— Community Guide
New Tampa
Tampa, FL
“New Tampa is a 24-square-mile collection of master-planned communities along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard — annexed by Tampa in 1988 and built almost entirely in the 1990s and 2000s on what was agricultural land north of USF. Tampa Palms, Hunter's Green, Pebble Creek, and a dozen other neighborhoods with manned gates, community pools, and golf courses make up the district.”
Master-planned · A-rated elementary cluster · I-75 corridor · USF & Moffitt Cancer Center proximity · inland Zone X
What locals love
- A-rated elementary schools — Chiles Elementary rates 9/10 on GreatSchools; Benito and Liberty middle schools are both A-rated
- Flatwoods Park — 7-mile paved loop trail for bikes, runners, and birdwatchers; free admission off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
- Hunter's Green Country Club — private golf course + 24-hour manned security gate, one of the few in Tampa proper
- Wiregrass and Tampa Premium Outlets — open-air lifestyle shopping 10 minutes north on I-75
- Inland FEMA Zone X — minimal flood risk with no mandatory flood insurance for most parcels, an unusual advantage in Hillsborough County
A brief history
The land that became New Tampa was largely agricultural and unincorporated until 1988, when the City of Tampa annexed roughly 24 square miles north of the University of South Florida. Development exploded in the 1990s: the population jumped from 7,145 in 1990 to 26,634 by 2000 — a 273% increase that made New Tampa responsible for more than half of Tampa's citywide growth that decade. Tampa Palms was the first major master-planned community to launch within the newly annexed area, followed by Pebble Creek (which predates the annexation in unincorporated form), then Hunter's Green, Cross Creek, Arbor Greene, and Cory Lake Isles through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The housing mix
Most homes in New Tampa are single-family detached, built 1990-2010, with stucco-and-tile Florida Mediterranean styling — barrel tile roofs, two-story layouts, 2-car garages, and HOA-maintained curb appeal. Standard lots run 6,000-9,000 sq ft; the gated communities (Hunter's Green, Cory Lake Isles) push toward 9,000-12,000. Entry-level townhomes start in the high $200Ks; standard SF homes run $400K-$550K; lake-view or large-lot properties in Arbor Greene and Cory Lake Isles reach $800K-$1M+. New construction communities (Taylor Morrison, Pulte, David Weekley) continue adding inventory along the northern edge near Wesley Chapel, which keeps the price ceiling competitive.
Who lives here
New Tampa draws a predictable but consistent buyer profile: families relocating from the Northeast or Midwest who want A-rated elementary schools, a newer house, and an easy commute to USF or the Wesley Chapel healthcare corridor (Moffitt Cancer Center, AdventHealth, BayCare). Remote workers who arrived 2020-2022 stabilized the market and added a cohort of younger professionals who work from home but need the I-75 access for occasional Tampa or Wesley Chapel meetings. Dual-income households are the norm; the median age tracks around 37-40. Investors occasionally target the area for long-term rental demand from the large graduate-student and researcher population at USF and Moffitt.
Landmarks & things to do
- Flatwoods Park (John B. Sargeant Sr. Memorial Park) — free 7-mile paved loop trail through pine flatwoods; separate mountain-bike trail network; off Bruce B. Downs and Morris Bridge Road
- Lettuce Lake Regional Park — 240 acres on the Hillsborough River; canoe/kayak rentals, elevated boardwalk, alligator sightings
- Pebble Creek Golf Club — public 18-hole course with restaurant; no membership required
- Hunter's Green Country Club — private 18-hole Arthur Hills design inside the gated community
- Shops at Wiregrass — open-air lifestyle center in Wesley Chapel just north; Apple, Pottery Barn, Cobb movie theater, dozens of restaurants
- Tampa Premium Outlets — 100+ stores off I-75/SR-54; 10 minutes from most of New Tampa
- University of South Florida Tampa campus — lectures, games, cultural events; Yuengling Center arena
- New Tampa Branch Library — community gathering point inside the Cross Creek/Morris Bridge Road area
Schools in the area
Detailed school zone + rating pages are rolling out progressively. Ask Ben about school-zoned home searches in New Tampa — he'll pull the exact attendance map and closed-sale data for each feeder pattern.
Frequently asked about New Tampa
What exactly is "New Tampa" — is it a neighborhood or a city?
New Tampa is neither a single neighborhood nor a separate city. It is the informal name for the northernmost portion of the City of Tampa — about 24 square miles annexed in 1988 that sit north of the University of South Florida. Inside that footprint are a dozen distinct master-planned communities: Tampa Palms, Hunter's Green, Pebble Creek, Cross Creek, Arbor Greene, Cory Lake Isles, and others. Most have their own HOA and community amenities; they share the Tampa mailing address, zip code 33647, and Hillsborough County school zoning.
What are the schools like in New Tampa?
The elementary and middle school pipeline is genuinely strong: Chiles Elementary rates 9/10 on GreatSchools (an A in the state system, the highest A-scorer in the New Tampa cluster), and both Benito and Liberty middle schools are A-rated. The gap shows up at the high school level — Wharton High rates 3/10 on GreatSchools. Many families address this through Hillsborough County's magnet or charter lottery system. Always verify your specific address at mysdhc.org before purchase, as zone lines shift with rezoning.
What flood zone is New Tampa in?
Most of New Tampa sits well inland — 18-20+ miles north of Tampa Bay — and falls in FEMA Zone X (minimal flood risk). Lenders do not require flood insurance for Zone X parcels, and premiums are low when purchased voluntarily. Hillsborough County is a CRS Class 5 community, which means NFIP policyholders get a 25% premium discount. Some low-lying lots near creek corridors (Morris Bridge Creek area) or Flatwoods wetlands may fall in AE; verify the specific parcel at hcfl.gov or msc.fema.gov before closing. New Tampa has no storm surge exposure.
What is the New Tampa real estate market like in 2026?
New Tampa's median sale price runs around $463K-$465K as of early 2026, with homes sitting on the market an average of 70-77 days. That's a slower pace than peak 2021-2022, and prices are roughly flat to slightly down year-over-year. Inventory is higher than it was at the pandemic peak — buyers have more choices and negotiating room. The sub-$500K range moves fastest. Lake-view and estate-lot homes above $700K are sitting longer. Active listing count in Hillsborough County is up significantly year-over-year.
How does New Tampa compare to Westchase or Wesley Chapel?
New Tampa is closer to USF, Moffitt Cancer Center, and the Wesley Chapel healthcare corridor than Westchase, and it tends to price lower (median ~$465K vs. ~$575K in Westchase). Westchase has West Park Village — a walkable town center — which New Tampa lacks. Wesley Chapel (Pasco County, just north) has newer retail and the Shops at Wiregrass, but feeds into Pasco County schools rather than Hillsborough; that distinction matters to buyers tracking specific schools. New Tampa's inland Zone X flood advantage applies equally across all three areas.
Nearby
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Thinking about a home in New Tampa?
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll send a tailored list with context on each one — schools, flood zones, market timing, the stuff that matters.