  Snowy Days
 Jan  0 "  0  0
 Feb  0 "  0  0
 Mar  0 "  0  0
 Apr  0 "  0  0
 May  0 "  0  0
 Jun  0 "  0  0
 Jul  0 "  0  0
 Aug  0 "  0  0
 Sep  0 "  0  0
 Oct  0 "  0  0
 Nov  0 "  0  0
 Dec  0 "  0  0


Natural Disaster Areas


Cost of Living for Tampa Bay, FL

Tampa Bay, Florida cost of living for Housing, Healthcare, Transportation, Taxes, Utilities, etc.:

 Cost of Living

Demographics

Race

Religion

Political Party

Age

Senior Housing Options

Housing in Tampa Bay covers the entire market: single-family suburban homes, urban in-fill, multifamily condos and apartments, Over-50 communities and assisted living. Tampa Bay is within an hour of The Villages, the fastest-growing Over-50 community in the US. The proximity to world-class health care makes living alone a viable option well into old age.

Senior Assistance in Tampa Bay, FL

Tampa Bay, Florida offers the following assistance for seniors:
As a major center for retirement in the US, the Tampa Bay region offers an array of assistance and support for senior citizens.

What Job or Volunteer Opportunities Does Tampa Bay Offer For Retirees?

Tampa Bay is home to a mix of social organizations, charities and companies all looking for experienced people to provide leadership and wisdom.

Additional Information

Visitor Information

Relocation Information


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