In 2004, Creative Tampa Bay commissioned a study “to determine how the Tampa Bay region ranked in attracting the young, well-educated workforce that will be the economic driver of the future.” Three years later, two major national financial publications have come out with their studies. The result is not good if you’re under 35 here in the Bay area.
Local Effort
First, let’s look back at the report from Creative Tampa Bay (pdf).
INSIGHTS:
• Tampa Bay’s share of the important 25 to 34 year-old population is relatively much smaller than most large metropolitan areas, ranking 47th out of the top 50 areas.
• Educational attainment for 25 to 34 year-olds in Tampa Bay lags far behind its counterparts in the U.S.’s top 50 largest metropolitan areas. The educational level has improved in the last decade, but just managed to keep pace with the national trend.
• Tampa Bay’s benchmark regions, particularly Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Nashville, have more young adults and have gained more 25 to 34 year-olds (while Tampa Bay lost them).
• Tampa Bay attracts more young adults from 35 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas than it loses. The largest share comes from New York, but generally, Tampa Bay loses population to larger metro areas in the South, particularly its benchmark regions.
Ouch. The study didn’t paint a rosy picture of the young professional climate here.
National Image
The “Best Cities” reports from Kiplinger’s is not kind. Tampa Bay is not on it’s list top 50 Smart Cities to Live from 2006. It’s also not on the top 5 Best Cities for Young Singles. Cost of living, salary levels, and other quality of life measurements went into these lists – so it’s not really a surprise that Tampa Bay didn’t make the cut. However, if you are over 65, then Tampa Bay is the place to be:
Florida has many fine places to spend a restful retirement. But if you don’t define retirement as golf, white belts and canasta, then Tampa Bay is the place to go to kick-start a second (or third) act. Says Katee Tully, a recent transplant to the area: “This is a rich, fertile place for people who are reinventing themselves.”
Sigh. Yes, we still live in God’s waiting room.
Okay, so what about the venerable Forbes magazine? It’s list should be better right?
Nope. Dead last.
In their survey of Best Cities for Young Professionals, Tampa came in at #40 out of 40. With that placement, Forbes provided an in-depth review of just why Tampa is so far down the list. I normally don’t like to quote so much material from a source, but they did a great job with the bad news:
Sunshine most of the year and beaches nearby make Tampa a good place to live or have a second home, but neither counts for much in the eyes of those looking to climb the corporate ladder.
Tampa came in last on our list of cities best for young professionals. Behind Detroit. Behind Indianapolis.
The main reason? It’s just a slightly older person’s town. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Tampa sits second-to-last among cities ranked for the number of those aged 20 to 35 and last for how many people in that demographic have never been married.
Digging a bit deeper, just over a quarter of Tampa’s housing stock is comprised of investment and second home buyers, according to Moody’s Economy.com. Snowbirds and out-of-towners don’t do much for young professionals looking to let loose. On the business side, Tampa tied Detroit and Indianapolis for third-to-last in the number of 400 best big businesses and 200 best small businesses that call the city home. This significantly hampers Tampa’s ability to attract top-flight grads and young professionals, as our graduate tracking metric indicates.
“Behind Detroit.” The truth hurts, eh?
Now to be fair, the methodology could be a bit biased:
Our list was compiled by tracking where the graduates of top universities across the country ended up 10 years after commencement; where the best business opportunities exist; which cities had the most young and unmarried people; and which cities paid young professionals the best. … The goal: to determine which cities offer such strong opportunities for young professionals that they’re willing to pick up and move across the country for them.
We’re Working on It
It’s not for lack of trying.
Eric Sturm’s TampaOptions.com has been compiling a list of local events for the young professional community — if you’re not on his mailing list, sign up today. Eric even wrote a book entitled Access Tampa Bay, with information on more than 700 organizations – volume two will have 2,500.
To be sure, the people behind Creative Tampa Bay started the right push – they prompted the Tampa Chamber of Commerce to create Emerge Tampa, they helped form Verve, their energy caused more people to act through groups like the Tampa Jaycees, Avante Garde, and other groups.
Additionally, the Creative Tampa Bay study identified things our community leaders could do to rectify the problems.
OPPORTUNITIES:
• Work to improve the region’s central city – downtown Tampa.
• Build vibrant, connected places so that street life is palpable.
• Capitalize on the variety of Tampa Bay’s regional assets. Connect the dots.
• Increase educational attainment.
• Improve marketing materials and websites to showcase active lifestyles, diversity, and the young adult culture.
Now, we’ve started down the list. Well, some of them. Although, in truth, not much has really happened on the list.
Membership in both Emerge and the Jaycees has declined significantly and Verve no longer exists. Young professional groups have simply not gained strength.
