Side-by-side comparison of St. Petersburg, FL and Tampa, FL — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: St. Petersburg has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.86% compared to Tampa's 3.75%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $355,000 in St. Petersburg vs $365,000 in Tampa, while rents come in at $1,700/mo and $1,720/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Tampa is growing faster at 1.9% annually vs St. Petersburg's 1.4%. Tampa leads on home value appreciation at 4.2% per year. Strong population growth typically translates to sustained rental demand and long-term price support.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.82% in St. Petersburg vs 0.83% in Tampa. Vacancy rates of 4.7% and 4.8% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Bottom line: St. Petersburg edges out Tampa on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.86%, St. Petersburg's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in St. Petersburg or Tampa.