Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Sarasota

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Discover why many are moving to Florida's Suncoast

If you’re recently visited Sarasota on a vacation and given some thought as to living here in the Sunshine state, you're definitely not alone. There are so many great reasons to choose a growing small-town such as Sarasota over some of the more populated and traffic congested larger cities in the state. Whether you’re a young professional seeking your first move or you’re searching for the perfect retirement city, come see what Sarasota is all about! Below are my TOP 10 reasons to relocate to Sarasota.

Top 10 Reasons to Move to Sarasota

Sarasota Ranks #1 Best City to Live in Florida

Sarasota was recently named the # 1 Best Place to Live in Florida by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-2024. The study was based upon local job markets, home affordability, quality of life, city desirability and the amount of people moving to or away a givien city. View City Rankings List.

"TOP 5" BEST CITIES
TO LIVE IN FLORIDA
2023 - 2024

"TOP 5" Best Florida Cities to Live in 2023

Rank	City	Median Home Price	Median Age
1	Sarasota, FL	$462K	48.9 years
2	Naples, FL	$596K	65.4 years
3	Melbourne, FL	$375K	41.4 years
4	Jacksonville, FL	$293K	35.9 years
5	Tampa, FL	$312K	35.9 years

Home Prices as of Oct 31, 2023

There's No State Income Tax in Florida!

One huge benefit of being a Florida resident is the lack of a state income tax. This means that you get to keep more of your income. In place of a state tax, Florida earns its dollars from the millions of tourists that vacation in our state each year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) on revenues from rental properties and hotel stays that are for a term of six month or less. Once you become a Florida resident, you will be thankful for the tourists as they pay your share of the state taxes.
Top-Rated Siesta Key Beach

Sarasota's area beaches are among the most gorgeous and most popular in the state of Florida. Its top-rated Siesta Key Beach has been named the #1 Beach in America in recent years by multiple review sites including Trip Advisor, Dr. Beach and Conde Nast Traveler. The powder-like, sugar sand stays cool to the touch, even on the hottest of Florida's summer days. View Siesta Key Beach.

View of Siesta Key Beach
Lakewood Ranch - The #2 Best Selling Community in the US in 2023

Sarasota is home to Lakewood Ranch, the #2 best-selling master planned community in 2023 for the entire US. View Lakewood Ranch Ranking. Located just east of the Interstate at the University Parkway exit, the 50-square mile community of Lakewood Ranch offers residents a high-quality of life with a central town center, endless shopping and dining options with the new University Town Center Mall, top-rated schools, miles of parks and trails and more!
Sarasota is a Year-Round Playground

With an average year-round temperature of 73’ and 251 sunny days per year, Sarasota is the perfect city for outdoor enthusiasts! If you like a good workout, try kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding through the natural mangroves to see native wildbirds and sea life. If you’re seeking a more relaxed activity, rent or charter a boat for the day and explore remote sand bars and local islands. There's also lots of recreational parks and area trails to explore where you’ll see an alligator or two.
Sarasota Offers Reasonably Priced Real Estate

The Sarasota real estate market offers reasonably priced real estate for young families and retirees alike. At the end of October 2023, the median Sarasota home price is $462K and the median Sarasota monthly rent is just under $2.4K per month. Obviously living downtown Sarasota or one the keys will cost you more. I am glad to show you all housing options within your price range when you arrive to town.
The Sarasota Area Offers Great Dining Options

Downtown Sarasota and its surrounding keys offer a full array of casual sidewalk cafes to elegant, five-star restaurants. They’re also lots of cool, hip craft breweries and beer gardens to check out. Many establishments are pet-friendly and offer daily live entertainment. St Armands Circle and Siesta Key Village are some of the top destinations you’ll definitely want to check out!
Sarasota Has Top-Rated Healthcare & Hospitals

When relocating to a new city, it’s important to have quality healthcare choices and for both preventative and emergency care. Sarasota’s top hospitals include Sarasota Memorial Health Care (just south of Downtown) and Doctor’s hospital which is located near the Interstate. Both are top-rated hospitals and have received numerous awards in recent years.
Sarasota Has Endless Events to Check-Out!

Sarasota offers an active scene of events, outdoor festivals and entertainment performances to check out! There's also the many popular community events that take place each year including The Blues Festival, The Offshore Grand Prix, The Jazz Festival, The Film Festival, The Holiday Boat Parade of Lights, the 4th of July Fireworks Show, The Firehouse Chili Cook-Off and more. I'm glad to keep you posted on happening events when you come to tour Sarasota.
Sarasota is a Cultural Home for the Arts

Sarasota has long been known as Florida's "Cultural City" with its active performing arts and theatrical scene. The city enjoys a connection to the famous Ringling family as the Circus Magnate, John Ringling and his wife, Mable, built their famous Estate Home (Ca' d'Zan) and Ringling Museum of Art when they settled here in the 1920's. Both their home and art museum are now open as attractions to tour year round.