Sample data. These scores are illustrative placeholders, not real measurements — live scores arrive when the data pipeline runs.
Where Tampa lands on the scale
Every city is graded on the same 0–100 Fun Score, split into five bands from quiet to exceptional — here is where Tampa sits.
Pro sports in Tampa
The five major US leagues anchor a city’s sports identity — home stadiums, season-long event flow, drive-time fanbases. Tampa hosts 2 major-league teams across 2 leagues.
- NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- NHL Tampa Bay Lightning
How the Fun Score adds up
The Fun Score is one number with two halves — 16 things that make Tampa fun, minus 7 that wear it down. Here is the arithmetic.
16 things that lift the score, blended onto 0–100
7 things that wear it down, blended onto 0–100
- Fun factors lift it
- –
- Drawbacks pull it down
- –
- Raw composite
- –
- Fun Score placed on the published 0–100 scale
- –
Only 40% of the drawback total is subtracted — even a great city can carry a few flaws. Every factor below spells its contribution out as an equation — score times weight. Those 23 contributions are the building blocks behind the two totals above (each is rounded for display).
The Fun breakdown
Every factor is scored 0–100 against the other cities in the index.
Tampa's strongest factors are Bike & Micromobility, Sports and Climate. Its heaviest drawbacks are Economic Strain, Disaster Risk and Traffic.
On every bar, the marker shows the typical city — the median score across the whole index.
What lifts the score
- Eats –
Restaurants, food halls and the depth of the dining scene.
Measured from OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Drinks –
Bars, breweries, cocktail rooms and the nightlife spread.
Measured from OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Coffee –
Cafés and the strength of the third-place coffee culture.
Measured from OpenStreetMap café counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
-
Music venues and how often live shows actually happen.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues.
-
Notable people the city is known for, plus headliner acts that tour through.
Measured from SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended).
- Outdoors –
Parks, beaches and easy access to nature.
Measured from OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities.
- Culture –
Museums, theatres, galleries and arts institutions.
Measured from OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
- Events –
Festivals, fairs and a packed year-round events calendar.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events.
- Sports –
Pro and college teams and the game-day energy around them.
Measured from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres.
-
Escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke spots.
Measured from OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality.
-
How much the city is talked about and searched for — news and search attention.
Measured from GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged).
- Climate –
How often the weather is good enough to get outside.
Measured from NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days.
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How well a person without a car can move around the city.
Measured from GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share.
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Density of fun within walking distance — sidewalks, intersections, mixed-use blocks.
Measured from EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city).
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Density of college and university students — the engine behind a college town.
Measured from NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data.
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Protected bike lanes and a working public bikeshare system.
Measured from OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog.
What weighs it down
- Crime –
Reported violent and property crime rates.
Measured from FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals.
- Traffic –
Congestion and the time lost to commuting.
Measured from US Census commute-time data (ACS).
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Recent particulate matter and ozone levels — a trailing-week air-quality average.
Measured from EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average).
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Exposure to natural hazards and severe events.
Measured from FEMA National Risk Index.
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Punishing heat, cold and storm extremes.
Measured from NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data.
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Cost of living and housing pressure on residents.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate.
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What a typical night out actually costs in this metro.
Measured from Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services.
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Cities like Tampa
The Tampa read Free
A written read on Tampa, grounded in the data
A plain-English analysis of why Tampa scores the way it does — its standout strengths, where it falls short, who it suits best, and the cities most like it. Every figure is drawn from the same 23 factors on this page: it narrates the measured data, it never invents a number.
- The headline
Tampa, FL earns a Fun Score of 71, placing it in the "Very Fun" category, and stands out nationally for its exceptional safety.
- Why it scores high
Tampa shines in several areas, offering a vibrant and active lifestyle. The city boasts an impressive score for Crime at 94, ranking it 9th out of 134 cities nationally, indicating a very safe environment for residents and visitors (FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals). This high score means a significantly lower crime rate, contributing to a sense of security and peace of mind for those enjoying the city's offerings.
