Sarasota, Florida is a stunning combination of white sand beaches, fine arts and culture and a lifestyle that is at once sophisticated yet relaxed. With the glistening turquoise of the Gulf of Mexico as the city's dominant feature, Sarasota provides its residents with a vacation every day of the year. The area's beautiful Sarasota Bay offers locals the chance to watch dolphins swim by, while its residential streets are lined with elegant, swaying palm trees. The city offers a plethora of live theater events, as well as some of the south's best shopping.

Elegant living perhaps best describes life here. Sarasota is home to some of the nation's finest five-star resorts, most distinctive country clubs, and legendary community and charity events. Combined with its temperate tropical climate and year-round sunshine, and it's easy to see why Sarasota has received the highest accolades for its quality of life. In fact, the prestigious Money Magazine named Sarasota among the United States' Fifteen Most Livable Communities.

Sarasota currently supports a population of approximately 55,000 residents. The average age of a resident here is forty one, with an annual household income of around $47,000 per year. As a popular tourist destination, Sarasota's service industry provides the majority of locals, some forty percent, with employment. Managerial and professional services takes second place, with about twenty two percent of locals working in this field. Sales rounds out the top three, employing approximately eleven percent of Sarasota residents.

Like many other parts of the country, homes have proven to be a solid investment for their owners. Recent real estate reports show that the average price of a Sarasota home is just under $100,000 for a two-bedroom home. This is, in fact, the most popular option in the region, with nearly sixty percent of recent purchases being two-bedroom residences.

In their free time, many locals commit their time to volunteer organizations. Within Sarasota, a number of recreational and arts-based groups provide services for youth and adult residents of the area. The city sponsors so many theater, ballet, opera and film festivals throughout the year that Southern Living Magazine recently named Sarasota "The Nation's Per Capita Arts Capital."

Of course, with such fantastic weather and sunshine-filled days, golf is another incredibly popular pastime in the area. Sarasota offers over thirty courses throughout the town. Golf is such an integral part of life here that Sarasota is alternately called "Florida's Cradle of Golf." Florida Golf News named four of Sarasota's courses in the top places to play in the state, as well as to its list of Top Twenty in the South. And it seems only fitting, considering that Sarasota was the home of one of America's first ever courses.

Epicureans love Sarasota for the sheer variety of menu items offered throughout town. Locals sometimes choose to keep it casual, munching on burgers and sipping cold beers at one of the area's open-air diners. The French bakeries here offer fresh, warm breads and delicate pastries. But Sarasota is perhaps best known for its fine dining options, receiving awards for restaurants, chefs, and unique creations. With the ocean right outside, you'll find no shortage of fresh seafood offered here. And you must try the local delicacy of Florida stone crab with a variety of unique dipping sauces.

Sarasota, Florida is a town that encompasses the charm and hospitality of the south while offering residents every convenience of a large city. If you are thinking about moving, consider a move to the spectacular town of Sarasota, Florida! To learn more, request our free relocation packet today.