So, if you’re a young professional how does this make you feel? Are you ready to pack your bags for Austin or Atlanta? Boston or Minneapolis?
David Jenkins
2 years ago
Interesting post. See the BUMMED portion of the blog I put up today, talking about this very thing: http://maladrin.blogspot.com/2007/06/ramblerumblerant.html
As far as young professional groups in town, to me they appear to be an extension of the frat system – an organized excuse to go drink somewhere. I see very little else going on.
Not that I have a problem with going out to drink, I’m quite in favor of it actually, but I’m not deluding myself that it’s philanthropy or helping make a city better.
My theater company has tried to work with local young professional groups on several occasions and have either been outright ignored or whatever was said to happen was eventually scrapped due to either lack of interest or organization.
Chris W
2 years ago
I’m 47, married, with two teenagers so I guess I’m not a “young professional” anymore. But I’ll take a whack at it.
The thing that always frustrated me about Tampa is how spread out it is, and how you have to get in your car to go out of your neighborhood. If you try to walk or bike you take your life in your hands if you want to travel any distance here. There really isn’t any enclave of affordable houses or apartments or boarding houses that’s near work, shopping, or entertainment. So you need a car, and insurance, and repairs, and $$$.
We used to have places in Tampa where you could go get a well-paying job (GE, GTE Data Services) but outsourcing and offshoring have decimated those kind of jobs.
Further, housing cost a *lot* here unless you’re willing to move into a former crack den or live in a tin can. How many young professionals can you think of who can afford $200K for 1000 square feet? I don’t know any. For this you can blame the house flippers and real estate vultures, but coupled with our anemic employment picture (lots of $10/hr jobs, but try buying a house on that) it’s no wonder we’re dead last.
JB
2 years ago
I have to agree with these reports that being a young professional in this area kind of stinks. I grew up in this area and moved away for 7 years, but returned last year after getting a post-grad degree to be closer to family in the area. It took me 10 months to find a job here, and it’s a contractor job with no benefits. Cost of living isn’t horrendous, but I certainly won’t be able to afford to buy property here anytime soon. With that set of circumstances, I can understand why the area is ranked so low. I have to agree with David also. It seems like a lot of “networking” or social groups are heavily centered around drinking, which is too bad if you aren’t really into that.
Firedancer
2 years ago
I fully concur with the comment about discussions about what Tampa could be. I grew up nearby (in Palm Harbor, moved to Tampa for college (USF) and then went to NYC for a few years. I moved back to be closer to friends/family and to settle down. I love being back in FL, but sometimes I just can’t help but be a bit disappointed in Tampa.
Tampa has several locations that could be so much more than they currently are (Hyde Park, Channelside, Downtown, SoHo). The conclusion I have come to is that this just isn’t a priority for the local govt (i.e., Pam). Does this mean us “young professionals” aren’t being vocal enough? I admit I’ve never been to a city council meeting or one of Pam’s Town Hall meetings. I vote in local elections, but more to avoid feeling guilty than out of any sort of passion for the candidates.
I don’t know if this is the right place to put the blame. For now, I’m focusng on becoming more actively involved in local groups (Emerge Tampa, Uncorked, etc). I also took Jim Johnson’s advice and signed up for TampaOptions newsletter.
I’m glad to see there are others who feel similarly – there’s hope for Tampa yet!!
Mr. Bill
2 years ago
“young professionals” is such an over used term. As a former “young professional” I always asked: does that mean I can’t play with the adults ?
Our community welcomes everyone to be involved, but at the various neighborhood meetings etc, I hardly ever see anyone under 35 years of age attend.
If you don’t bother to express your opinions and views, how do you expect them to be reflected in policies and actions ?
Throw the term away. Let’s get down to al being part of a vibrant community and take the time to be a part of it.
All that it takes for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing. (and/or women)
Speak up and out. Post comments on this site and any others. BE HEARD ! But it will only happen if you bother to speak up.
james
2 years ago
As a member, boardmember and past president of different YP groups, I must say that apparently many are not looking for the YP groups. Some of the best are in the arts community in St. Petersburg. The Zodiac has been around for more than 15 years and is very active in the local community rasing awareness for the Dali Museum. Plus we do though some good parties. Being an arts group we don’t go for the frat seen. If you want that stick to Emerge. They are the new Tampa Elite. If you want some good YP groups, try crossing the bridge and check out all the arts groups. We got it going on!
Correction needed
1 year ago
Verve wsa formed BEFORE Emerge Tampa, and the little gadflys at the Chamber tried to recruiter the founder to the Emerge board with the requirment she disband Verve first.
So no more giving the Chamber’s little Hitler Youth lies any credit.