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Business Florida 2015 - The Regions
Tampa Bay
Bradenton, Clearwater, Lakeland, North Port, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa
There’s plenty to love about Tampa Bay. This eight-county region with four seaports handling 43 million tons of cargo annually and three international airports serving a combined total of 19.1 million passengers each year was the 9th fastest-growing economy among the 100 largest metros nationwide in 2013, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Tampa Bay is home to busy MacDill Air Force Base, as well as six Fortune 1000 companies. Its labor pool of nearly 2 million workers is supported by 20 not-for-profit public and private colleges and universities, including three campuses of the acclaimed University of South Florida and the state’s newest public university — Florida Polytechnic — which opened this fall in Lakeland.
In addition to these business assets, Tampa Bay boasts a superb quality of life: daily sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico; world-class venues for recreation, professional sports, shopping and culture; and a healthy mix of vibrant urban areas and wide open spaces. Who wouldn’t want to work and live here?
WHO LIVES HERE
Still growing
Tampa Bay’s population — 4.37 million in 2013 — has grown by 14% since the year 2004, and at the present average rate of 50,000 new residents per year, it will reach 4.6 million by 2018.
Young, diverse, educated
Looking to access the talents and buying power of millennials and multiculturals? More than 20% of Tampa Bay residents are age 18-34, and 16% are Hispanic. The labor pool is well educated too — 34% of Tampa Bay’s population has a college degree.
Small-business friendly
Tampa ranks No. 12 on Biz2Credit.com’s 2014 list of “25 Best Small Business Cities in America,” based on a weighted average that includes annual revenue, age of business, cash flow, debt-to-income ratio and other financial data. And for its affordability, collaborative assets and availability of funding, Tampa snagged the No. 2 spot among NerdWallet’s “10 Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs”; New York City and Silicon Valley didn’t even make the cut.