Active Retirement Communities

 State:     Florida

City:       Tampa

Tampa is a Gulf Coast city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County.  Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2008 estimates, the city's population had grown to 340,882,  making it the 53rd largest city in the United States.

The current location of Tampa was once inhabited by various indigenous cultures, most recently the Tocobaga. It was spotted by Spanish explorers in the early 1500s, but there was no permanent American or European settlements in the area until 1824, when the US Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the site of today's Tampa Convention Center. The village of Tampa began as a small group of pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the Seminole population in the area.

Today, Tampa is a part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. For U.S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida MSA. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.7 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States, behind Miami, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.  The Greater Tampa Bay area has just over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U.S. Census data showed an average annual growth of 2.47 percent, or a gain of approximately 97,000 residents per year. Between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Tampa Bay Market has experienced a combined growth rate of 14.8 percent, growing from 3.4 million to 3.9 million and hitting the 4 million people mark on April 1, 2007.

In 2008, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes.^[11] A 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper ranked Tampa as a top city for "twenty-somethings".

Afternoon thunderstorms, generated by the interaction of the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes, are such a regular occurrence during the summer that the Tampa Bay area is recognized as the "Lightning Capital of North America". Every year, Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes, with several of these usually occurring in or around Tampa.

The Ybor City District is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Notable structures include El Centro Español and other social clubs built in the early 1900s. Spanning the southern part of Tampa Bay, is the massive steel-span Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Tampa and its surrounding suburbs are host to over 20 hospitals and four trauma centers. Three of the area's hospitals were ranked under "America's best hospitals" by US News and World Report. It is also home to many health research institutions.

Tampa's port is now the seventh largest in the nation and Florida's largest tonnage port, handling nearly half of all seaborne commerce that passes through the state. Tampa currently ranks second in the state behind Miami in terms of cruise ship travel. Besides smaller regional cruise ships such as Yacht Starship and SunCruz Casino, Tampa also serves as a port of call for three cruise lines: Holland America's MS Veendam, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, and Carnival's Legend and Inspiration.

The main server farm for Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects is located in Tampa.

Headquarters, United States Central Command (CENTCOM), and Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Both commands are independent from one another and each is commanded by a respective 4-star general or admiral. Like Tampa's seaport, MacDill AFB could also potentially be a target for terrorism.

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Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2008: $45,224 (it was $34,415 in 2000)

Tampa:	$45,224
Florida:	$47,778

Estimated per capita income in 2008: $28,547

Tampa city income, earnings, and wages data

Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $219,100 (it was $80,700 in 2000)

Tampa:	$219,100
Florida:	$218,700

Mean prices in 2008: All housing units: $297,943; Detached houses: $301,025; Townhouses or other attached units: $282,220; In 2-unit structures: $210,021; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $267,151; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $269,145; Mobile homes: $23,849

Median gross rent in 2008: $880.


Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Tampa: 95.2 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)

 In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

·        Climate Charts

1.      Average Temperature

2.      Precipitation (Rain)

3.      Humidity

4.      Wind Speed (MPH)

5.      Snowfall

6.      Sunshine

7.      Cloudy Days

·        Tornado Activity History

·        Hospitals & Medical

·        Airports

·        Colleges/Universities

·        High Schools

·        Locations of Interest

·        Shopping Centers

·        Churches

·        Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Creeks/Parks

·        Tourist Attractions

·        Banks

·        Housing Costs Information

·        Crime Statistics

·        Radio Stations AM/FM

·        TV Broadcast Stations

·        Discussion Forums

For the above information and photos, click this link:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Tampa-Florida.html

Total Tax Burden--Data for Calculation

http://www.retirementliving.com/RLstate1.html#FLORIDA

Listing of Active Retirement Communities:

http://www.retirenet.com/location/communities/36-florida/1-active-lifestyles?city=33624-tampa

Visit our Senior Cruising Site at: http://seniorcruisers.org

Other sites of interest:

World of Collectibles

http://www.collectibleshg.info

DOGS

http://www.zcanines.com

CATS

http://www.zcats.com

BIRD WATCHING

http://www.zavians.com

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