Sarasota Overview

Sarasota County is 60 miles south of Tampa, on the West coast of Florida. But while you might think its orientation would be toward Tampa Bay, you would be wrong.

This is a special place in Florida, beautiful of course, cultured like few places in the whole State with a wide range of activities in theater, music, art, and entertainment in general, and with both a fabulous “front-door” on the Gulf of Mexico and an exotic “back-door” featuring the Myakka River and Myakka Lakes wilderness areas.

Sarasota has a great year-round climate (average temp is 72), some 35 miles of long and largely pristine Gulf beaches on the barrier islands of Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and Lido Beach, an expanding and well balanced economy and plentiful recreational opportunities. And all this is mixed in with excelent health and educational facilities.

Top that off with Sarasota’s unique mix of cosmopolitan and small-town feel, and well, you get the idea. Add in lots of sun.The neighborhoods are diverse and the Real Estate ranges widely in price.

General Information.
• Located in the central west coast portion of Florida, 51 miles south of Tampa, 211 miles north west of Miami, 127 miles southwest of Orlando, and 236 miles south of Jacksonville.
• 600 square miles (Sarasota county)
• Average summer Temperature 91°F
• Average winter temperature is 71
• Average yearly temperature 72
• Average Annual Precipitation 53 in
• Average Rain Days 107
• Population projection 2005 -355,00 Sarasota County
• Average home cost-June 2005-$250,000
• Cost of Living-108.9-it's surrounding areas are less.
• Median age-50

Major job Employment By Industry in order of numbers
• Construction 8.6%
• Education & Health Services 20.2%
• Financial Activities 6.4%
• Information 2.0%
• Leisure & Hospitality 12.2%
• Manufacturing 5.0%
• Natural Resources & Mining 0.3%
• Other Services 4.0%
• Professional & Business Services 17.5%
• Public administration 4.6%
• Trade, Transportation and Utilities 19.3%

Sarasota offers a very high quality of life, one of the very best in Florida. The weather is great and it is a cultured place.

It offers a vibrant economy, good health facilities, rich environmental resources, excelent schools, and safe neighborhoods. Compared with the rest of the United States in terms of similar amenities, Sarasota is still a bargain.