Last Updated on August 19, 2022 by Filip Poutintsev
Spring Hill is 40 miles Northwest of Tampa and runs along Florida’s Nature Coast. This is a small-town (only 62,2 square miles) that grew out of a 1967 development that now has about 114 000 residents. This Florida city has the hot weather, gorgeous beaches and zero income tax you’d expect a Florida suburb to have.
Spring Hill also has many public and private schools as well as higher education options for local children and students. It has 3 hospitals and a couple nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.
Spring Hill doesn’t have the lively cultural and social scene a larger city would have, but it’s only 40 miles out of Tampa and 53 miles away from St. Petersburg, whatever you can’t buy or find here, you can drive to see it nearby.
Pros and cons of living in Spring Hill at a glance
Pros
- Beautiful Nature and Environmental Features
- Low cost of living and real estate
- Safety and security
- Great healthcare and retirement conditions
Cons
- Natural disasters
- Declining population growth
Pros of living in Spring Hill
Now that you’ve had a taste of what Spring Hill has to offer, let’s digest each benefit of living in this small community in Florida.
The Nature and Environment
The sunshine state is well known for their beautiful beaches and outstanding nature reserves and parks. Spring Hill is no exception to this Floridian rule.
Spring Hill used to be part of the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem and Sand Pine Scrub that boasted an incredible biodiverse environment. The state still protects a lot of the species of flora and fauna and Spring Hill residents are able to visit some of the public parks and reserves.
Spring Hill has some of the state’s best bass fishing lakes and rivers, but if that not your scene there’s still plenty to do outdoors. Activities include: hiking, golfing, biking, hiking, swimming and boating.
There’s also the Buccaneer Bay waterpark and the Weeki Wachee City of Mermaids show for children and parents to enjoy together.
Low Cost of Living and Mortgage
Spring Hill has a low cost of living rate that is below the national average. Residents don’t have to pay income tax to Florida state which allows for more disposable income for rent or mortgage payments.
Spring Hill residents overall seem to afford the average cost of housing, utilities, groceries, transport, healthcare and other expenses. The average rent in Spring Hill is $1058 per month and the average mortgage is $133 000.
This area is a prosperous and pleasant place to start or settle your family. There are many residents (113 000) in only 62,2 square miles, which means there is a high demand for goods and services to be met.
The average American is earning $30 000 – $48 000 a year, which would make the average cost of living in Spring Hill affordable and livable. Many residents here work in the area, providing for and making Spring Hill a stable economy.
Local jobs include working in stores, schools, hospitals and government positions. This means there’s relative job security as long as the population and service demand remains the same.
Safety and Security
Everyone worries about crime and their family’s safety. In Spring Hill the violent crimes and property crime rate is lower than the national average. Which means Spring Hill residents worry less than most Americans do about the daily dangers for themselves and their children.
Spring Hill is the 73rd percentile for violent and property crime. This means Spring Hill is 73% safer than other more dangerous cities and only 27% more dangerous than some cities. The low crime rate could be a part of the small-town nature of Spring Hill. Regardless, retired residents or young children are all 73% safer here than a bigger city in America.
Great healthcare and Retirement Conditions
Good healthcare and facilities benefits every resident but because Spring Hill has a large elderly population, this may be a big selling point to some.
In Spring Hill there are 3 accredited and well-managed hospitals as well as nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.
For retirees the proximity to good health care is crucial. For young families being near a hospital or clinic is necessary for the accidents and emergencies that tend to happen. And for every other person, having access to safe and reliable health care always gives some peace of mind.
Cons of living in Spring Hill
No suburb is perfect and Spring Hill definitely has some setbacks. Below we discuss some of the community’s flaws and failings.
Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather
Florida is also a subtropical region and experiences intense humidity and heat in the hotter seasons. Of course, air-conditioning is a modern miracle but this weather may be too much for some.
Spring Hill suffers a regular natural disaster in the form of sinkholes. The suburb actually sits in what Floridians know as the ‘sinkhole alley’ because it’s one of the worst sinkhole areas in the state and the country.
In 2014, a sinkhole swallowed a neighborhood street when it grew to be 125 feet wide. Four homes needed to be evacuated because they suffered property damage and posed a safety risk.
Unfortunately, this freak accident is something to consider for potential residents of Spring Hill. One day you could park your car and the street may just sink and steal it from you! For this reason Spring Hill residents may pay more in insurance on their cars and homes because of the increased risk of property damage.
Declining Population Growth
For the last 5 years, Spring Hill’s population has seen a steady decline. This could be for many reasons but could point to more worrying conditions in the area.
Low birth rates, food shortages, pandemics, conflict and high death rates could contribute to a declining population. The recent years have definitely seen plenty of conflict, pandemics and death but Spring Hill’s population has been declining since before 2020.
Declining populations could create other issues to further decline the area’s populus. Economic impacts could begin with less demand for basic services and then cause a big drop in employment rates.
For example: hotels, restaurants and stores could close and then many residents could lose their jobs. In that case, a small economy and community like Spring Hill could collapse and not recover.
FAQ Section
Why are houses so cheap in Spring Hill?
Spring Hill is in the ‘sinkhole alley’ region of Florida and because of this it boasts a low cost of living as well as cheaper real estate. Residents recently lost an entire street and four houses to a sinkhole in 2014.
There is a real threat to a resident’s property in Spring Hill and for this reason, mortgage and rent prices are lower than other areas.
Premium real estate is great, but there is a possibility you could lose your new house to a sinkhole.
How safe is it to live in Spring Hill?
Spring Hill is in the 73rd percentile of US violent and property crime rates. Meaning, Spring Hill is 73% safer than dangerous cities and only 27% of the time Spring Hill is more dangerous than another city. So, Spring Hill is a fairly safe place to live in.
Spring Hill, Florida has a lot to offer young families or soon-to-be retirees. The great outdoors, subtropical weather and a good standard of living is just the beginning for new residents.
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