RANK #197 / 1001 NAT · #9 / 41 FL · POP 963,481
1YR FORECAST: -1.6%
5YR OUTLOOK: +21%
Pinellas County, Florida, is a peninsula on Florida's Gulf Coast, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Tampa Bay to the east. It is connected to Tampa, a major city in Hillsborough County, by three bridges. The county offers a mix of urban and suburban environments, with communities ranging from the arts-focused downtown St. Petersburg to the small-town charm of Dunedin and Safety Harbor. Pinellas County is known for its natural amenities, including numerous parks, preserves, and beaches like Clearwater Beach and Fort De Soto Park, offering opportunities for outdoor recreation such as kayaking, biking, and walking on trails like the Pinellas Trail.
The economy of Pinellas County is diversified, with major employers in sectors such as healthcare, retail, and financial services. Top private employers include Publix, Walmart, and Raymond James & Associates. The county also has a strong presence in manufacturing, defense and homeland security, aviation and aerospace, life sciences, and information technology. Recent economic developments include significant investment flowing into commercial and residential projects, as well as the energy sector. The county actively works to attract and support businesses in high-wage industries like high-tech manufacturing, software development, and financial services.
Pinellas County is one of 76 U.S. counties in this market profile — stronger than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of -0.8% runs above the profile's typical -3.7%.
See all 76 Sun Belt Post-Surge Correction counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 10.9x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. Climate and geography support a structural premium. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Pinellas County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties · counties where safety is improving.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Tropicana Field Site Redevelopment Proposals (multiple projects)
ARK Ellison Horus, Blake Investment Partners, Foundation Vision Partners, Pinellas County Housing Authority
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
P L Bartow Natural Gas Power Plant Upgrades
Duke Energy Florida, LLC
|
$340M | Under Construction |
|
Digital Meter Upgrade (Advanced Metering Infrastructure)
Pinellas County Utilities (PCU)
|
$50M | In Progress |
|
St. Pete-Clearwater Airport Terminal Improvement
Pinellas County
|
$50M | Design: In progress |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
Pinellas County ranks #197 out of 1001 U.S. counties on the Boom Town Index with a score of 80/100. The composite score reflects long-term strength — housing, income, and migration patterns — but near-term hiring is soft (employment is down 1.4% year-over-year). Median household income here is $72,646.
Pinellas County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $355,100 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.20 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,642/month on average.
Pinellas County's job market is contracting (-1.4% YoY) while population is roughly stable (+0.3% change). Home values are -0.8% over the past 12 months. Hiring headwinds without an offsetting exodus — residents are staying, but local employers are shedding payroll.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.57% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Pinellas County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.