Today Show ranks Sarasota as 2nd most booming city

Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·3 min read
The top 5 places to live in the US — and why they're booming
The top 5 places to live in the US — and why they're booming

SARASOTA — Daytime television show "The Today Show" has named Sarasota as the second-ranked place to live in the U.S.

According to the July 10 ranking, released by Frances Katzen, a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman, Sarasota ranks just behind Round Rock, Texas, a suburb of Austin, for the most growth and is one of the top five "booming" cities in the United States this year.

Criteria such as schools, cost of living, outdoor life, job security, and growth and development each contributed to the quality of living for residents choosing to find a spot to live post-pandemic Katzen said.

The full list of the top five best places to live in the U.S. is

  • Round Rock, Texas

  • Sarasota

  • Tacoma, Washington

  • Bridgeport, Connecticut

  • Raleigh, North Carolina

The Monday ranking of yet another 'top list' for Sarasota follows several other recent rankings for the city of Sarasota and the surrounding area as one of the most desirable places to be in the country. U.S. News & World Report has listed it as one of the top places to retire for several years.

10 best beaches and restaurants: Sarasota named one of Top 10 best places to live in the U.S., No. 1 in Florida

Bayfront Park and Marina Jack in heart of downtown Sarasota where you can experience boat and jet ski rentals, transient slips, boat club, sunset cruises, and waterfront restaurants.
Bayfront Park and Marina Jack in heart of downtown Sarasota where you can experience boat and jet ski rentals, transient slips, boat club, sunset cruises, and waterfront restaurants.

In late June, PODS moving company ranked Sarasota near the top of its 2023 list of the top 20 cities where people are moving across the country. Sarasota landed as the second most moved-to city in the United States, one slot lower than its first-place finish on the 2022 list of cities where people relocated.

In the spring, another ranking and online survey conducted by website BonusFinder.com listed Sarasota c as the fourth-best party city in the country, according to the website's survey of over 100 U.S. cities. Criteria such as the number of live music events, bars, hotels, nightclubs, casinos, adult entertainment venues and late-night restaurants helped to determine the list of 10 hotspot cities.

Having some fun at the pit party, Mandy Ramgopaul and Leah Cary both of Sarasota, with the Class 1 Monster Energy powerboat before the 39th Offshore Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix in early July. The event is a popular Sarasota attaction.
Having some fun at the pit party, Mandy Ramgopaul and Leah Cary both of Sarasota, with the Class 1 Monster Energy powerboat before the 39th Offshore Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix in early July. The event is a popular Sarasota attaction.

More: Sarasota makes list of best Florida cities for family vacations. What ranking did it get?

Sarasota isn't just ranked for the top party cities in the U.S. or the best place to live either. In February, the city on the bay was named in the top five cities in the country to get engaged.

The online survey by jewelry company Shane Co. looked at nine factors in cities across the United States. The cities were measured against one another by using statistics such as the numbers of jewelry stores, wedding photographers and romantic and fine dining establishments in the area. Sarasota closed out the top five in the survey, behind four larger markets — Las Vegas, Honolulu, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles, respectively.

Sarasota was the sole Florida city to crack the top 10 cities to make it on the list of 100. The cities of Fort Myers and Orlando trailed Sarasota and were ranked 14th and 18th best cities to pop the question, according to the ranking.

In case you missed it: Surprise! Sarasota ranked fourth best party city in the U.S. by online survey

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Beaches, art, quality of life land Sarasota on national best list