Moving from Seattle to Tampa

The Story

Seattle-to-Tampa preserves 0% income tax. Housing 51% CHEAPER ($750K → $370K), COL 28% lower (145 → 105). Pull: Gulf beaches (Clearwater, St. Pete top US beaches), no Pacific NW rain (Seattle 152 days → Tampa 105), finance (Raymond James, Citi Tampa Bay HQ), healthcare (Moffitt Cancer Center), MacDill AFB. WA capital gains tax (7%) avoided.

Why This Move

Why people move from Seattle to Tampa.

Housing 51% cheaper — $750K Seattle becomes $370K Tampa
Cost of living 28% lower
Both 0% income tax — preserve tax-free status
Gulf beaches (Clearwater, St. Pete top US beaches)
Finance — Raymond James (broker-dealer HQ), Citi Tampa Bay HQ
Healthcare — Moffitt Cancer Center, BayCare, USF Health
Less rain (Seattle 152 rainy days → Tampa 105)
WA 7% capital gains tax avoided in FL

Cost Comparison

The money side of WA → FL.

Seattle

Median home$750,000
Income tax0% (WA)
Cost index145

Tampa

Median home$370,000
Income tax0% (FL)
Cost index105

What to Do in Tampa

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Tampa, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Tampa Riverwalk — 2.4-mile downtown waterfront walk
Clearwater Beach (45 min west) — Top US beach; sugar sand, Pier 60
Honeymoon Island State Park — Causeway-accessible barrier island; shelling, beaches
Sunken Gardens (St. Pete, 30 min) — 100-year-old botanical garden

Culture & Arts

Ybor City — Historic Cuban-Italian district; cigars, Cuban sandwiches
Tampa Museum of Art — Contemporary art, downtown
Salvador Dalí Museum (St. Pete) — World's largest Dalí collection outside Spain

Family-Friendly

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — African-themed park with rollercoasters and animals
Florida Aquarium — Downtown aquarium with sharks, otters
Lowry Park (ZooTampa) — Manatees, Florida wildlife

Where to Eat

Tampa's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Tampa resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Bern's Steak House Steakhouse South Tampa

1956 institution; world's largest wine list (700K+ bottles)
Columbia Restaurant Spanish-Cuban Ybor City

1905; Florida's oldest restaurant; '1905 Salad'
Rooster & The Till Farm-to-table Seminole Heights

James Beard nominated; small plates
Ulele Native Floridian Tampa Heights (Riverwalk)

Indigenous Florida ingredients; brewery on site
Edison: Food + Drink Lab American South Tampa

Chef Jeannie Pierola; modern American
Mise en Place American University

Chef Marty Blitz; Tampa fine dining mainstay
La Segunda Central Bakery Cuban bread/sandwiches Ybor City

Cuban bread bakery since 1915
Cena Italian Hyde Park

Modern Italian, chef-driven

Where to Live

Best Tampa neighborhoods for Seattle transplants.

Mapped to the Seattle neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Hyde Park

If Ballard was your vibe — walkable historic, restaurants, bungalows, family
South Tampa (Bayshore)

If Mercer Island was your goal — affluent, walkable, top schools, $700K-$2M+
Seminole Heights

If Capitol Hill was your scene — walkable, breweries, restaurants, hip
Westshore

If South Lake Union was your model — walkable urban, business district
Westchase (suburb)

If Kirkland was your model — master-planned, top schools, family
St. Petersburg (across bay)

If you wanted beach + walkable — Gulf beaches, art scene, walkable downtown

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Tampa.

Climate

Humid subtropical (effectively coastal). Hot, humid summers (75-90°F, May-Oct). Mild winters (54-72°F). Hurricane season June-November (Tampa has been lucky — 1921 was last major direct hit). 246 sun days/year.

Summer75-91°F
Winter54-72°F
Sun days/yr246
Rainfall47 inches

Walkability

Walk Score51/100
Transit Score33/100
Bike Score56/100

Tampa is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.

Outdoors & Recreation

Hillsborough River — kayaking through downtown
Bayshore Boulevard — 4.5-mile waterfront sidewalk (longest in US)
Honeymoon Island / Caladesi Island state parks
Clearwater Beach / Treasure Island / St. Pete Beach
Tampa Bay — boating, fishing, sailing
Robles Park / Lettuce Lake Park — alligator-spotting, paddleboarding

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

Housing 51% cheaper — same income buys 2x more space
COL 28% lower
Both 0% income tax — no change
Climate flips marine West Coast to humid subtropical — gain humidity + 90°F+ summers
Hurricane risk arrives (Gulf direct exposure)
Sound Transit → HART (significant transit downgrade)
Microsoft/Amazon tech → finance/healthcare
Sports — gain Buccaneers/Lightning/Rays, lose Seahawks/Mariners/Sounders/Kraken

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-90 E to I-65 S to I-75 S

3,105 miles via Spokane, Chicago, Atlanta. 47 hours / 5 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 3,105 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$10,500-$18,500
Container/PODS$7,200-$11,000
DIY (26-ft truck)$5,500-$9,500
Best monthsOct-May (avoid hurricane season + mountain winter)
Lead time10-12 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions