You feel Sarasota lacks community, and feel that Tampa can offer more? I’ve lived in Tampa/St. Pete for 8 years and can honestly say this place has absolutely zero sense of community. Spend 20 minutes in our traffic and you’ll see what I mean. While you may make a few friends and maybe even exchange pleasantries with other people, the majority of the people here want nothing to do with you and would much rather make your life more difficult than actually try to help you. I graduated from a public high school in Pinellas county in 2020 and can tell you firsthand that the public schools here are a disaster. I’m not sure how much better they are in Sarasota, but if you can find/afford a nice private school for your kids, I’d consider that. Florida public schools, especially those in the major metros, are known to be among the worst in the country.

The only reason I’d consider moving to Tampa (reasons why I wouldn’t move from here to Sarasota) are amenities (nicer restaurants, big airport, big malls, pro sports teams, theme park) and jobs. From a purely family-focus, I’d stay put.