Whether you’re looking for a safe and comfortable place to raise a family, relocate to grow a career or find a beautiful place to retire, Brandon, Florida, offers it all. This popular and thriving location offers many amenities and attractions for everyone. Learn how you can spend your days relaxing at a nearby beach, shopping at the mall or riding rollercoasters at a theme park when you move here. 

Is Brandon, Florida, a Good Place to Live?

Established in 1857, Brandon is a beautiful city nestled in Hillsborough County, Florida. Residents can enjoy the scenic views of trees and birds from their backyards in safe, family-friendly neighborhoods. If you’d like to relax while sunbathing on the beach or swimming in the ocean, you can easily make a trip about 30 minutes to an hour away to Apollo Beach Nature Preserve or East Tampa Beach.

Spanning over 35 miles, Brandon’s location is only 19 minutes from downtown Tampa’s vibrant and thriving location. Many residents commute to work here, where the available jobs suit various specialties and industries. Proximity also gives residents access to shopping, family-friendly attractions, sports events and nightlife. 

Individuals and families living in Brandon often get seasonal or annual passes to visit one of the state’s most popular and touristy hot spots — Orlando’s theme parks. You can adventure on a 90-minute road trip to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida or SeaWorld Orlando. There’s an endless variety of additional entertainment you can explore in the surrounding area on casual weekends or vacations, from escape rooms to medieval shows.

Demographics and Population

Altogether, the number of community members living in Brandon includes over 115,000 residents and continues to grow. The population comprises over 92,000 adults — including about 15,200 seniors — with a median age of 37. The city is also home to around 25,000 children and infants.

The population density includes around 3,600 people per square mile compared to Florida’s average of fewer than 300 people per square mile. According to the latest demographics, the racial composition of Brandon includes over 65% identifying as a white race, about 17% identifying as Black or African American, about 8% of the population identifying as two or more races, around 5% identifying as Asian and the rest identifying as Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or Other. 

Cost of Living

As a part of the St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa zone, Brandon is ranked number 108 out of 273 cities in the United States for its fair cost of living. Its financial factors include:

  • Household income: The median income for a household reaches about $61,000. 
  • Individual income: The median income for an individual reaches just over $34,000.
  • Home price: A residential property averages $330,000 or almost $220 per square foot. 
  • Mortgage: Home payments average almost $900 compared to the nation’s standard of about $1,200 per month.
  • Rent: A resident may pay an average of around $1,300 per month for an apartment or other property they want to rent here.

Weather

If you love warm weather, Brandon is the perfect place for you. The city’s temperatures typically range between 51-91 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely dip below 37 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The hot and humid climate can make you feel like you live in paradise. About 51 inches of rain per year help cool the area and provide plenty of water to nourish the landscaping. 

Best Neighborhoods in Brandon

Each of these neighborhoods and communities offers a beautiful place to live in the area:

  • Arbor Oaks: Many luxurious and gorgeous homes finished their construction here in 2015 or later, providing new, large-scale houses with about four to six bedrooms and spacious garages for storing multiple vehicles. 
  • Barrington Oaks East: This gated community in the central part of the city features premium homes averaging four bedrooms and boasting multicar garages. It opens its gates to the public every winter to share its grand display of Christmas lights.
  • Bloomingdale Village: Single-family homes in this neighborhood date back to 1997 and have an average of three bedrooms at reasonable prices. 
  • Brandon Pointe: The upscale apartments and townhomes here have rent or purchase options at decent rates. Their development began in 2011, and they come with convenient, quick access to nearby highways. 
  • Dominion: An upper-middle class and suburban community on the north side of town, the homes here average three bedrooms and offer close access to shopping centers. 
  • Heather Lakes: This mid-priced neighborhood on the west side of the city includes family-friendly homes near a soccer park and a highly rated elementary school. 
  • Hidden Reserve: This gated community in the southern suburbs includes newer developments with contemporary, stylish designs and prices reaching upward of about $900,000. 
  • Lakeview Village: These single-family homes feature stunning views around a lake and provide desirable waterfront living. Enjoy views of wildlife in these seven communities, and visit the kids and dog parks near the local schools. 
  • Providence Townhomes: A family-friendly home in this typical suburb averages about two to four bedrooms at reasonable prices and offers proximity to many schools. 
  • Sterling Ranch: Sterling Ranch offers a desirable community of single-family homes within walking distance of a major shopping center. It also provides quick access to highways, so you can easily make a trip to Tampa. 

Schools and Education

Brandon is an excellent place to live when raising children, ensuring they get a high-quality education. Altogether, the area has plenty of schools to choose from, with around 11 public schools, 41 private schools and 6 private high schools.

One of the most favorable options is the Brandon Academy, a private school offering pre-K through high school education. It has national recognition as a Blue Ribbon School for achieving superior standards and academic excellence. Students here receive a well-rounded education with extracurriculars and clubs, including many performing arts, science and sports options. 

Employment Opportunities

There are many opportunities to get a job or flourish in a career in Brandon and surrounding cities. If you’re interested in the health care industry, the BayCare Health System offers many roles nearby in Tampa. 

Additionally, JPMorgan Chase & Co., a multinational company and top employer, provides many roles in the financial industry. Other plentiful forms of employment include the School District of Hillsborough County, the Hillsborough County Government and the MacDill Air Force Base. 

For retail roles, plenty of work is available at the Westfield Shopping Center Mall. There are over 150 stores that need year-round or seasonal employees. 

Community Safety

Brandon provides a comfortable and safe place to live. Many of the neighborhoods are gated and have family-friendly amenities. The property crime rate averages 9.74%, which is significantly lower than the average of 17.46% for the entire state. 

Fun Things to Do in Brandon

Whether you love adventures, animals, science, art, sports or music, there are an endless variety of amenities and attractions nearby, allowing you to enjoy the following:

  • Go shopping: The family-friendly, 900,000-square-foot Westfield Brandon shopping mall gives you access to over 150 popular brands and restaurants with delicious cuisine.
  • Have fun at a theme park: The African-themed Busch Gardens theme park features thrilling roller coasters, safaris through giraffe and zebra habitats, world-class entertainment for all ages and seasonal events, including fireworks, Halloween scares and beer-inspired festivals.
  • Visit an aquarium: All the sights and sounds of The Florida Aquarium provide an exciting way to learn about over 10,000 species, such as otters, sea turtles, sand tiger sharks, seahorses and other local or exotic animals and plants. 
  • Experiment with science: The innovative and playful exhibits at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) can spark your curiosity about other existences among the stars, moons and planets. Plus, learn more about when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
  • Tour art collections: A visit to the Tampa Museum of Art offers exploration through ancient Greek and Roman artifacts and an opportunity to express creativity in studio classes or share your passion at community events. 
  • Attend a sports game: A sports enthusiast can attend a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game, a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game, a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game or a Tampa Tarpons minor league baseball game.
  • Go to a music concert: Locals and travelers can visit the Amalie Arena to see their favorite singers and bands perform in a stadium with around 20,000 seats. 

Plan Your Move With David McCarthy Moving

If you’re planning on moving to Brandon, Florida, let the professionals at David McCarthy Moving transport your things safely and quickly for you. Since 1997, our company has provided reliable moving services with a commitment beyond just securely transporting and delivering your belongings. We’re dedicated to being the best local and long-distance movers throughout the state and beyond. 

Our experts work efficiently and with attention to detail. With personalized communication and timely responses, we aim to ensure customer satisfaction. Some of the high-quality services we offer include:

To learn more or schedule our moving services, fill out a contact form today!

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