What it's like to live in Safety Harbor
Safety Harbor is a small city in Florida with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Safety Harbor deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, hot summers, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Safety Harbor compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Safety Harbor
Based on Safety Harbor's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,486
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,720 a year
- 36% of Safety Harbor renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$90,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,400
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,743/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,743 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $454,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $454,000 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pinellas County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pinellas County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 64% below US
118 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 466/100k · Safety Harbor Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 55°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 35% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is De Soto National Memorial (34 miles away).
Bottom line
Safety Harbor's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,743/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (27% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Safety Harbor
All Florida guides →Moving to Oldsmar →
3 mi away · pop. 14,904
Rent $1,427/mo · Income $88,333
Compare with Safety Harbor →Moving to Clearwater →
5 mi away · pop. 117,247
Rent $1,658/mo · Income $66,381
Compare with Safety Harbor →Moving to Westchase →
6 mi away · pop. 24,885
Rent $2,174/mo · Income $124,434
Compare with Safety Harbor →Moving to Palm Harbor →
6 mi away · pop. 61,512
Rent $1,806/mo · Income $78,935
Compare with Safety Harbor →Not sure Safety Harbor is the one?
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