Best Neighborhoods in Tampa, FL
12 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.
Best Neighborhoods in Tampa, FL — Key Takeaways
The best neighborhood in Tampa is Seminole Heights with a Kurby Score of 78/100. Tampa has 12 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Palma Ceia with a violent crime rate of 0.4 per 1,000 residents, 89% below the national average of 3.6. The most affordable is Ybor City with a median home value of $197,600. The most walkable is Channelside with a Walk Score of 89/100.
Tampa has a population of 399,700, a median household income of $55,584, an unemployment rate of 4.5%, and a poverty rate of 16.8%. The median home value citywide is $340,000, which is 21% above the national average of $281,900.
Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.
Top 3 Neighborhoods
| # | Neighborhood | Kurby Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Tampa | 68 | ||
| Tampa Heights | 72 | ||
| Channelside | 67 | ||
4 | Ybor City | 66 | |
5 | Harbour Island | 67 | |
6 | Seminole Heights | 78 | |
7 | Westshore | 70 | |
8 | Hyde Park Tampa | 77 | |
9 | SoHo Tampa | 77 | |
10 | Palma Ceia | 74 | |
11 | Davis Islands | 60 | |
12 | Bayshore Beautiful | 74 |
Rankings by Category
Top 5 neighborhoods in Tampa for each quality-of-life metric.
Lowest violent crime rate
- 0.4 per 1K
- 0.4 per 1K
- 0.5 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
Highest Walk Score
- 89/100
- 88/100
- 87/100
- 87/100
- 86/100
Lowest median home value
- $197,600
- $280,200
- $297,900
- $360,000
- $375,000
Lowest poverty rate
- 2.0%
- 2.7%
- 2.7%
- 4.5%
- 6.5%
Lowest unemployment rate
- 4.5%
- 4.5%
- 4.5%
Highest median household income
- $156,750
- $151,250
- $151,250
- $127,125
- $103,466
Lowest Air Quality Index
- AQI 38
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
Most nearby schools
- 50 schools
- 50 schools
- 50 schools
- 50 schools
- 50 schools
Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates seven weighted categories based on publicly available data:
- Affordability
- 20% weight
- Walkability & Transit
- 15% weight
- Safety
- 15% weight
- Environment
- 15% weight
- Housing Market
- 15% weight
- Education
- 10% weight
- Economy
- 10% weight
Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Housing Market factors in vacancy rates, homeownership rates, and effective tax rates.
Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.