(Mar 30, 2023)
For many people, Florida is becoming the destination of choice for their real estate purchases, as its low tax regime, conducive climate, and welcoming people become increasingly hard to find anywhere else.
Suppose you’re planning on moving to the Sunshine State. Whether it’s for work, education, raising a family, or whatever else your reason might be, you need to have all the relevant information at your fingertips. Because the Florida real estate market is too broad to cover comprehensively in one article, we’ll focus on one particular location - Plant City.
We’ll highlight all the things you might want to know before deciding to check out homes for sale here, including the job prospects, the educational infrastructure available, what you can look forward to seeing and doing, and much more.
Let’s dive right in.
A Brief History of Plant City, Florida
Plant City is a mid-sized metropolitan city between Lakeland and Brandon in Hillsborough County, Florida. Though its name might suggest a somewhat botanical origin, it is more simple than that. It was named after Henry B. Plant, the individual investor behind the South Florida Railroad, responsible for the boom in commercial agriculture that the city enjoyed due to it.
Even so, the city still lives up to its name by being an agricultural hub where all fruits and vegetables flourish. The city’s main claim to fame is being the winter strawberry capital of the world, evidenced by its hosting the Florida Strawberry Festival every year, which is attended by thousands of visitors from all corners of America and beyond.
Today, the city boasts a population of almost 40,000 residents spread out across 30 square miles (75 square kilometers).
Working in Plant City, Florida
One of the most important factors to consider when moving to a new city is the economic situation you will encounter there. This is especially true for people who’re still working to support themselves. Whether you’re moving to start a new job, find employment, or start a business, you will want to be somewhere with a vibrant, sustainable economy. Plant City doesn’t disappoint in this regard.
The city has seen its job market increase by 2.3 percent, which is anticipated to grow by 43 percent over the coming ten years. It is significantly higher than the average projection for the United States, which stands at 33 percent.
Income earners and investors will also be happy to learn that the city enjoys a 0.00 percent income tax rate while the rest of the country is saddled with an average rate of 4.5 percent. When comparing the cost of living for a place, tax rates are an essential factor to consider.
One of the biggest single employers in Plant City today is Wish Farms, which stays true to the city’s agricultural roots by specializing in producing organic strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and the like. The company has grown all over the country and beyond, now with farms across various states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, California, and foreign countries such as Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Mexico.
Being the producer of well over 85 percent of Florida’s substantial strawberry production, it’s not surprising that Wish Farms is the main driving force behind the world-famous Florida Strawberry Festival.
Education in Plant City, Florida
In our world, the importance of quality education cannot be overstated. Wherever you choose to live, and especially for those with children of school-going age, a quality educational system is an essential prerequisite. Plant City is lucky to have a well-developed network of schools under the jurisdiction of the Hillsborough schools district.
There are 19 public schools and four private schools serving a total of 15,487 students in Plant City. Of all the K-12 students in the city, 98 percent of them study in public schools, which is significantly higher than Florida’s state average, which stands at 87 percent.
Schools here have a higher minority student population than the Florida average, with Plant City hosting a 66 percent majority Hispanic student body.
Some of the best schools in the city include Lincoln Elementary School, Walden Lake Elementary School, Cork Elementary School, Springhead Elementary School, Knights Elementary School, Plant City High School, Durant High School, Advantage Academy of Hillsborough, Tomlin Elementary School, Robinson Elementary School, and more.
Family-Friendly Activities in Plant City, Florida
If you’ve got young ones to consider your next move, you’ll want to know that there are family-friendly activities you can enjoy with them. The good news regarding Plant City is that it has many exciting opportunities for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
Some of the most prominent ones include the following:
Dinosaur World
Every child is fascinated with the prehistoric giants that roamed the earth long before human beings came onto the scene. If you want to give your young ones a real treat, then Dinosaur World will be an ideal excursion for them, where they will be exhilarated by the massive exhibits featuring raptors, T-Rexs, and raptors.
