If you have felt a steady pull toward Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg over the past few years, you are not imagining it. New national research is reinforcing what many of us see every day on the ground: people are choosing mid-size, opportunity-rich cities, and they are staying when those places feel like home.
A recent report from the Gensler Research Institute, City Pulse 2025: The Magnetic City, studied what makes cities attractive in the first place, and what gives them long-term staying power. Tampa shows up consistently in the findings, not just as a place people move to, but as a place residents are proud to remain.
For homeowners, future buyers, and investment-minded clients, that distinction matters. It speaks to demand, momentum, and the kind of lifestyle and community attachment that supports a market through many different cycles.
The Research Behind the Headline
Gensler surveyed 33,000 people across 65 cities globally. In the United States, the study included roughly 13,500 residents across 27 major cities, with responses gathered between July and November 2024. Respondents answered dozens of questions about their lived experience in their city and what influences their decision to stay, move, or leave.
The FOX Local coverage of the report highlights a simple but powerful theme: Americans are still choosing city life, but they are selecting cities that feel more attainable and more energizing than the largest and most expensive coastal hubs.
Where Residents Are Most Satisfied
In the U.S. portion of the research, the cities with the highest resident satisfaction included:
San Antonio, San Diego, Raleigh, Minneapolis, and Tampa, followed by Austin, Charlotte, Houston, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
This is notable for two reasons. First, it reinforces that “great city experiences” are not limited to the traditional, ultra-high-cost metros. Second, it places Tampa squarely among the most positively rated places to live.
Where New Residents Are Moving
The report also looked at which cities are attracting the most newcomers. In the FOX Local summary, Tampa ranked at the top of the list, alongside Raleigh, Atlanta, Denver, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Columbus, and Seattle.
When we talk about “demand,” this is what we mean in real terms: more people choosing a city as their next chapter.
Why People Move and Why They Stay Are Not the Same
One of the most insightful takeaways from the research is that the motivations to move are often practical, while the reasons to stay are emotional.
According to the study’s reporting, people are drawn to cities by factors like cost of living, perceived safety, access to healthcare, job opportunities, and taxes.
But what makes them stay tends to be more personal: pride in their city, a sense of belonging, and the feeling that life there is engaging and meaningful. In other words, attachment builds through lived experience, not just spreadsheets.
That is the heart of what “magnetic” means in this report: cities that deliver both the practical and the emotional.
Why Tampa Bay Continues to Stand Out
From our perspective at Rocks Realty, Tampa’s position in this research makes sense. The region has offered a combination that many buyers are chasing right now:
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A city lifestyle with more room to breathe than the most congested mega-markets
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Strong employment opportunity and continued in-migration
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Distinct neighborhoods and waterfront communities that support real day-to-day livability
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A culture that feels active, social, and easy to plug into
The exact “why” is different for every client. Some are relocating for work. Some are moving closer to family. Some are trading a high-cost city for a place where homeownership feels more realistic. But the common thread is that people are not only arriving, they are building roots.
What This Means for Buyers, Sellers, and Investors
If You Are Buying in Tampa Bay
A city attracting newcomers tends to create competitive pressure in the most desirable pockets. The best approach is not urgency, it is preparation.
A strong plan includes:
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Clarity on must-haves versus nice-to-haves
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A thoughtful offer strategy based on current comparable sales
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A lender and timeline that support confidence and clean execution
When demand is steady, buyers win by moving decisively and intelligently, not emotionally.
If You Are Considering Selling
Research like this supports a reality many homeowners are quietly weighing: the buyer pool is still there, especially for homes that are positioned well and marketed with intention.
In a “magnetic city,” buyers are not only shopping for a house. They are shopping for belonging. That is why presentation matters so much. Professional preparation, strategic pricing, and elevated marketing are not extras. They are the difference between being one of many listings and being the one that feels like the right fit.
If You Are Thinking About Investment Property
Tampa’s continued in-migration is one reason investors remain interested in the area, but smart investing requires more than choosing a popular city.
It also requires honesty about affordability pressures in the rental market nationwide. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reports that renter cost burdens reached an all-time high in 2022, even as some rental markets began cooling. That matters for long-term strategy, tenant stability, and rent growth assumptions.
For investors, we recommend a conservative, data-first approach:
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Verify true operating costs, not just projected rent
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Stress-test cash flow at different financing scenarios
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Evaluate the neighborhood’s long-term desirability, not just today’s numbers
A strong investment is resilient, not simply trendy.
A Rocks Realty Takeaway
The most meaningful line in this research is not a ranking. It is the concept that people stay where they feel proud, connected, and engaged.
Real estate is never only about a property. It is about the life you are building around it.
If you are considering a move into Tampa Bay or within it, we would be honored to help you interpret what these trends mean for your exact goals, your timeline, and your neighborhood. Our role is to bring clarity, strategy, and calm leadership to every step, so you can move forward with confidence.
