City comparison
Yes. Fort Worth's crime index is 135 versus 165 in St Petersburg, and its violent crime index is 121 versus 167, using 2024-2025 FBI data for Fort Worth and 2023 FBI data for St Petersburg.
Fort Worth is cheaper. Median rent is $1,509 a month versus $1,663 in St Petersburg.
Fort Worth and St Petersburg are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, and climate. Typical rent sits near $1,509 in Fort Worth and $1,663 in St Petersburg, and median household income lands at $79,507 versus $75,192. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.
Fort Worth is not a close call here. It leads on cost of living, the job market, and safety by margins that add up in daily life. St Petersburg makes sense if you have a specific reason, a job offer, family, or a neighborhood you already know, but on the numbers alone Fort Worth is the stronger move.
Visit both if you can. Cities reveal themselves in the ordinary moments, a Tuesday morning commute, a Saturday errand run, not on a weekend visit.
The move
Fort Worth and St Petersburg are 933 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,509 a month in Fort Worth to $1,663 a month in St Petersburg, up $154 a month (10%).
Median household income goes from $79,507 in Fort Worth to $75,192 in St Petersburg, down $4,315 (5%).
The crime index goes from 135 in Fort Worth to 165 in St Petersburg, up 30 points (22%).
The move
St Petersburg and Fort Worth are 933 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,663 a month in St Petersburg to $1,509 a month in Fort Worth, down $154 a month (9%).
Median household income goes from $75,192 in St Petersburg to $79,507 in Fort Worth, up $4,315 (6%).
The crime index goes from 165 in St Petersburg to 135 in Fort Worth, down 30 points (18%).
Fort Worth, TX
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
St Petersburg, FL
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Fort Worth and St Petersburg? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
9% cheaper
Fort Worth rent is 9% cheaper than St Petersburg
Fort Worth
Winner$1,509/mo
St Petersburg
$1,663/mo
Typical rent runs $1,509 a month in Fort Worth versus $1,663 in St Petersburg, so Fort Worth is 9% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $154, or $1,848 a year: noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Planning to buy in Fort Worth? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
6% higher
Fort Worth's median income is 6% higher than St Petersburg
Fort Worth
Winner$79,507
St Petersburg
$75,192
Median household income is $79,507 in Fort Worth versus $75,192 in St Petersburg, so typical pay runs 6% higher in Fort Worth (about $4,315 more household income a year). The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
18% lower crime
Fort Worth's crime index is 18% lower than St Petersburg
Fort Worth
Winner135 (100 = avg)
St Petersburg
165 (100 = avg)
Fort Worth's crime index is 135 versus 165 in St Petersburg (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 18% lower in Fort Worth. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Fort Worth is the easier city. St Petersburg can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Fort Worth and St Petersburg are about even on typical weather.
Fort Worth
66°F avg · 73°F highs · comfort 100/100
St Petersburg
77°F avg · 82°F highs · comfort 100/100
Fort Worth averages about 66°F (73°F highs); St Petersburg averages about 77°F (82°F highs). Fort Worth sits near 66°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. St Petersburg sits near 77°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. On daily comfort these two are close enough that the better fit is whichever season you already know you can live with.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Fort Worth is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 9% cheaper here at about $1,509 a month. Choose Fort Worth if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Fort Worth is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 6% higher here ($79,507). Start with Fort Worth if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Fort Worth is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 18% lower than St Petersburg (135 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to St Petersburg
On these five categories Fort Worth takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose St Petersburg because the stats are kinder. They are not. Choose St Petersburg only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
St Petersburg carries the heavier crime signal on this page (45/100 safety vs 51/100 in Fort Worth). That 6-point spread matters more than the $154 rent gap when you are choosing where to walk after dark.
With only $154 separating typical rent, run both offer letters before housing cost alone picks the city.
Median income is $79,507 in Fort Worth versus $75,192 in St Petersburg.
If safety drives your move, Fort Worth is the stronger match (51/100 safety versus 45/100). If an employer or family tie already points to St Petersburg, treat $1,663/month rent and $75,192 income as the numbers that actually govern the decision.
Common questions
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Next steps
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Nearby research
Open full neighborhood reports for Fort Worth and St Petersburg, plus other cities in TX and FL.
