Another day at home is another day in paradise. Yet again, the City of St. Pete is earning accolades as one of the premier cities to reside in, this time being named the best place to live in Florida among small and mid-size cities, and the 8th-best overall in the southeast.
The new rankings from Livability.com focused exclusively on cities with a population between 75,000 and 500,000, a range that St. Pete fell almost perfectly in the middle of (though the population of Pinellas County as a whole is, of course, much larger). The website worked with Applied Geographic Solutions to come up with a Top 100 list based on dozens of data points, weighted heavily by affordability and the relative ease of building a career and happy life.
St. Pete took the top spot among qualifying cities in Florida, just ahead of Fort Lauderdale. The only other Florida city to make the Top 25 cut was Orlando. Johns Creek, Georgia was the overall top scorer on the list. It should be noted that Livability’s definition of the Southeast spreads as far west as Texas and as far north as Maryland. St. Pete topped everyone from Austin and Little Rock to Nashville and Wilmington.
St. Pete was credited highest for amenities lending themselves to a great work-life balance, relative affordability of housing, a perfect inclusivity score, access to transportation, and a growing business sector. You can see the full report here.
More from Livability: “Locals and residents alike mingle at more than 1,000 special events and festivals that happen annually, ranging from yachting events, farmers markets, Florida’s largest Pride celebration and a long-running parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. St. Petersburg is also a city that prides itself on inclusivity. For example, the city scores a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipality Equality Index.
“Stellar amenities also help St. Pete shine – we’re talking lots of pickleball courts, plus dog parks, the 45-mile Pinellas Trail that’s built atop old railroad tracks, award-winning golf courses and a historic shuffleboard and lawn bowling complex with 74 courts and grandstand seating. St. Petersburg also gets accolades for being an artsy city. Second Saturday ArtWalks, the Salvador Dalí Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg can’t be missed.
“But of course, one of St. Pete’s most prized amenities is its natural beauty, which includes 244 miles of shoreline along Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and intercoastal waterways. There’s also a unique downtown waterfront with restaurants and bars and a free Looper Trolley that connects to the city’s major attractions.”
