Is Riverview FL a Good Place To Live?

Do you enjoy the ocean air, but don’t necessarily like the beach crowd? Need a golfing retreat that’s away from it all? Riverview FL has everything that you need and more, but before you pack up your bags and relocate yourself and the family to this idyllic little town, there are a couple of things you might need to know to be sure that this is the right place for you. In the end, we can answer the question: is Riverview FL a good place to live?

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Is Riverview FL is a Good Place to Live? What to Know

If you’re moving to Riverview, Florida, you likely have many of the same questions. The good news is that, below, you’ll find out all you need to know about this fine city! We’ll cover things like the cost of living, schools, job opportunities, and crime rates, among others. If Riverview, FL, is your destination, read on to find out all the details about your next home town! That way, you’ll be prepared for everything when your moving truck arrives with all your things!

How Do the Schools Rate in Riverview?

If you have a young family, you’ll be glad to know that Riverview schools get a B+! There are 21 public schools and six private schools in Riverview, all with excellent ratings. Several public schools, including elementary and high schools, get at least an A rating, which is fantastic. There’s little doubt that if your children go to school in Riverview, they will get an excellent education. Some of the top-rated schools here include:

  • Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School
  • Newsome High School
  • Terrace Community Middle School
  • Bloomingdale High School

Riverview spends approximately $9300 on each student compared to the national average of $12,400. Every teacher has 14 students, and there are just over 500 children for every school counselor.

What is the Cost of Living in Riverview, FL?

Riverview, being on the coast, is a smidge higher than the national average when it comes to the cost of living. (That’s set at 100 to make it easier to determine where cities stand.) Riverview rates a 102/100, which is good. Some of the costs that make up this number are higher, and some are lower than the national average. They include the following from lowest to highest:

  • Housing- 96.1 / 100
  • Miscellaneous Expenses- 96.9 / 100
  • Utilities- 97.6 / 100
  • Healthcare- 98.5 / 100
  • Food and Groceries- 104.8 / 100
  • Transportation Costs- 118.7 / 100

As you can see, only two of these expenses are higher than the national average. Also, if you don’t drive to work, your transportation costs will be much lower. By the way, Riverview is also lower overall than Florida itself in terms of living costs.

How Much Will Housing Set You Back in Riverview?

Like most cities in Florida, housing is on the high side in the town of Riverview. The median cost of a home here is just over $222,000, and the median rent is $1400. 78% of the people here own their own homes, which means the rental market is relatively small. By the way, housing costs are slightly below the national average, while renting is about 30% higher, a substantial difference. Also, the city’s median real estate age is 15 years, which means most homes are relatively new.

While the housing market of Riverview is solid, not many homes in the area offer basements or have sizable attics. That doesn’t mean Riverview Florida isn’t a good place to live. For the average transplant, this can mean one of two things, either take a full inventory of everything that you have and find the things that you can forever do without, or opt for a self storage unit. Self storage units in Riverview are affordable and plentiful, and many have in-unit climate control, keeping the humidity of Florida at bay.

Are the Job Opportunities Plentiful in Riverview, FL?

One remarkable fact about Riverview, Florida, is that the unemployment rate here is below the national average. (The national average is 3.7%, while Riverview is 3.4%.) Also, job growth in the city has been positive for the last five years and, in the previous year, increased by 2.5%. The average salary here is just under $66,000 a year, while the average household income is just under $69,000 a year. Both are slightly better than the national average. Even better, future job growth is just under 43%, which compares well to the national average of 33.5%.

Keep in mind that, if you still work, commuting times in Riverview are slightly longer than the national average. That’s because a one-way commute here takes approximately 31 minutes as opposed to the average of 26.4 minutes around the United States. It’s also exacerbated by the fact that less than 9% of workers here are involved in carpooling. (Less than 1% take mass transit.)

Is the Crime Rate High or Low in Riverview?

One of the biggest concerns for most people, wherever they live, is the amount of crime. That includes property crime and violent crime, both of which are slightly higher in Riverview than the national average. Violent crime here is rated 25, while nationally, it’s about 23. Property crime, at 47, is also higher as the national average is 35.

Is Riverview FL is a Good Place to Live: Quality of Life

While the cost to live in Riverview might be slightly higher, the quality of life here is superb. The weather is excellent almost the entire year, which is ideal for retirees (and, frankly, everyone else). Yes, summer can get hot and sticky, but there’s no winter here to speak of whatsoever. Being on the west coast of Florida also protects Riverview from hurricanes.

As for activities, the sky is truly the limit. Riverview is a stone’s throw from some of Florida’s most spectacular beaches. Boating, fishing, surfing, beachcombing, and more await you every day. We’re also very close to Tampa and everything it has to offer! Plus, Orlando is less than 80 miles away! That means easy access to some of the best theme parks in the world, including Disney, Universal Studios, and more!

So, is Riverview FL a Good Place to Live?

Riverview offers plenty for singles and families alike and offers the perfect environment for anyone to prosper. With all these things in mind, make the decision that is right for you. Riverview would love to have you, and you’ll feel right at home in no time.

Check out more about our favorite Florida cities:

This post was published on June 13, 2018. It was updated on March 10, 2021.