March 29, 2024

Top 10 Reasons to do Business in Florida

7. Quality of Life

Janet Ware | 9/21/2010

Florida's reputation as a great vacation destination brought 80.9 million visitors to the state in 2009. We know from experience that many of them will come back — not just to visit, but to live permanently. Why? Because they liked what they saw, and because they want to share in the exceptional quality of life that full-time Floridians enjoy.

A growing number of professionals in service-oriented and knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy — the so-called “creative class” — place tremendous importance on sense of place, opting to live in communities that provide more than employment opportunities but also amenities such as access to arts and culture, public spaces, recreation, social interaction, authenticity and distinctiveness. Florida fills the bill with its rich array of diverse communities and assets such as:

Great climate: Average annual temperatures between 81 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Outstanding education: A public school system ranked 10th in the nation, plus at least one post-secondary educational institution — public or private university, state or community college and/or technical training center — within 50 miles of every Floridian.

Economic value: No personal income tax and, in many ways, a cost of living below that of other comparable states with similar growth and in-migration rates. In addition, programs are continually under development at the state and local levels to ensure that housing prices remain competitive and affordable for workers.

Tampa Bay Rays Baseball
World-class sporting events like this Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field add to Florida’s quality of life.
Plenty to see and do: More than 1,350 golf courses; 2,300 miles of tidal shoreline; 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and waterways; 161 state parks spanning 700,000 acres; some of the world’s biggest and best theme parks; a thriving arts and culture scene; unique shopping opportunities; world-class sporting events.

Sophisticated healthcare: More than 300 general medical and surgical hospitals, including the facilities ranked No. 1 in the nation for ophthalmology (Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami), No. 17 for gastroenterology (Cleveland Clinic Florida) and No. 19 for cancer care (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa) on the U.S. News & World Report 2010-2011 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

No wonder, then, that in a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project, three Florida cities ranked among America’s most desirable places to live: Orlando (4th), Tampa (5th) and Miami (12th).

Tags: Business Florida

Florida Business News

Florida Trend Video Pick

Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns
Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns

New security cameras in downtown Lakeland are raising concerns about privacy. The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority has begun installing 13 new security cameras on streets, sidewalks, and alleyways, and there are mixed feelings about them.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Should Congress ban the popular social media app TikTok in the U.S.?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Need more details
  • What is TikTok?
  • Other (Comment below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2024 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.