Orlando or Tampa??? (Daytona Beach, University, Winter Park: houses, job market, neighborhood)

[Josh2020]

I am very unsure of where to move to when I can move to Florida. I am debating between Orlando or Tampa. Which one would you prefer? Which one has better job markets? Which one has a cheaper cost of living? Which one has cheaper houses? Which one has more crime, etc. Any information given would be great.

[LivingBetterMan]

I personally like Tampa; Orlando doesn't have any beaches nearby thus I couldn't go boating or scuba diving. But Orlando isn't bad either but its very touristy. Job market depends on what industry you are going to work in......as you can imagine Orlando has a huge service sector.

[Obamanation]

The cities basically cancel each other out in my opinion... I am having a HUGE debate with myself on whethre to go to the University of South Florida, or the University of Central Florida (Tampa and Orlando, respectively). Orlando has slightly higher crime, and much worse traffic. Look up Tampa, and the highest it ever ranks is 25, but Orlando consistently ranks #9 in the COUNTRY in traffic... so that's bad. Orlando is a world power in conventions, tourism, and shopping. Unfortunately, living there reaps little to no benefit from the tourism or convention industry, basically. The nightlife in Tampa is far superior (although O-Town puts up a good showing), ans as mentioned earlier, there are NO beaches in the Orlando metro area (Cocoa and Daytona are a 60 mile drive from even downtown, let alone the burbs!). Tampa has more corporate presence and a more booming downtown. Orlando is slightly safer from hurricanes... dude it's really a big toss up. Although if you're a young and/or single guy I'd give Tampa the nod.

[MortonR]

Go to USF if you want the reputation of a top 50 research university on your resume. USF continues to grow both program-wise and in its standing among nationally ranked universities.

The campus is located in a way that you've got easy access to just about anything you might want, and there is great nightlife and entertainment both in the immediate area as well as close by, in places like Channelside and Ybor City.

Not to mention it's a state school, so tuition for residents is still cheap.

RM

[Obamanation]

USF is a top 50 research school, and a third tier school overall according to U.S. News. By the end of the decade, it should be a top-tier overall as well. Also, the school appears clean and efficient as noticed in campus visits of mine. A major reservation I have with USF is the surrounding neighborhood, however. I have lived in Tampa my entire life, and have always made a point to avoid that area for very long.

[charlesj]

Orlando: Great job market (rated number one in Business 2.0), very primped and pretty, but almost to the point of being fake, housings costs are decent but higher than tampa, commutes are longer and often on expensive toll roads, lots of tourism, hour form the water. Also, mostly planned communities and developments

Tampa: water all around, good job market (rated number 7), cheap housing, possible to get short commutes, important to pick the right spot to live as it can be spotty, lots of stuff to do, great airport.


Its kind of a toss up, although for me, the water and avoidance of thempark tourism give the edge to tampa for me. Also, I prefer parts of south tampa to anything in orlando

[shayna2020]

Orlando is FULL of tourist 24/7, I would choose Tampa because of the beaches, but Orlando is very built of and nice. You will get sick of seeing mickey mouse though!!

[Obamanation]

Yeah, the concensus seems to be that it is a tie.

[Prichard]

I've lived in Orlando most of my life, but lived in Tampa for about 4 years.

People from Tampa will be loyal to Tampa. People from Orlando will be loyal to Orlando, that's a given.

Both metropolitian areas have a lot to offer. Both have thriving economies.

Orlando is not nearly as touristy as people in Tampa think - just the tourist sectors by the massive convention center and by Disney World. Tourists rarely make it in to downtown Orlando, let alone anywhere north, west, or east of Orlando (except the airport).

People who need to be near an airport for travel prefer Orlando. Tampa tends to be more of a banking center, but Orlando is not far behind. Orlando tends to cater to more high-tech companies and the medical industry. Where Tampa is near the west coast, Orlando is really just not that much further from the following east coast beaches: Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and Daytona Beach. Also, Orlando has some nice rivers and many lakes.

The bottom line is this: If you're a student, then pick the school that you really want to attend, and worry about whether it's in Tampa or Orlando secondary. If it was between Detroit and Orlando, then maybe it should be a factor, but otherwise, forget about it. If you are not a student looking to attend college, but moving for work - then apply for jobs and interview in both Orlando and Tampa and take the best job that you can get. Career should be more important than which city, especially as between Tampa or Orlando - both great cities. Either city is within a 90 minute drive from the other.

When I moved from Orlando to Tampa, I hated the place because I was an avid water skiier, and there were no decent lakes near me to ski in. I tried skiing in the intercoastal areas in and around St. Pete, but it wasn't any good for high speed slalom skiing. Then I discovered wind surfing, and I didn't want to move back to Orlando. Eventually, I did move back and figured out places to do that over here as well. The bottom line is that I really like both cities. Yes, they are different. The people are different too. But, I couldn't tell you one is better than another.

[Loritindall]

I agree that both are interchangeable and you would find excellent schools (USF and UCF are both awesome and are BOTH state schools with top notch credentials), not to mention excellent job markets in both cities. My daughter attended UCF for her undergrad and master's and fell in love with the Oveido and Winter Park area near Orlando. It is a beautiful area full of lakes and remarkable homes. Tampa is where we choose to live and we love it as well. Both are winners in my book.