The exhibit sits on approximately 20 acres of land along Harvey Tew Road, and it is a famous local attraction with dinosaur eggs and ancient fossils such as scales, teeth, and claws on display.
The main attraction, however, is the hundreds of full-size dinosaur replicas on display around the compound. Most of these are fitted with animatronics, encouraging guests to interact with them rather than view them passively.
The Florida Strawberry Festival
As we mentioned earlier, Plant City is famously known as the winter strawberry capital of the world, so no list of places to visit here would be complete without the Florida Strawberry Festival. Even though the event was first organized by the city’s local Lion’s Club in 1929, it continues today with the primary backing of the state’s largest strawberry producer, Wishes Farms.
Should you choose to visit the festival, which takes place every year for ten days during February, you’ll enjoy all things strawberry-related. These will include tasty delights such as jellies and pies of all kinds, as well as a variety of livestock events, live entertainment, and the occasional celebrity appearance.
If you’re looking for a relaxing day out with all the strawberry delights your sweet tooth can handle, then this will be just the place for you and your little ones.
Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum
Who doesn’t like trains? Even though they might seem like antiquated means of transport relegated to older memories, they still can evoke wonder at their size, power, and suggestions for travel to distant lands. The Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum was set up in tribute to the memory of the railroad that played such a crucial role in Plant City’s early development.
The museum on North Palmer Street should be on every history buff and train enthusiast’s list of places to see. Visitors will enjoy many exhibits, including old-time railroad cars, equipment, photographs, and historical documents detailing how the railroads operated in olden times.
The kids are not left behind, as the museum features a fantastic model rail yard that is a favorite with younger visitors.
Exploration V Children’s Museum
When you mention museums to children, you probably don’t expect an enthusiastic response, but this is a museum with a difference. The Exploration V Children’s Museum is an interactive museum designed with grader school children’s interests in mind. Bring your kids here, and they’ll develop a new attitude toward museums.
The museum is spread over three sprawling floors of interactive exhibits that will have educational value for them and be very entertaining. Even though it was generally intended for a grade school audience, older kids will find plenty to hold their fascination with exhibits and activities across various fields of interest, such as science, technology, art, the natural world, and more.
The Edward Medard Regional Park
Nature enthusiasts will not have to constrain themselves to one or two locations in Plant City. There will always be options like The Edward Medard Regional Park to satisfy your longing for natural surroundings.
This is one of Florida’s most extensive natural preserves, spanning over 700 acres of untouched greenery, offering guests and residents a unique experience of nature. There are fewer places where family outings can be carried out so rewardingly, so be sure to put it on your Plant City bucket list.
Local Attractions Worth Visiting in Plant City, Florida
While Plant City has plenty of options for family-friendly activities where you can bring the kids along, there are also plenty of choices for those who either don’t have children to worry about or need a break from parent duty once in a while.
While these aren’t necessarily child-unfriendly options for places to visit, here are a couple of places worth visiting for grown-ups.
Jump Florida
If you’re ever going to jump out of a perfect airplane, then Florida is the best place to do it. Plant City will give you the perfect opportunity to indulge the thrill junkie in you while affording you the perfect opportunity to see Plant City from a bird’s eye viewpoint.
If your idea of a fun day out is plummeting toward the ground from a height of 14,000 feet; this will be right up your alley. Skydiving is a remarkably safe pursuit, even though it’s thrilling, and is an experience you need to try once in your lifetime if you have the opportunity.
Keel and Curley Winery
Along Thonotosassa Road, Plant City, you’ll find one of the most compelling locations for wine enthusiasts that you’ll find anywhere in the state. Whether you prefer white, red, or rose wine, you’ll find a wide variety of wines to sample at the Keel and Curley Winery.
This winery has won many awards for its specialty wines - fruit-infused productions that create unique and refreshing flavor profiles.
