When a city ranks as the best in the entire State of Florida, it is not unusual to have a long list of awards and prestigious titles following it. Yes, of course, Tampa Bay’s nickname is Champa Bay because of its amazing sports teams with championship records, but the entire area is so much more than that.
From the best schools in the state to the best place to retire, Greater Tampa Bay has a long list of accolades that it is excited to brag about. Here are just some of the titles that the area has achieved:
No. 1
Emerging Tech City — Tampa
With more than 50 software and tech companies located here, Tampa is “quickly turning into Florida’s tech capital,” according to none other than Forbes. Some major reasons Forbes named Tampa the top emerging tech city in the country: it is responsible for over more than 25% of Florida’s tech jobs, and thousands more are anticipated as existing companies grow, startups blossom and developments spring up.
Best U.S. City To Be A Dog — Tampa
Pet food company Honest Paws gave the City of Tampa the top spot in 2020 and again in 2021. The rankings are based on pet-friendly businesses and off-leash beaches, just to name a couple criteria. Tampa has 16 dog parks, 52 pet-friendly breweries and six pet-friendly beaches, so it is not hard to see why the city won the top spot.
Best Place To Work Remotely In America — St. Petersburg
The number of remote workers has increased 87% nationwide because of the pandemic, so for those at-home workers looking for new scenery, St. Petersburg is the top place in the country with population under 1 million to work remotely, according to highervisibility.com.
No. 2
Cheapest City To Live In “Under The Radar” — St. Petersburg
Thrillist called St. Petersburg a “hyper-affordable beach town for the non-retired,” and it came in second on the list of the best, cheapest cities to live in. The ranking mentioned St. Pete’s numerous cultural and recreational opportunities as a benefit to quality of life.
Best New Attraction — St. Pete Pier
Need something to do? Look no further than the St. Pete Pier, which USA Today’s 10 best ranking site listed as the second-best new attraction in the country. It features a marketplace, shops and restaurants, an art installation, the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center and more.
No. 3
Best Places To Visit In Florida — St. Petersburg
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
Best Florida Beaches — Clearwater Beach
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
Most Fiscally Fit Cities — Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater
Bestplaces.net used criteria including investments, quality of life and life insurance coverage to determine the nation’s 50 most fiscally fit major metropolitan areas. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater came in high at No. 3.
No. 5
Best Florida Beaches — St. Petersburg
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 6
Best Places To Retire In the U.S. — Tampa
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
Best Places To Live In Florida — Tampa
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 8
Best Baseball City — Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater
Tampa Bay is exactly where fans of America’s favorite pastime want to be. Ranked by bestplaces.net as the eighth best baseball city in the country, Tampa Bay has had 98 local players go to the major leagues since 1920, in addition to having the Tampa Bay Rays make it to the World Series in 2020. The sunny weather helps, too.
No. 9
Safest Places To Live In The U.S. — Tampa
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
Best Family Winter Vacations In The World — St. Petersburg
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 11
Best Places For Women To Start A Business — Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater
With only 39% of businesses in the U.S. being owned by women, female entrepreneurs are always looking for the best places to start up and succeed. GTB came in at No. 11 on business.org’s list, where 25% of business are already female-owned. Get it, girl.
No. 14
Most Popular Cities For The Holidays — Tampa
Probably not a huge surprise but absolutely worth noting, bestplaces.net ranked the City of Tampa 14th overall on the list of the most popular cities to visit during the holidays. Of course, it is a popular destination for those from up north who want a warm Christmas, and landed in spot No. 12 for the most popular place to spend Christmas and New Year’s. The Big Guava took the 19th spot as the most popular city to spend Thanksgiving.
Best Beaches In The U.S. — St. Petersburg
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 15
Fastest-Growing Places In The U.S. — Tampa
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 16
Best Places To Visit In Florida — Clearwater Beach
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
No. 32
Best Places To Live In the U.S. — Tampa
U.S. News & World Report 2021-2022
Off The Charts
Best New Food City In The United States — Tampa
Tampa made Thrillist’s list of the top 15 cities in the country that are great for foodies. From the traditional Cuban sandwich to street food to farm-to-table, there is something for every palate in GTB, and the rest of the world is finally catching on.
Best Cities To Live In America — Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater
Ranking site Niche.com compiled a list of the best U.S. cities to live in using criteria including crime rates, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities such as shops and restaurants. Tampa came in nationally at No. 40, St. Petersburg at No. 43 and Clearwater at No. 92 on the list. Three major cities on the list? Yes, please.
Most Consecutive Sunny Days
St. Petersburg was sunny for 768 days in a row, from Feb. 9, 1967 to March 17, 1969, earning it the moniker of the Sunshine City. It still holds this Guinness Book World Record.
By Jen Clark
