11 Things to Know About Living in Sarasota, FL in 2024

If the short days in the winter bother you and you are done with shoveling snow every morning before work, consider moving to a sunny city in Florida. What about the small town of Sarasota, located on the Gulf Coast? It promises 250 sunny days a year, which is a good starting point!

Time Magazine put Sarasota on the list of 100 world’s most incredible places to live. Sarasota is also ranked the number one city in the U.S. for retirement, so it is more than just speculation that it is thriving!

Turquoise water, the most beautiful beaches in the world, no state income tax, and an excellent climate are just a few of the many things Sarasota has to offer.

Quick city facts:

• Sarasota is located at the southern tip of the Greater Tampa Bay Area.
• There are around 56,000 permanent residents in the city.
• Sarasota has been voted the best place to live in Florida in 2023.
• It has a tropical climate with hot and humid summers and warm and mild winters.

Let’s go through some more fundamental things you should know before moving!

1. The Healthcare system is exceptional.

Beaches and sunsets don’t mean a thing when you don’t have good elementary living terms. Before talking about the sand and the cocktails, let’s get this out of the way: You won’t ever have to worry about healthcare in Sarasota!

Top-rated hospitals are located here, including Sarasota Memorial Hospital, one of the most significant acute-care institutions in the entire state. It also has the status of one of the best hospitals overall in the United States! Know that you will be taken care of fast since Memorial Hospital emergency rooms are located throughout the city.

Besides, three more hospitals of almost the same rank won the prices for the quality of service they provide.

2. The housing market is competitive.

With a significant influx of new residents, housing prices have increased too. The median home price is $495,00, which is a 31.9% increase from 2021 to 2022.

Also, the closer to the water you go, the bigger the prices.

Those are challenging conditions for young professionals to afford a home. Even though the city needs more service workers, those people can’t live in these expensive conditions.

On the other hand, if you are ready to settle here, you can choose from all kinds of houses. Waterfront mansions, historic homes, beach houses, and contemporary condos are all available!

Renting Is somewhat more affordable. A month’s rent is $1,950 on average.

Still, this is about 7.4% lower than living in Miami, and Sarasota is just a smaller version of it!

3. Money-related facts.

The average yearly income in Sarasota is between $30,800 and $53,000 compared to the U.S. average income of $54,000.

The average cost of living in Sarasota is 7% higher than the state average and 8% higher than the national average. For comparison cost of living in Miami is 18% higher than the state average.

Utilities are lower in Sarasota by 3% than the U.S. average. The reason is the lack of heating in the winter. Because of the AC, you could expect an electricity bill to be around $150 only in the summertime.

Job opportunities are vast in Sarasota. Its economy depends primarily on tourism. Sarasota also has an impressive unemployment rate of 2.8% compared to the national 3.7%

Roper Technologies, KHS, and Intertape polymer group are some of the biggest companies. Service workers are always needed, and all tourism and real estate jobs are welcomed with arms wide open!

4. Not a sweater weather.

It is evident that Sarasota has all the perks of Florida weather. It has pleasant springs and falls, sweltering summers, and mild winters. The temperature rarely falls below 60F throughout the year!

How is this affecting your lifestyle? The overall atmosphere is positive when there is sunshine all year round. You can make your life a vacation by using the beaches at your disposal. When you feel overwhelmed with all the stress of contemporary life, you can drive to the shore and watch the sunset and the waves.

Even though it is located on the Gulf Coast, Sarasota has fewer hurricanes than the next-door neighbors.

5. Excellent education is provided.

Once again, this factor can make a difference in your or your child’s quality of life.

You will have much to choose from with its 90 public and private schools.

Pine View elementary school is the first name drop here. The school is frequently voted the best school in the County! It is ranked 24th in America and second best in Florida.

If you are a future college student or have kids of that age, know that you can choose from 9 colleges in the city here.

Ringling Sarasota college of art and design is a private school with top-rated graphic design and contemporary animation classes.

Pay attention to the University of South Florida Sarasota and the New College of Florida.

6. The location is upscale.

Perched along the Gulf Coast of Mexico and about an hour away from Tampa, 40 minutes from St. Petersburg, and 80 minutes from Disneyworld, Sarasota’s location is the one to wish for. Its centralized location gives you a lot of near options and varieties for changing up your surroundings. You can drive by the coast when you want to try the new out-of-town beaches or take your kids to Disneyworld without spending the money on accommodation!

7. Of course- beaches.

What makes Sarasota’s beaches so unique? Why is Siesta Key beach constantly voted one of the prettiest beaches in the U.S.?

The answer can be that it’s 99% pure crushed quartz which gives the sand its signature white color. Maybe it is the warm water in the Gulf, compared to sometimes freezing water in the Atlantic Ocean.

In the 35 miles of the coast, there is much more than the commercially famous Siesta Key Beach! If you prefer to avoid the crowd and bunch of vacationers lined up, you should try one of the beaches in Lido Key! Those won’t disappoint either and are easily accessible from Downtown. You can mix your beach and urban life on foot or bike!

8. Let’s have an ovation for the airport!

Having your own city’s airport is very beneficial, and the locals are thankful for the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport!

The fact of having a nearby airport really makes life easier. Instead of driving to Tampa airport to go on a flight, you can get to Sarasota airport by taxi!

This airport is voted for having the least flight delays out of all the small airports in 2022! You can easily avoid crowds, and it is said to be well-managed and quite organized.

9. Outdoor playground.

Many daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly events keep the residents active here.

You can visit many tourist attractions, such as Mote Marine Laboratory, Aquarium, and Marie Selby Botanical gardens.

You can bike on one of many trails or go hiking outside the city for a real natural feel.

Know that there’s a Farmer’s Market every week, and every year there is an authentic and exciting event called the’ Master Sand Sculpting Competition. It unites artists from all over the world who show their sand sculptures!

For golf lovers, there are hundreds of premier golf courses!

10. The art and culture scene is strong.

Sarasota Opera House, Sarasota Ballet, and Circus Art Conservatory provide big quality times.

Sarasota Film Festival is Florida’s largest film festival, which connects movie workers from all over the world!

In 2010. the first international street painting festival in the U.S., Sarasota Chalk Festival, premiered in Sarasota.

11. Food!

There are more than 1,400 restaurants to choose from in Sarasota.

From seafood to Mexican food, truck food, and upscale restaurants, there is something for every taste!

Try out Indigenous Restaurant for upscale farm-to-table food such as pistachio falafels, burgers, and shrimp. For oysters, come by Owen’s Fish Camp-oysters, and when you need dessert, try Kookies and Kream, where you get a quadruple the size of a regular cookie!

Wrap up:

Overall, Sarasota can really be a blast for students, families, and retirees.

The lifestyle it brings is worth the fact that it is more pricey. It is a growing city that will only get bigger and more crowded over time, so hurry up!

The perfect situation is to bring your job with you and be sure to have enough income for a relaxed life. This way, this small-big town could offer you a lot of its charm!

Either way, beaches are always a free enjoyment!