UniversityHillsborough County, FL
Home to 48,127 people, this town lies in Florida.
Is University a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Health is its weak spot (C−): CDC estimates put its residents' health behind four fifths of the country. University ranks 434th of 634 in Florida, with a C− overall. Nationally, it does better than 22% of U.S. towns. At about $165K, a typical home costs 2.2 years of the Tampa metro’s $74K median household income. Where it does best is walkability: it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Cypress Creek Nature Preserve, at 71 acres. 37% of residents live below the poverty line in the town, against 11% in Florida’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap.
What makes University stand out
Where University beats most towns.
University has grown 24% from 2010 to 2020
41,163 counted in 2010 and 50,893 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How University grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far University is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Tropicana Field and 53 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around University. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaTropicana Field
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
3 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Tampa4.0M visitors a year
9 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
2 mi Stadium & arenaYuengling Center
25 mi MuseumSalvador Dalí MuseumPhoto credits
Tropicana Field: EaglesFanInTampa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raymond James Stadium: NASA, Public domain · Busch Gardens Tampa: Wolle8ball, CC BY 3.0 · Benchmark International Arena: Miosotis Jade, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yuengling Center: User:TheCustomOfLife, Public domain · Salvador Dalí Museum: Taty2007, CC BY 3.0
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Moving to University: who provides what
University is unincorporated, so Hillsborough County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in University.
University is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
University’s public schools trail 57% of Florida districts
Two of its 7 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the Hillsborough school district. 4 public schools serve University, with 1,240 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mort Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 731 | C− |
| Building Construction Academy at Bowers WhitleyLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 76 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Compared with most of Florida and the rest of the country, more of University’s adults report frequent mental distress
Against the 1,672 U.S. towns with household incomes like University’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income. All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its C−, from Tampa (B) to Lutz (A).
33% of University adults worry about having enough food. On the CDC’s 31 measures, University is ahead of Florida on 5 and behind on 18.
| University | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 15% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | University | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.3% | 9.1% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.1% | 26.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 18.7% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expect mild winters and hot summers in University
January nights average 49.4°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.6°.
Snowfall is close to zero. Its January low is 49°F.
| University | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 49°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
University stands out in Florida and nationally: a larger share of its residents live below the poverty line
University has about as many jobs (20,747) as working residents, but only 943 people both live and work here.
Jobs based in University grew to 20,747 in 2023, 3,426 more than in 2013. The town’s middle household income is $37,000. The top destinations are Tampa (29%), East Lake-Orient Park (5%) and Town 'n' Country (3%). Half of commuters travel less than 10 miles.
| University | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 37% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $37,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest natural risk in University is hurricanes, at a moderate overall level
The FEMA risk score for University comes to 59 of 100. 87 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 1979. 34% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by tornadoes at 22%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in University once, in 2017.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.3% of the land in University is protected from building
For University, the density of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile. Trails run 0.3 miles in 3 parks and preserves.
| University | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cypress Creek Nature Preserve | — | 71 |
| 2. University Park | 0.1 mi | 26 |
| 3. Mort Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about University
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of University
College town 21 of every 100 University residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About University
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
University is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 41,163 at the 2010 census, up from 30,736 at the 2000 census. The University of South Florida is located just southeast of the community, within the Tampa city limits.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 45 ft
- Area code
- 813
University’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with University.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University | #434 | C− | B− | — | C+ | C− |
| Lutz | #236 | C+ | D | — | C+ | A |
| Lake Magdalene | #322 | C | D | — | C+ | B+ |
| Tampa | #458 | C− | D | C | C+ | B |
University, Lutz and Lake Magdalene report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare University with a neighbor →
Questions about University
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is University, FL a good place to live?
University grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #434 of 634 in Florida. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is University, FL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.