Community Overview

 

 
 

Welcome to Pinellas
Business Climate
Commercial Property
Data Center
Economy
Education
Employers
Government
Quality of Life
Visitors/Tourism
Workforce

 


Target Industries
Advanced Manufacturing
Aviation & Aerospace
Business & Financial Services
Defense & Homeland Security
Information Technology
Life Sciences & Medical Technologies

 




Attracted by the mild, sub-tropical climate and miles of white sand beaches, 921,000 people have made Pinellas County their home. With an average 360 days of sunshine each year and beaches ranked among the best in the U.S., the county is also the most popular tourist destination on the Gulf of Mexico, drawing 13 million tourists annually, including more than 5 million overnight visitors.  Pinellas' diverse communities  range in population from more than 248,000 in St. Petersburg to less than 60 in Belleair Shore, and nearly all capitalize on living in a waterfront paradise.   As an established county, the significant infrastructure - including schools, utilities and roadways - is already in place. Pinellas is also well connected with regional access provided via Interstate-275, two international airports, and the largest port in Florida. 


Anchored by the urban markets of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Pinellas has the second largest base of manufacturing employment in Florida. Fortune 500 technology manufacturers Jabil Circuit and Tech Data are headquartered here. Pinellas has diverse, yet symbiotic, industry clusters, including aviation/aerospace; defense/national security; medical technologies; business and financial services; and information technology. An extensive network of suppliers, service-providers and business associations support operations in these sectors. Relocating businesses can move to Pinellas and expect to begin growing immediately. Pinellas encourages innovation, and with industry giants Home Shopping Network (HSNi), Nielsen, ValPak and Catalina Marketing, it is rapidly becoming Florida’s hub for big data. Through relationships with major universities and high-tech institutes, Pinellas has become a center for research and development in marine science, electronic instruments, medical devices, sensors, nanotechnology and health care. The county is home to numerous business accelerators, like the Tampa Bay Innovation Center and Gazelle Lab, which are committed to nurturing and building new ventures. Notable Employers: Home Shopping Network (HSNi), Nielsen Media Research, Jabil Circuit, Raymond James Financial, Tech Data, Honeywell, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin, ConMed Linvatec, TransAmerica and Bausch & Lomb.


Pinellas offers an extraordinary quality of life, a relatively low cost of living, diverse housing options and high-quality colleges and universities. With its outstanding cultural, recreational and sports facilities, incomparable parks and beaches, and year round events, Pinellas provides a true resort lifestyle. 

Water 
135 marina & dock facilities
588 miles of coastline
35 miles of white sand beaches

On land 
52 golf courses
623 tennis courts
Pinellas Trail, 34-miles for walking & biking
250 parks 
600+ events annually

Higher Education

 
Culture
15 performing arts facilities
20 theater companies
17 museums, including
     the Salvador Dali Museum
Home of the Florida Orchestra
 
Spring Training & Minor League Teams
Pinellas Economic Profile            
Pinellas lies at the center of the robust Tampa Bay market, which is expected to grow from its current population of
4 million to 6 million by 2030. The market’s significant economic clout is also evidenced by more than $70 billion in consumer spending and a labor force 2 million strong. The region is ranked number 20 in the U.S. for job growth and carries the country’s 13th largest media market.
 
For the latest economic indicators and demographics including cost of living, real estate vacancy rates, employment and unemployment, visitor information, population, household, and income statistics as well as county and city profiles go to our Data Center.

 

 
Pinellas County Fast Facts       
 
Population:
Employees:
Households:
Avg. Household Income:
Annual Overnight Visitors:
Median Income Visitors:
Retail Sales:
Deposits:
921,114
491,769
411,700
$64,092
5.3 million
$113,974
$31.3 billion
$26.4 billion

 

Pinellas County Education Profile  

 

Primary Public Education - Pinellas County Schools
The Pinellas education system offers innovative programs throughout the public schools, a wide variety of private schools, and an extensive college and vocational training system.  Pinellas County Schools is the seventh largest district in the state with 150 schools including:
  • Fundamental Schools emphasize structure, student responsibility, homework, a strict dress code and mandatory parental involvement.
  • Magnet Programs offer intensive study in specialized, themed curricula, attracting students who are especially gifted in areas such as music, art, science or technology.
  • Charter Schools operated by nonprofit organizations, provide more individualized learning programs, encourage innovative approaches to education and require strong internal accountability for the quality of education they provide.
  • International Baccalaureate Programs programs are designed for highly gifted students who require a more challenging curriculum. Students are able to pursue advanced, collegebound courses during their high school years and, due to the rigor of the program, many colleges give IB students college credit for classes taken during high school

Private Education: The county is home to more than 120 private schools, providing families even more choice.

Pinellas Technical College offers students first-rate career and technical education at our two campuses – Clearwater and St. Petersburg – and at extension and clinical locations.  Pinellas Technical College’s emphasis is on post secondary education focusing on over 40 exciting career areas and about 60 programs and currently has nearly 5,000 full-time students enrolled.  Pinellas Technical College also offers continuing education courses and commercial training services through our Industry Services Department.

The Pinellas Education Foundation provides enhanced educational opportunities for students and educators in Pinellas County Schools.

   

Higher Education

Anchoring Florida's High Tech Corridor, Pinellas County and Tampa Bay are home to the University of South Florida.  With 48,000 students it is one of the largest universities in the nation and a growing powerhouse for research, rating in the top 50 for federal research expenditures. St. Petersburg College works closely with the business community and continually updates industry-focused programs.  For instance, its Associate Degree in Engineering Technology was the first in Florida and serves as a national model. Eckerd College is a private college of liberal arts and sciences with 1,850 students and 39 majors.  The Stetson University College of Law has more than 850 students and is ranked #1 in trial advocacy and #2 in legal writing by U.S. News & World Report. 

Visit www.eckerd.edu   Visit www.spcollege.edu   Visit www.usf.edu    Visit www.stetson.edu 


University Partnership Center at St. Petersburg College
The University Partnership Center is an alliance of sixteen colleges and universities. Its mission is to provide bachelor's and graduate degrees to more than 1-million people in the Pinellas County area. SPC offers access to junior and senior level courses for bachelor’s and graduate degrees at the University Partnership Center with:  Barry University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Daytona State College,  Eckerd College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida State University, National University of Health Sciences, Saint Leo University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, University of South Florida at Sarasota / Manatee, and St. Petersburg College. Visit the SPC University Partners Page for a list of each program to be offered, by university.