Suppose you are enthusiastic about your wines or just want to spend a leisurely afternoon gaining an insight into how the simple grape is transformed into the delicious bottles we know and love. In that case, this will be a great destination for you. Every weekend, you can pick one of four tours they offer for less money than you would spend for a chai latte and a danish at Starbucks.
Mike E. Sansone Community Park
The community of Plant City considers Mike E Sansone Park a pillar of their society, representing their communal solid ties, patriotism, and sense of public duty. The park is spread over 80 acres of pristine nature and offers various recreational options, including camping, picnicking, minor-league baseball, scouting, and more.
Mike E. Sansone, who the park was named after, is highly regarded for serving in World War I after immigrating to the United States from Italy. His dedication to public service and heavy involvement in the then-nascent scout movement solidified his image in Plant City’s collective conscience.
Joker Marchant Stadium
If you’ve heard of ‘The Grapefruit League,’ you’re probably a baseball fan, making the Joker Marchant stadium a must-see destination. In addition to being the Detroit Tiger’s spring home, it is one of the stadiums where professional teams from all over the country come to perform their conditioning sessions completed before heading back to their home stadiums for the primary season.
Although the stadium was built in the back in the mid-sixties, it has had numerous renovations and upgrades performed while retaining its old-school charm, making it a great place to spend a baseball-filled afternoon.
Most Alluring Neighborhoods in Plant City, Florida
If you’re considering moving to Plant City, you’ll need to pick the best neighborhood for yourself and your family. While there are plenty of great options to choose from when trying to pick one out of the selection of homes for sale, here are a few choice neighborhoods for you to consider.
Bealsville
Bealsville is a suburb of Plant City composed mainly of residents working in executive positions such as managers, educated professionals, executives, and others living upper-middle-class lifestyles.
It has been ranked above 94 percent of Florida neighborhoods for executive living, where the median real estate value is $441,000.
An exciting feature of the Bealsville neighborhood is that it has one of the highest concentrations of residents with Sub-Saharan ancestry than the rest of the country, with 15 percent of its inhabitants tracing their roots to that part of the world. Most people take a 15 to 30-minute drive to get to their places of work, though quite a number carpool with neighbors.
Antioch
Because of its exceptional mix of quality educational facilities, low crime rates, strong community life, and proliferation of single-family homes, the Antioch neighborhood is considered among the top 15 percent of family-friendly places to live in Florida. The residents here are a mix of people working in manufacturing or labor positions and others in executive positions.
The median cost of real estate is $350, while the average price of a rental property stands at $1,690 (lower than 80 percent of Florida neighborhoods).
Commuters heading to work from Antioch generally spend 15 to 30 minutes of their morning in their cars. However, many neighborhood sections are set to facilitate train, bus, or pedestrian transportation.
Walden Lake
This neighborhood comprises a mix of single-family homes, apartment complexes, and medium-sized (3 - 4 bedroom) homes occupied by a combination of owners and renters.
Some of the unique features of the neighborhood include the fact that it is a perfect town for people who prefer using bicycles to driving cars for their commute, as it is estimated to have more cycling commuters than 90 percent of neighborhoods in the United States.
The makeup of the neighborhood’s homes is also unique, with most of them being constructed between 1970 and 2000, which are considered established properties. The median price for a property here is $405,000, although rentals go for a reasonable $2,050 monthly.
Final Thoughts
The Sunshine State is a great place to live, and Plant City is one of its most impressive cities. It has plenty to offer you; whether you’re coming in with your family, for employment, to retire, or just for a change of pace, you’ll find everything you need to make your life comfortable, prosperous, and meaningful.
There are plenty of homes for sale up for your consideration, making it an attractive location for Florida real estate investors hoping to earn money from their properties. Whatever your reasons for considering Plant City and whatever your plans are for the future, you’re most welcome to try your luck in Plant City, Florida.
(Mar 30, 2023)
