Thinking of Moving to Sarasota?

Discover what living in the Suncoast is like.

If you're thinking about moving to Sarasota and currently doing your research online, you're exactly where you need to be. This page has been created to help you better understand the greater Sarasota area and what life could be like as a year-round resident in the Florida Suncoast. This page overviews the quality of life, local amenities, top-rated healthcare and local employment scene. We also encourage you to reach out to Julie Larson, our Sarasota relocation expert, as she is glad to answer any specific questions you may have about Sarasota including the local real estate market, housing prices and the annual cost of living.

About Sarasota, FL

Sarasota is a booming small city on the west coast of Florida. Located exactly 60 miles south of Tampa, Sarasota is best known for its top-rated Siesta Key Beach, its rich arts and cultural performances as well as its long-time connection to the famous circus-performing Ringling family. Sarasota offers residents a high quality of life year-round with endless outdoor activities, an expanding job and employment market as well as expert healthcare services from top-rated area hospitals. The population of Sarasota is approximately 54,000 (total Sarasota county population is approximately 380,000).

Experience the majestic beauty of Sarasota and our white-sand beaches in the following video. Make sure your volume is on.

Sarasota, FL Awards & Accolades

Sarasota commonly receives accolades and awards for its beaches, its quality retirement lifestyle as well as top-rated healthcare services. See recent mentions below.

• 2021
  
  Sarasota Named a Top 10 Best Place to Live in the U.S. - US News & World Report
  Lakewood Ranch Named the #2 Top-Selling Multi-Generational Community in the U.S. for 2020 - RCL & Co.
  Sarasota Ranks as the #1 Best Place to Retire in the Country - US News & World Report
• 2020
  
  Siesta Key Beach Named the #1 Beach in the USA - Trip Advisor
  Sarasota Memorial Achieves Highest 5-Star Rating for Quality and Safety - Medicare.gov
  Sarasota is Ranked the #7 Best Beach Town for Retirement in the US - Southern Living
  Lakewood Ranch is Named the #2 Top-Selling Master-Planned Community in the Country for 2019 - RCL & Co.
• 2019
  
  Sarasota Ranks as #1 Best Place to Retire in FL - Investment U

  Siesta Key Beach Named #6 Top Beach in the US - Trip Advisor

  Sarasota Memorial Hospital Ranks as a Top FL Hospital - US News & World Report

  Sarasota Ranks as the 20th Most Desirable Place to Live in the US - US News and World Report

  Sarasota Named as the #1 Most Affordable Honeymoon Spot in the US - livability.com

Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Sarasota

1. Sarasota is a Top-Rated City to Retire In
   
   Sarasota was ranked as the # 1 Best Place to Retire in the entire country in 2020-21 by US News & World Report. This study focused upon many factors including the happiness of local residents, the affordability of housing, local tax rates and access to quality healthcare. Sarasota is commonly ranks as a top Florida retirement destination for many of the reasons listed on this page. View Rankings List.
   
   

   
2. Florida Has No State Income Tax
   
   One big benefit of living in Florida is the lack of a state income tax. This means that you get to keep more of your hard-earned dollars. In place of a state tax, the state of Florida earns its dollars from the millions of tourists that visit our state each year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) on revenues from rental properties and hotel stays that are for a term of six month or less. Once you become a Florida resident, you will be thankful for the tourists as they pay your share of the state taxes.
3. Sarasota is the Home of Top-Rated Siesta Key Beach
   
   The beaches of Sarasota County are among the most beautiful and most popular beaches in the entire state of Florida. Top-rated Siesta Key Beach, located on Siesta Key, has been named as the #1 Beach in America in recent years by multiple review sites including Trip Advisor, Dr. Beach and Conde Nast Traveler. The beach’s powder-like, sugar sand stays cool to the touch, even on the hottest of Florida's summer days. View Siesta Key Beach.

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   View of Siesta Key Beach from New Pavillion
4. Lakewood Ranch - 2^nd Best Selling Community in the US
   
   Sarasota is the home of Lakewood Ranch, the 2nd best-selling master planned community in the entire US in 2020. Located just east of I-75 at University Parkway, the forty-eight square mile community of Lakewood Ranch offers residents a high-quality of life with a central town center, endless shopping and dining options within the brand new University Town Center Mall, top-rated area schools, miles of parks, outdoor trails and more! View Lakewood Ranch Ranking.

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   Top Selling Master-Planned Communities of 2020
5. Sarasota Has Top-Rated Healthcare & Hospitals
   
   Sarasota's area hospitals include Sarasota Memorial Health Care (SMH) and Doctor’s hospital. Sarasota Memorial is located just south of downtown and Doctors Hospital is located at Bee Ridge and I-75. Both are top-rated hospitals and have received numerous awards and accolades in recent years
6. Sarasota Real Estate is Still Affordable
   
   The Sarasota real estate market has been booming in recent years with all the people who want to call Sarasota their home. In early 2021, the median Sarasota home price is $319,793 and the median Sarasota monthly rent is $1,995 per month. In many cases, Sarasota locals will tell you that owning a home in Sarasota is often cheaper than renting. This is because we are a beach-oriented town with a large supply of vacation rentals which often come at a premium price, especially in season. To find out exact housing costs and the best Sarasota neighborhoods to live in, contact Julie Larson, our Sarasota relocation expert listed on this page.
7. Sarasota Offers a Year-Round Playground
   
   With an average year-round temperature of 73 degrees and 251 sunny days each year, Sarasota is a great Florida city to consider for the outdoor enthusiast. If you enjoy being on or near the water, try kayaking through the Lido Key mangroves, paddleboard in Sarasota Bay or explore the Intracoastal waterway by boat. If you enjoy walking or jogging in the Florida sunshine, take a stroll across the Ringling bridge or take a lap around Benderson Park (near the new UTC mall). Experience the view from the Ringling Bridge.

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   View from the Ringling Bridge
8. Sarasota Has a Strong Job & Employment Market
   
   With an unemployment rate at only 3.8%, Sarasota's job and employment market has been very strong in recent years. Top sectors of the Sarasota economy in the area include hospitality, healthcare, education, retail, trades and professional services. The Sarasota county employers include the local School Board, Sarasota Memorial Health Care (SMHC), Publix Supermarkets, PGT Industries and Sarasota County Government.
9. Sarasota is a Cultural Home for the Performing Arts
   
   Sarasota has been named Florida's "Cultural City" with its active performing arts and theatrical scene. Since the early 1920’s, the city has enjoyed a strong connection to the famous Ringling family as the Circus Magnate, John Ringling and his wife, Mable, built their famous Ca' d'Zan Estate Home and Ringling Museum of Art upon settling in the area. Their mansion and art museum are open daily as attractions to visit year round.
10. Sarasota Has Great Dining Options
    
    The greater Sarasota area offers a full array of casual sidewalk cafes to elegant, five-star restaurants. There’s also lots of cool, hip craft breweries and beer gardens to check out such as Mandeville, J Dubs, Big Top and Calusa Brewing. Many of these places are pet-friendly, offer live entertainment and some even offer corn hole and ping pong while you enjoy a fresh-crafted local brew. Downtown Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, St Armands Circle on Lido Key and Siesta Key Village are some of the popular, trendy destinations you’ll definitely want to check out!