Greater Tampa Bay is a vast, expansive region, growing rapidly from migration in all directions — especially in North Tampa.
The boundaries of North Tampa extend from the northern suburbs of Tampa in Hillsborough County into the larger cities of Southern Pasco County, including Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and Odessa. Within this area, numerous housing developments have sprung up in the past several decades. New business openings are a regular occurrence. The economy is growing right along with the surging residential growth.
The program Tampa Bay Next is modernizing GTB’s transportation infrastructure and preparing for the future. Notable transportation projects include the widening of the Veterans Expressway in 2018 and current construction to extend the Suncoast Parkway northward into Citrus County. The diverging diamond interchange project is a major development along the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange between Lutz and Wesley Chapel. It will improve traffic flow and reduce drive times along the other popular commuter route.
North Tampa is growing at such a rapid rate, and jobs are being created to handle the growth in both the public and private sectors. Amazon has announced plans to build a 517,000-square-foot facility that will be home to 500 employees. Moffitt Cancer Center’s expansion into Pasco County will be the first cancer center to create a massive research and corporate innovation district. It will add more than 14,000 jobs and 16 million square feet of space for research labs, light industrial and manufacturing, general offices and clinics.
Chamber site’s list of developments and economics
In terms of industries, there is a strong emphasis on technology and innovation. The Pasco Economic Development Council defines six industry clusters:
- Advanced manufacturing
- Aerospace, aviation and defense
- Business and professional services
- High technology
- Life sciences and medical technology
- Logistics and distribution
In addition, sports tourism is important to North Tampa’s economy. Families from around Florida and the rest of the country visit North Tampa facilities for tournaments, primarily the brand-new Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. To serve these visitors as well as the area’s many residents, The Shops at Wiregrass feature more than 100 shops, restaurants and other businesses. The outdoor, main-street style shopping center is one of North Tampa’s most popular destinations.
Key Developments
- Epperson
- When the Epperson community opened in 2018, it became the United States’ first completed Crystal Lagoons amenity. The unique, striking lagoon concept brings a realistic beach — complete with white sands, palm trees and turquoise waters — to inland master-planned communities. In addition to the stunning recreational amenities, Epperson is a Connected Community — meaning the entire neighborhood, and each home, has 1 gigabit internet speeds. Technology and innovation are part of this community’s fabric. Area schools including Innovation Preparatory Academy and the soon-to-open Kirkland Ranch Academy prepare students for STEM fields and other high-skill careers. This forward-thinking, technologically advanced, amenity-rich community in Wesley Chapel has become one of the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities and continues to expand. With the successful launch of ULTRAFi, Epperson is the first and only residential environment with up to 1 gigabit of speed throughout the neighborhoods and available inside every home.
- Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex
- This incredible, $29 million indoor sports complex has had a monumental impact on Wesley Chapel and the surrounding region since its opening in 2020. The 98,000-square-foot complex includes multiple courts and state-of-the-art amenities for several sports and athletic purposes. It hosts numerous athletic events, particularly tournaments, and it cements Pasco County’s status as a major sports tourism destination. It was even part of the inspiration to rebrand the county as Florida’s Sports Coast.
- Starkey Ranch
- What used to be the Starkey family ranch dating back to the 1920s has become one of North Tampa’s most significant developments, yet it remains tied to the natural lands including the adjacent Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park. This expansive community in Odessa is currently in its last phase of construction and is yet another one of Tampa’s top-selling communities.
By the Numbers
Here is a by-the-numbers assessment of North Tampa’s largest communities.
Town ’n Country
- Population growth
- 85,620 in 2018
- 87,338 in 2019
- 2.01 % increase
- Median household income growth
- $53,309 in 2018
- $54,444 in 2019
- 2.13% increase
- Most common occupations
- Office and administrative support — 6,094 people; 13.5%
- Sales and related occupations — 5,102 people; 11.3%
- Management — 4,117 people; 9.1%
Wesley Chapel
- Population growth
- 55,046 in 2018
- 58,208 in 2019
- 5.74% increase
- Median household income growth
- $79,836 in 2018
- $84,951 in 2019
- 6.41% increase
- Most common occupations
- Sales and related occupations — 4,182 people; 14.3%
- Management — 3,880 people; 13.2%
- Office and administrative support — 3,475 people; 11.9%
Land O’ Lakes
- Population growth
- 37,007 in 2018
- 38,410 in 2019
- 3.79% increase
- Median household income growth
- $76,057 in 2018
- $80,860 in 2019
- 6.32% increase
- Most common occupations
- Management — 2,693 people; 13.9%
- Office and administrative support — 2,374 people; 12.3%
- Sales and related occupations — 2,237 people; 11.6%
Lutz
- Population growth
- 21,456 in 2018
- 22,235 in 2019
- 3.63% increase
- Median household income growth
- $82,934 in 2018
- $85,000 in 2019
- 2.49% increase
- Most common occupations
- Management — 1,545 people; 13.5%
- Office and administrative support — 1,352 people; 11.8%
- Sales and related occupations — 1,292 people; 11.3%
— DataUSA 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census
Interested in connecting with the North Tampa community? The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce represents Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Odessa and Trinity and neighboring communities. Visit northtampabaychamber.com.
