Results are in! Sarasota has officially been ranked the top city to live in Florida by U.S. News & World Report.
With all Sarasota has to offer, it’s no surprise it ranked at the top of the list. Whether tourists want to take advantage of the weather, the events, the restaurants, the amenities or the infamous Siesta Key beach, Sarasota has so much to offer, but we have listed a few of our favorites!
- Restaurants (Patrick’s 1481, Michael’s on East, Selva Grill, O’Leary’s and Marina Jack, Shore, Veronica’s Fish & Oyster Bar, Mattison’s, and Gecko’s, to name a few.)
- Shopping (St. Armands Circle, Westfield Siesta Key, The Mall at University Town Center, Westfield Sarasota Square, and all the shops along Main Street)
- Entertainment & Arts (Van Wezel, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota Players Theatre, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art,
- Golfing (Bobby Jones Golf Course, The Highlands, TPC Prestancia, Sara Bay Country Club, Tatum Ridge, Bent Tree, Serenoa Golf Club, and The Founders Club)
- Beaches – Lido Key and Siesta Key Beach
Also, out of 125 cities in the country, Sarasota ranked #18. If you’re curious, the number one ranked city was Austin, Texas.
The cities were graded on a 10-point scale based on the following:
- Job Market – 20% of overall score
- The Job Market Index uses the employment rate and the average salary to determine how easy or difficult it is for local residents to find employment.
- Value Index – 25% of overall score
- The Value Index, also called Housing Affordability Index, measures how comfortably the average resident of each metro area can afford to live within his or her means. It divides the Blended Annual Housing Cost by the Blended Median Annual Household Income for each metro area.
- Desirability Index – 15% of overall score
- The Desirability Index simply utilizes a poll to ask people where they would like to live. It measures whether or not people want to live in a given metro area.
- Quality of Life – 30% of overall score
- The Quality of Life Index measures how satisfied residents of each metro area are in their daily lives.
- The results are based on; Crime Rates, Quality and Availability of Health Care, Quality of Education, Well-being, and the Commuter Index.
- The Quality of Life Index measures how satisfied residents of each metro area are in their daily lives.
- Net Migration – 10% of overall score
- Net Migration measures whether or not new residents are moving to the area.
Of the categories listed, Sarasota received an overall score of 7.0, a quality of life score of 7.4, and a value score of 5.7.
Granted, we’re bias as we live in this beautiful city, but if you’d like additional information on purchasing, selling, or investing in a home, contact us directly at BrandyCoffey941@gmail.com or 941.404.4737.