U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-year estimates
I am going to St. Petersburg, Florida, tomorrow. Let the worthy citizens of Chicago get their liquor the best they can. I'm sick of the job-it's a thankless one and full of grief. -Al Capone
St. Petersburg was named the United States’ very first green city and has dedicated time and resources to conservation and other ecologically-forward policies. The city has also been a USA Tree City award recipient for more than 20 years.
Like many cities in Florida, tourists and snowbirds can crowd into St. Petersburg, making it feel even hotter than usual and more uncomfortable. Locals know how to mitigate the crowds -- and the weather -- and make it work for them.
St Pete was built as a vacation town and that vibe permeates the city. Tourists flock to the downtown bars and beach areas and residents, typically youngsters do as well, living in downtown condos/apts and appreciating a walk to the nightlife. St. Pete’s family or suburban lifestyle has expanded in recent years with plenty of renovation of the bungalows and new builds expanding the options for families. Regardless you can expect the “action” in town to be driven by beaches and an outdoor activity lifestyle driven by water play.
If you want to see what happens in St Pete check out the calendar of events.
Tourism is big business in St. Pete. The largest employer base, the biggest revenue generator and certainly the most visible sector in the city. There is also, however, a big base of financial sector companies and if you look closely you’ll notice a booming tech and web scene, in particular in the downtown area. If you’re young and looking to work in tech/web services then expect to find your work in the place you’re likely going to want to live.
St. Petersburg (or St. Pete as the locals call it) is a warm non-coastal town with an open mind and lots to do. The cost of living is about average for the United States and housing is more affordable than the rest of Florida. And there’s plenty of sunshine!
Anonymous
2y ago
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The good news:
It's quite pretty
The people are relatively interesting here compared to most of Florida
I moved back to the area recently after a few years away (work relocation) and it really is a different place. I don't know that I can justify staying in St Pete. There's a lot to like, but it's a lot of money to take forever to get anywhere outside of St Pete.
Lots of good, but…I don't know if it's for me.
If you're looking at apartments, there's a cluster of complexes near the bridges that cross the bay. There's over priced, but it would let you get to other parts of the Tampa area more easily and still be close. Some are absolute dumps, but some are perfectly comfortable.
The bad things:
The housing market is disproportionately driven by retirees and people who "winter" here, which means wages haven't kept up. It's not an especially affordable place to live if you're relying on local employment
The traffic is abysmal, especially during the winter/spring due to the influx of vacationers and "snow birds" who live here a few months a year. Pinellas is a narrow strip of land with a relatively high density (not many "tall" buildings, but there's very little open land). The end result is that there just isn't a way to make traffic flow truly functional
It's also surrounded by a few areas with lousy traffic. I recently drove out of state from St Pete and it took me almost as long to get out of the Tampa area as it did to get out of the state. There were accidents, so it's not every day, but just realize it's not necessarily easy to get to the rest of the state
There is some public transport, but not as much as you may be used to in New England
For more reviews of what living in St. Petersburg is like from locals, check out The Reviews.
Use our friends at VRBO and Expedia to help get you going!
Downtown is the spot for young people looking to live amidst the most active social scene. Tons of Condo/Apt units were added in recent years and that living combined with plenty of Downtown tech/web services work make this the ideal starting point for a search for a home.