For sports enthusiasts, Tampa is a prime destination, with a Sports score of 83, tied for 23rd nationally (Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres). This suggests a thriving sports scene with ample opportunities to catch professional and college games, or participate in various athletic activities. Complementing this active lifestyle, the city also excels in Bike & Micromobility, scoring 83 and also tied for 23rd nationally (OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog). This indicates a well-developed infrastructure for cycling and other forms of micromobility, making it easy and enjoyable to get around the city on two wheels.
Beyond activity, Tampa offers a pleasant living environment with a strong Climate score of 78, ranking 30th nationally (NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days). This high score suggests a significant number of comfortable days throughout the year, perfect for enjoying outdoor activities and generally enhancing the quality of life. The city also has a respectable Eats scene, scoring 71 and tied for 39th nationally (OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality), promising a good variety of dining options to explore.
- Where it falls short
While Tampa offers many positives, there are areas where it presents challenges. The city faces significant Economic Strain, with a low score of 19, ranking 109th nationally (Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate). This suggests that residents may experience higher costs of living relative to income, or other economic pressures. Additionally, Disaster Risk is a concern, scoring 30 and ranking 94th nationally (FEMA National Risk Index), indicating a higher susceptibility to natural disasters compared to many other cities.
Commuters in Tampa may also contend with Traffic issues, as indicated by a score of 31, placing it 93rd nationally (US Census commute-time data (ACS)). This suggests longer commute times and potentially more congestion on the roads. The Air Quality also scores relatively low at 38, tied for 83rd nationally (EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)), which could impact outdoor activities and overall well-being.
- Who it's for
Tampa, FL is an ideal city for individuals who prioritize safety, an active lifestyle with abundant sports and biking opportunities, and a pleasant climate. It's a great fit for those who enjoy a vibrant social scene with good dining options, and are willing to navigate potential economic and environmental challenges.
- Cities like it
- Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics regional Consumer Price Index — food away from home, recreation services and transportation services
- Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment, HUD Fair Market Rent and US Census median income plus poverty rate
- EPA AirNow and OpenAQ pollution readings (seven-day trailing average)
- EPA National Walkability Index (block-group resolution, population-weighted to the city)
- FBI Crime Data Explorer and city open-data crime portals
- FEMA National Risk Index
- GDELT news tone and Google Trends search interest (each percentile-ranked, then averaged)
- GTFS schedules via Transit.land, the Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database and US Census ACS B08301 commuter mode share
- NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) full-time-equivalent enrollment and US Census ACS age cohort data
- NOAA climate normals — counts of comfortable days
- NOAA Storm Events and climate-extremes data
- OpenStreetMap caf\u00e9 counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap protected cycleway segments and the MobilityData GBFS bikeshare-feed catalog
- OpenStreetMap restaurant counts, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap bars, pubs, nightclubs and craft breweries/distilleries, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap escape rooms, arcades, trampoline parks and karaoke venues, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap museums, galleries and theatres plus geo-tagged Wikipedia landmarks, with Google Places ratings adjusting for venue quality
- OpenStreetMap parks, nature reserves, playgrounds and beaches, plus National Park Service units and Recreation.gov federal facilities
- OpenStreetMap music venues
- OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- SeatGeek headliner popularity and Wikidata notable residents (rank-blended)
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek festivals, fairs and ticketed events
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek pro and college games, plus OpenStreetMap stadiums, sports centres and fitness centres
- Ticketmaster and SeatGeek show listings, plus OpenStreetMap music venues
- US Census commute-time data (ACS)
This narrative is generated by AI from CityFunIndex's measured data. The Fun Scores, ranks and raw values are computed deterministically; the wording around them is the model's. Verify any figure against the linked city page.
Go deeper
Use the data
Tampa’s Fun Score and every factor score are available through the licensed CityFunIndex API — clean JSON, metered one call per city record, behind a paid key.
Cite this page
Paste-ready credit line for journalists, researchers and bloggers. Carries the score, the algorithm version and the canonical URL so readers can verify it themselves.
CityFunIndex Fun Score for Tampa, FL: 70/100 (v2.1.0-dev). https://cityfunindex.com/city/tampa-fl
Press, research and partnership enquiries: media kit · api@cityfunindex.com.