What Are The Pros And Cons Of Living In Bradenton, Florida?

Bradenton, Florida aspires to be known as “The Friendly City.” It is the city’s motto and it is indeed a fitting choice. Bradenton is definitely the kind of city that welcomes tourists and new residents alike.

There are also real reasons why Bradenton is a city worth getting to know better. In search of a new home in Southwest Florida, Bradenton deserves a closer look. It’s also worth knowing how this seaside city differs from other Florida locales.

Compared to other coastal Florida cities, Bradenton offers easier access to boaters and water sports enthusiasts. The layout of the area near Bradenton means it also has some natural protection against storms that hit the area. That said, the humidity in the city can still get to you especially after an extended stretch of rainfall.

Is Bradenton, Florida a suitable home for you and your family? Find out the answer to that question and learn more about Bradenton in the process by reading on.

Related Guide: The Safest Neighborhoods In Bradenton, FL

The city of Bradenton is one of the best spots in Florida if you want to engage in some water-based fun. You can start with boating.

Bradenton features easily accessible waterways. Whether you have your own boat or you’re renting one, it’s easy to head out on to the water. Simply heading out to water doesn’t have to turn into a troublesome ordeal.

Once you’re on the water, you can start having some fun! Grab your jet skis and speed along the surface of the water. If you want to try something more relaxed, bust out the banana boat instead. You can also enjoy your afternoon while remaining on your boat. Hang out with your friends and/or family and relax while you fish. Look for a good spot and see what kind of haul you can bring in.

When you’re done, heading back to the shore will be easy. The water is so accessible in Bradenton that you’ll have a hard time staying away. By the way, you don’t necessarily need a boat to have some seaside fun in the city. There are beaches located in the city too.

Manatee County Beach features a lot of amenities and it’s a great spot for families. They even have barbeque pits and picnic facilities available for families looking to enjoy a summer cookout.

North Longboat Key Beach is where you must go if you want some peace and quiet. It’s often not a crowded area so you should be able to relax under the sun and the clouds all day.

Last up is Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria Island brings the best features of Manatee County Beach and North Longboat Key Beach together. Make it a point to visit there if you decide to move to Bradenton.

A common problem that many Floridians have to deal with is extreme weather. Powerful storms and hurricanes pass through Florida with some semblance of regularity.

More often than not, those weather systems deal damage. Sometimes the damage done is relatively minor. Other times, they leave behind a massive trail of devastation.

What’s worth noting about the landscape of Bradenton is that it features natural protection against those weather systems. The aforementioned Anna Maria Island serves as a barrier island. It obviously cannot stop a storm singlehandedly, but it can weaken the weather system significantly.

Anna Maria Island is also not the sole form of protection Bradenton has against storms and hurricanes. There are other barrier islands that dot the Bradenton coastline. They can also chip away at the intensity of an approaching storm effectively.

Living in Florida means that you are taking on some kind of hurricane risk. However, that risk is mitigated somewhat if you opt to live in Bradenton.

Slowly but surely, Bradenton is starting to become one of the top cities in the Sunshine State. The reasons we’ve already mentioned play a big role in that. However, we cannot talk about the merits of Bradenton without touching on the cost of living there.

The price of a new home in Bradenton is a bit on the high side. The median cost of one is right around $242,000 so you can certainly find cheaper alternatives even within Florida. Notably, the median cost for a new home in Florida is $237,000.

Still, the disparity in house prices isn’t all that big. The other cost of living expenses also help make up for that gap. Utilities, groceries, and healthcare-related expenses are pretty affordable in Bradenton.

Generally speaking, the cost of living in many Florida cities is higher than the nationwide average. That’s not the case with Bradenton though. It’s another reason why moving to Braden can turn out to be a good move.

Tampa is one of the largest and most populous cities in Florida. It’s home to numerous attractions including the Florida Aquarium and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is also located in the city.

Many Floridians also go to work in Tampa. The city is one of the state’s major commercial hubs after all. So, why are we talking up Tampa in an article about Bradenton? That’s because Bradenton and Tampa are located very close to each other. You can make the drive to Tampa from Bradenton in under an hour.

If you work full-time in Tampa but cannot find a suitable home there, moving to Bradenton can be a smart move. The drive to and from Tampa is more than manageable as a Bradenton resident. You can also take your family there during the weekend for a mini-vacation.

We wish we could say that Bradenton bucks convention by being a relatively safe Florida city in terms of crime rates. Sadly, that is not the case.

Bradenton is similar to numerous other Florida cities in that criminal activity is a real nuisance there. Both the violent and property crime rates in Bradenton are high. Neighborhood Scout notes that Bradenton is safer than only 14 percent of cities in the United States.

The high crime rates are genuine causes for concern. You cannot just shrug them off if you’re planning on moving to Bradenton in the near future. Prioritize home security so you can avoid being victimized during your time in the city.

The city of Bradenton gets a lot of rain annually. We’re talking 54 inches of rainfall every year. To put that into context, the rest of the country averages 38 inches of rain in a single year.

Rainy weather doesn’t exactly suit an idyllic locale like Bradenton, but you can deal with it. The real problem for many residents is the accompanying humidity. The high temperatures in the city combine with all that rain to create a very humid environment.

The humidity levels in Bradenton can get very uncomfortable. Even walking around a little bit can cause you to sweat profusely. Sitting next to a fan may not do much to cool you down either. You’re not really dealing with the high humidity levels. It’s more accurate to say that you’re struggling with it.

If you decide to live in Bradenton, you should consider purchasing a dehumidifier. It’s a must have item for many households. Run your dehumidifier for about 12 hours per day to make your home more comfortable. Running the dehumidifier that long is going to cost you. Thankfully, utility costs in Bradenton are quite affordable.

Related Questions

What Is the Village of the Arts in Bradenton?

The Village of the Arts is one of the more unique features of Bradenton. It covers a significant amount of real estate in the city and it will catch your eye immediately.Numerous artists in the area call the Village of the Arts home. They live and also ply their trade there. You can see some of the artists displaying their wonderful creations for everyone to see.What makes the Village of the Arts so unique is that you can find all kinds of skilled professionals there. Many of them feature skills such as painting, sculpting, and tailoring. Others have more unconventional skills such as goldsmithing, book restoration, and even plant-based art.You can pay an artist who resides in the Village of the Arts if you want a specific piece made. This is a place you will probably visit a lot while you’re living in Bradenton.

What Does Bradenton Have to Offer in Terms of Sports?

Bradenton is a good city to live in for sports fans. As we noted earlier, you can drive to Tampa during the weekend if you want to see the Buccaneers play. Raymond James Stadium is a great place to catch an NFL game and the fans there really get into the action.You can also stay in the city and head to LECOM Park. LECOM Park is the spring training home for MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates. Later in the year, the ballpark plays host to the Bradenton Marauders, a High-A baseball club.