New search

City comparison

Fort Worth, TX vs Tampa, FL

Fort Worth and Tampa are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, schools, and climate. Typical rent sits near $2,150 in Fort Worth and $2,150 in Tampa, and median household income lands at $78,000 versus $78,000. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.

Neither city has a clear overall edge here. Fort Worth is the easier city on typical rent, but Tampa can still be the better daily fit depending on schools, safety, and climate. Both are defensible choices for different reasons.

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.

Fort Worth, TX

Rent
2,150/mo
Median income
78,000
Crime index
88
Schools
A-
Weather
n/a

Tampa, FL

Rent
2,150/mo
Median income
78,000
Crime index
88
Schools
A-
Weather
n/a

Rent

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Tampa are about even on rent.

Fort Worth

$2,150/mo

Tampa

$2,150/mo

What this means for your life

Typical rent in Fort Worth is $2,150 a month versus $2,150 in Tampa, close enough that housing cost should not decide the move by itself. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets, then pick the city that wins the categories you actually live in: safety, schools, pay, or weather.

Planning to buy in Fort Worth? Check mortgage rates before you decide.

Median income

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Tampa are about even on median income.

Fort Worth

$78,000

Tampa

$78,000

What this means for your life

Median household income is nearly even: $78,000 in Fort Worth and $78,000 in Tampa. Compare offers, not citywide pay. Your field can beat the median in either place. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit.

Crime index

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Tampa are about even on crime index.

Fort Worth

88 (100 = avg)

Tampa

88 (100 = avg)

What this means for your life

Fort Worth and Tampa post similar crime indexes (88 vs 88, where 100 is the national average). A small gap at the city level can still hide a huge neighborhood spread. Walk the specific block, check lighting and late-night activity, and use each city's full report for violent vs. property crime instead of stopping at the headline index.

School scores

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Tampa are about even on school scores.

Fort Worth

A- ยท 86/100

Tampa

A- ยท 86/100

What this means for your life

School composites are effectively even (A- in Fort Worth, A- in Tampa). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better. At this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.

Typical weather

Not enough data

Not enough data to compare typical weather.

Fort Worth

n/a

Tampa

n/a

What this means for your life

We do not have a complete temperature pair for Fort Worth and Tampa. Check a year of highs and lows yourself, and visit in summer and winter before you decide which climate you can live with day to day.

Fit check

Who should choose Fort Worth

Most movers who want a balanced city without a clear dealbreaker category

On these five categories Tampa takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Fort Worth because the stats are kinder. They are not. Choose Fort Worth 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.

Open the Fort Worth report โ†’

Fit check

Who should choose Tampa

People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Tampa

On these five categories Fort Worth takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Tampa because the stats are kinder. They are not. Choose Tampa 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.

Open the Tampa report โ†’

Bottom line

Fort Worth vs Tampa: Our Take

Fort Worth and Tampa split the scoreboard, so this page tips to Fort Worth as the stronger default package for most movers.

Typical rent sits near $2,150/month in Fort Worth and $2,150/month in Tampa.

The main trade-off is neighborhood variance: citywide scores can hide a block that feels nothing like the average in either city.

Unless a specific job offer or family network locks you into Tampa, Fort Worth is the stronger overall choice on this data.

Common questions

Fort Worth vs Tampa FAQ

Is Fort Worth cheaper than Tampa?
Not by much. Typical rent is $2,150 a month in Fort Worth and $2,150 in Tampa. Treat housing cost as a wash and compare salary, schools, and safety instead.
Which city is safer, Fort Worth or Tampa?
Neither city has a meaningful citywide edge. Crime indexes are 88 in Fort Worth and 88 in Tampa (100 = national average). Compare neighborhoods, not slogans.
Which city has better schools, Fort Worth or Tampa?
School composites are close: A- in Fort Worth and A- in Tampa. Tour specific campuses rather than picking a city on the letter grade alone.

Ready to move to Fort Worth?

Next steps

Tools for your move

Quotes and listings for Fort Worth when you're ready to act.

Keep researching

Explore more comparisons

Nearby research

Related Cities

Open full neighborhood reports for Fort Worth and Tampa, plus other cities in TX and FL.