Seffner is part of the Tampa area. This page covers the whole metro.
Growing, Big-city feel
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Tampa scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Less so: lively, historic.
How locals describe Tampa
The words residents use most, from 89 comments on Reddit, City-Data and Quora. Bigger means more people said it. Tap a word to read what they said.
"Tampa feels like a city when you know the neighborhoods. Seminole heights, channelside, ybor, westchase, etc."
"Overpriced, overcrowded, there's almost no beaches in Tampa itself, very little nature left."
"Now I have a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment and pay $2100/mo rent."
A walk through Tampa
Places residents talk about, in their words. Each photo is of the place named.
Look around Tampa
Google Street View near the center of town, taken 2022-10. Drag to turn, click the street to move.
Open in Google MapsEveryday life in Tampa
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Tampa
What Tampa is known for
Every year
MarRiver O'Green Fest: Saint Patrick's Day event with dyed green rivertampa.gov
JulBoom by the Bay: Independence Day fireworks displaytampa.gov
Gasparilla Pirate Festival: Pirate themed festival with invasion and paradeen.wikipedia.org
On a normal week
Walking or biking the Tampa Riverwalken.wikipedia.org
Walking along Bayshore Boulevard sidewalken.wikipedia.org
Visiting Curtis Hixon Waterfront Parktampa.gov
Take a tour of Tampa
"Tampa Henry B. Plant Museum - 4K Walking Florida Tour" by OkWalk, on YouTube. Not made by Varro.
One resident recommended specific spots for Cuban, Venezuelan, and Colombian food in Tampa.
“Go to la Teresita for Cuban. El Perdigon for Venezuelan. La perrada colombiana o la pequeña Colombia for Colombian food.”
Posted April 2024One resident lists Fort Desoto, Alafia River state park, Lettuce Lake, EG Simmons and Hillsborough river state park as their go to outdoor spots.
“My go to spots have been mentioned! Fort Desoto, Alafia River state park, lettuce lake, EG Simmons and Hillsborough river state park.”
Posted March 2026One resident mentions PlayGrounds and free shaded splash pads at some parks as family friendly options
“In Tampa there's a place called PlayGrounds. A few of our parks also have free splash pads in the shade.”
Posted June 2024Armature Works was recommended as a chill, low pressure date spot with good food and bars.
“Armature Works is great for a chill date! The walk, the food, and the bars make it a 10/10 for low stakes, no pressure. Highly recommended!”
Posted June 2026From 8 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident recommends joining the Tampa Bay Young Professionals Meetup group, noting it helped them make long time friends.
“Please join Meetup, the Tampa Bay Young Professionals group - it has 6,000 Members alone. I used to be a host and met lots of long time friends...”
Read the full commentPosted Sept. 2023. Things may have changed since.One resident suggests using Meetup or Eventbrite and joining run clubs, while noting that making adult friends is tough.
“I would suggest looking at meetup.com or Eventbrite. Making adult friends is tough. Run clubs are also good. ing political affiliation groups.”
Read the full commentPosted July 2026One resident describes Tampa dating as a numbers game of quantity before finding quality, citing many themed bars and social activities in the area.
“Tampa is a quantity dating until you find a good match for quality dating. There's a lot of social activities in Tampa and St Pete, themed bar...”
Read the full commentPosted July 2025One resident finds it hard to find a partner or even friends due to the sprawl and older average age
“I find it a really difficult place to find a partner, even friends, between the extremely sprawled area and the fact that the average age is over 35,...”
Read the full commentPosted June 2021. Things may have changed since.One resident said they tried many dating apps including Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, and suggested meetup groups based on interests as an alternative.
“I did a lot of dating apps around Tampa. Been on Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge off. You could try meetup groups around interests. Meetup.com might...”
Read the full commentPosted Sept. 2018. Things may have changed since.Armature Works was recommended as a chill, low pressure date spot with good food and bars.
