The other day I posted a short video on my social media channels about where people are moving to in Florida and where they’re coming from. Even though I got an unfounded comment about how “people aren’t moving to Florida from California,” the data from the Census Bureau suggest otherwise.

The Tampa area is one of the top places people are considering when they move to Florida, so I decided to follow up with my perspective on the pros and cons of living in Tampa Bay.

You can watch the video above to get my full list of pros and cons (6 pros and 5 cons), but I’ll give you my TOP pros here in this article.

Top Reasons for Moving to Tampa Bay

1. The weather: it’s sunny and bright in Tampa Bay almost all year round. Right now, in the middle of summer, the weather can also double as a con. Because it’s hot. Very hot. It’s humid. Very humid. It rains in the afternoons. But if you’re a beach person, the weather is usually pretty good beach weather, so I put the weather as a pro for living in Tampa Bay.
2. Professional Sports: after living some time in Louisville, Kentucky, where we had no major sports teams near us (except in Cincinnati), I am very happy to be back to Tampa Bay where we have a thriving pro sports scene. The Bucs, Rays, and Lightning have all been electrifying over the last few years, and if you like soccer you can watch the Rowdies as well. The area is also great for sports fans because of Spring Training. There are a number of MLB teams that do their training in the Spring in the Tampa Bay area.
3. Amusement Parks: Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, and a number of other attractions make their home in Tampa Bay. You can enjoy either the local Tampa amusement parks or head over to Orlando and get to the best parks in the world. Also, you can enjoy “Florida residents” perks at these parks to make it easier on your wallet.
4. Nature: There are 170 State Parks in Florida, and many of them are on the West Coast. There are springs to kayak/canoe and places to hike and observe wildlife. If you like nature, you’ll love the Tampa Bay area.
5. No State Income Tax: Who doesn’t like less taxes?

Okay…I’ll leave the cons for the video.

For now, though, which one of these “PROS” appeals the most to you? Let me know on Twitter.