Moving to Tampa, FL

What Tampa's housing costs and how prices have moved

Single-family homes average about $395,087, up 0.4% over the year. Condos are much cheaper at about $194,297 and down 6.7%. That split, houses holding and condos falling, is the main trend in the data right now.

Size moves the price sharply. Zillow shows about $266,265 for two bedrooms, $382,026 for three, $561,556 for four and $901,564 for five or more. The jump from three to four bedrooms is about $180,000, because four-bedroom houses cluster in the expensive South Tampa areas and the newer planned communities in the north. The lower third of the market trades around $239,812 and the upper third around $688,736.

Suburbs offer more house per dollar. Riverview's typical home is about $363,056, Brandon about $353,216, Temple Terrace about $323,921 and Ruskin about $309,768. Lutz runs higher at about $486,345 and Odessa at about $684,962.

Housing stock: older city, towers downtown, suburbs at the edges

Census data gives Tampa a median year built of 1985, much older than the suburbs to the south and east. About half of homes, 50.3%, are single-family detached, and 28.0% of units are in buildings with ten or more units. Mobile homes are only 1.2%. In practice that means three markets in one city: older bungalows and block houses in the core neighborhoods, condo and apartment towers downtown and along the water, and 1980s-to-2000s planned communities in New Tampa.

An older house is not a problem in itself, but it changes your inspection list. Expect insurers to ask for a 4-point inspection on older homes, and check the roof age, electrical panel and plumbing materials before you fall for a porch.

Neighborhoods by budget, from Zillow's list

• Under $300,000: Sulphur Springs about $237,843, North Tampa about $241,850, East Tampa about $273,342, University Square about $276,803 and Temple Crest about $292,742. Most rose 27% to 38% over five years.
• $300,000 to $420,000: Terrace Park, Lowry Park Central, Leto, Forest Hills, Egypt Lake, Riverbend, Old Seminole Heights, Town 'n' Country, Plaza Terrace and Wellswood, among others.
• $450,000 to $610,000: Tampa Heights about $457,364, Tampa Palms about $469,840, New Tampa about $474,603, Hunters Green about $531,415, North Hyde Park about $553,172, Grand Hampton about $563,299 and Ballast Point about $602,141.
• About $1 million and up: Palma Ceia about $979,737, Bayshore Beautiful about $1,015,226 and Davis Island about $1,462,205.

The lower-priced neighborhoods posted the biggest percentage gains over five years, while several of the north-side planned communities and Davis Island slipped over the last year.

Who lives in Tampa and how you get around

Tampa has about 401,618 residents and a median age of 35.9. Only 13.7% are 65 or older, and seasonal homes are just 1.9% of housing. That is a young, year-round city, very different from the retirement towns elsewhere on the Gulf coast.

Tampa International Airport sits on the west side of the city, close to Westshore. I-275 runs through the city north to south, I-4 heads east toward Orlando, and I-75 runs along the eastern edge of the metro. The Selmon Expressway connects South Tampa and downtown to Brandon. The University of South Florida is in the north of the city, MacDill Air Force Base is at the southern tip of the peninsula, and Tampa General Hospital is on Davis Islands. Gulf beaches are across the bay in Pinellas County, so a beach day means a drive over one of the bridges.

Most people drive. Traffic on I-275, I-4 and Dale Mabry Highway at rush hour is a real cost of living here.

Storms, flood zones and insurance

Much of South Tampa and the land along Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River sits low. In 2024, storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded parts of South Tampa. Inland neighborhoods carry less surge risk but can still have street and drainage flooding in heavy rain. Check the FEMA flood zone and elevation for every address, and if the home is in an A or V zone with a mortgage, flood insurance will be required.

Get insurance quotes during your inspection period. Ask for a wind mitigation report, check roof age, and keep the hurricane deductible in mind: it is a percentage of dwelling coverage, applied once per calendar year.

Taxes and what newcomers get wrong

Florida has no state income tax. Property tax is where you pay, and the rules favor full-time residents. Homestead can take up to $51,411 off the assessed value in 2026, and the Save Our Homes cap keeps assessment increases at 3% or inflation. A second home gets neither benefit.

The most common mistake is budgeting from the seller's tax bill; after a sale the assessment resets to market value. The second is buying on price alone in a flood-exposed area and discovering the insurance cost after the offer. The third is underestimating the commute. A house in Riverview or New Tampa can look like better value until you drive to work at 8 a.m. Pick two or three neighborhoods, test the drive, then build a shortlist around them.