Travel + Leisure has St. Pete on its radar — again. Travel + Leisure has made a habit of recognizing St. Petersburg, Florida — and executives paying attention are taking note.
Earlier this year, the publication named St. Pete the best place to live in Florida, citing its beaches, nearly year-round sunshine, and culture. Now it’s back with more: in a recent Travel + Leisure feature on the nine best places for millennials to live in the U.S., St. Pete earned a spot — one of two Florida cities on the list, alongside a field of major metros including Austin, Nashville, and Washington, D.C.
The case Travel + Leisure makes is one that resonates well beyond millennials. Real estate expert Jules Garcia told the publication that St. Pete delivers something increasingly hard to find: affordability paired with genuine opportunity.
“You get relatively lower housing costs, whether renting or buying, while still having decent employment opportunities in finance, healthcare, and tech/tech-adjacent jobs.”
— Jules Garcia, Coldwell Banker Warburg, as told to Travel + Leisure
Garcia also noted that while Florida’s insurance costs draw scrutiny, the state’s lack of an income tax provides a meaningful counterbalance. That combination — along with a housing market that remains competitive by coastal standards — has translated into real population momentum. The article reports that St. Pete recently posted one of the strongest millennial migration gains in the country. According to Zillow figures cited in the piece, the median home sale price at the end of 2025 was $355,250.
For executives weighing a relocation — whether for themselves or their company — two independent endorsements from the same trusted publication tell a consistent story. St. Pete isn’t an emerging market hoping to arrive. It already has.
Read the full Travel + Leisure millennial cities feature here: “9 Best Places for Millennials to Live in the U.S., According to Real Estate Experts.”
Curious what St. Pete could mean for your business? The St. Pete EDC would love to show you. Let’s talk.
