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Tampa Bay Partnership report flags housing affordability and rising commutes as linked regional challenges
Summary
The Tampa Bay Partnership presented its 2025 regional competitiveness report and a companion 'Beyond the Front Door' housing affordability study, which found residents are moving outward for cheaper housing, increasing one-hour-plus commutes and stressing regional transportation systems.
Sarah Burgoyne of the Tampa Bay Partnership briefed the Hillsborough County Planning Commission on March 10 about the partnership’s 2025 regional competitiveness report and a Duke Energy Foundation–funded study on housing affordability titled “Beyond the Front Door.”
"The partnership is a coalition of the region's top employers who are working together to improve the lives of all Tampa Bay residents," Burgoyne said, explaining the organization’s scope and that the report compares Tampa Bay to 19 similar metropolitan areas. She highlighted county-level findings when possible and noted that Hillsborough County remains the region’s largest destination for new residents.
The report found improvements in several economic and education indicators but flagged affordability as a growing constraint. Regionwide, residents spent an estimated 55 cents of every dollar on housing and transportation in 2025 (down from 57 cents in 2024), but county-level data show housing expenditures rose in Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota from 2024 to 2025. Burgoyne said migration of residents to outlying counties is tied to a search for lower housing costs, which has produced nearly 35,000 additional residents commuting an hour or more each day for work (totaling roughly 200,000 residents commuting an hour-plus).
The Partnership’s housing study interviewed more than 130 stakeholders and residents and emphasized that housing affordability and transportation must be tackled together. Burgoyne said nearly half of interviewees reported that transportation costs and long commute times affect overall well-being and that more integrated transit-oriented land-use strategies and incentives for affordable housing near jobs are needed.
Commissioners asked about demographic trends and program responses. Burgoyne pointed to increased educational attainment and noted local programs — including early childhood interventions and community organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs and United Way Suncoast — as contributors to improved outcomes for youth and workforce development. Commissioners praised the region-level comparisons and asked for follow-up detail on transit, wage data and county breakdowns.
Burgoyne encouraged commissioners and staff to review the full 56-page report and county-level dashboards available at stateoftheregion.com.