“Armature Works is great for a chill date! The walk, the food, and the bars make it a 10/10 for low stakes, no pressure. Highly recommended!”
Read the full commentPosted June 2026One resident says Dunderbak's is doing well and now brews its own beer in house.
“Dunderbak's is flourishing. I work in New Tampa and go there regularly. They're even brewing their own beer in-house now.”
Read the full commentPosted March 2021. Things may have changed since.One resident is trying to visit every going out location in and around Tampa, listing Saint Pete Downtown, Ybor, Soho, and Armature Works so far.
“I'm trying to hit ever going out location in Tampa and around Tampa. So far I have been to:...”
Read the full commentPosted Nov. 2021. Things may have changed since.One resident warned this is a transient area where no one cares about you until they know you, and advised not to complain about humidity.
“No one cares, at least until they get to know you. This is a revolving door transient area. Don't ever bitch about the humidity in the check out...”
Read the full commentPosted Aug. 2013. Over 10 years old, things may have changed.One resident mentioned their wife enjoys community oriented activities like farmers markets, artsy local spots, and organic shops.
“My wife is really into “community” events like local farmers markets or anything related to that/ local artsy places, organic shops etc. I...”
Read the full commentPosted Feb. 2026Recent stories from local outlets. Tap a headline to read it.
About 11,513 business locations in the Tampa area, employing about 209,893 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
The job market was described as more saturated than cities like Austin or Atlanta.
“The job market in Tampa Bay is more saturated than say Austin or Atlanta. Try USAA, Citi, DTCC, Baycare, Bank of America, Chase, and Raymond...”
Read the full commentPosted Nov. 2023One resident said Tampa employers still offer salaries from fifty thousand to eighty thousand dollars, with entry level corporate jobs around fifty thousand
“Tampa employers will still throw around $50k to $80k salaries. Entry level corporate jobs pay around $50k, experienced professionals can get...”
Read the full commentPosted Oct. 2026Pick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
Fall brings a warm, dry season with temperatures gradually cooling into the mid-70s.
One resident who moved from Detroit as a teen and has lived in Tampa since age 16 describes themselves as a huge rock music fan.
“I'm not a transplant anymore. I just turned 28 and have lived in Tampa since I was 16. I moved here from the Detroit metro. I'm a huge rock music fan...”
Read the full commentPosted Oct. 2022. Things may have changed since.Armature Works was recommended as a chill, low pressure date spot with good food and bars.
“Armature Works is great for a chill date! The walk, the food, and the bars make it a 10/10 for low stakes, no pressure. Highly recommended!”
Read the full commentPosted June 2026One resident suggests using Meetup or Eventbrite and joining run clubs, while noting that making adult friends is tough.
“I would suggest looking at meetup.com or Eventbrite. Making adult friends is tough. Run clubs are also good. ing political affiliation groups.”
Read the full commentPosted July 2026One resident said they moved to Tampa last May and did not expect the winters to get so cold, having to give up hobbies for now.
“Hey everyone just moved to Tampa last May and I did not expect the Winters to get so cold, I had to get rid of a lot of my hobbies for now and go into...”
Read the full commentPosted Feb. 2026“I truly don’t understand what everyone is relocating here for”
What residents said in a local survey
From the 2023 Community Values Survey.
- 99.6% of residents recommend Tampa as a place to live.
- 98% of residents recommend Tampa as a place to raise children.
- 93% of residents recommend Tampa as a place to work.
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Tampa area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Tampa area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 407,243 rented homes in the Tampa area, 78% rent for under $2,000 a month and 96% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Tampa area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Florida: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Florida DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Florida voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
One public school district serves this county, with about 224,538 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Florida keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $240/week about $12,500 a year | $175/week about $9,100 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $190/week about $9,900 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $175/week about $9,100 a year | $150/week about $7,800 a year |
| School-age | $125/week about $6,500 a year |
For an infant at a center: $240/week here, $225 across FL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 15% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
12 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Tampa. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.