SARASOTA ACCOLADES

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
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sarasota accolades - why we're #1!

From "Best Place for Small Businesses" to being named "Florida's Best Kept Secret" by Vogue Magazine, Sarasota comes out on top in many ways. Here are the awards that the greater Sarasota area won - more reasons why we love living in Sarasota, Florida!

The Best Cities in the U.S.: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards | Sarasota
Condé Nast Traveler readers cast hundreds of thousands of votes for the best cities in the U.S. in the 2018 Readers' Choice Awards survey. Sarasota is booming, and CN readers are noticing, placing Sarasota #5 on the Small Cities list with populations under one million.

Top 25 Historic Homes to Visit in the United States | Ca d'Zan
House Method ranked the Ca d’Zan at The Ringling Museum #8 on list - the Ca d'Zan is famously known as the home of circus owners John and Mable Ringling  sitting on the dazzling waterfront on Sarasota Bay in all of its opulent splendor. (2018)

100 Best Places to Live | Sarasota
US News and World Report analyzed the 100 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live. They named Sarasota #21 based on its good value, desirability, strong job market, and high quality of life. (2018)

Top 100 Best Places to Live | Sarasota
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Sarasota has been named #84 of the Top 100 Best Places to Live 2018 by Livability.com, outpacing more than 2,100 cities (with populations between 20,000 and 350,000) in this data-driven ranking.  (2018)

2017 Top Moving Destinations | Tampa/Sarasota
The Tampa/Sarasota area came in the no. 5 spot, holding the same position from 2016, according to Penske Truck Rental: 2017 Top Moving Destinations. (2017)

​Safest Cities in Florida | Punta Gorda & Venice
The National Council for Home Safety and Security looked at the safest cities in Florida based on the number of reported crimes per 100,000 people. Punta Gorda was named #14 while Venice clocked in at #28. (2017)

#1 Performing Arts Hall | Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
The fifth time winning this title, Sarasota’s favorite purple venue topped the national list from Venues Today of performing arts halls in North America in the 2,000-seat category. (2017)

Florida’s Best Kept Secret | Sarasota
Beyond accolades, Vogue Magazine did a feature story on the Sarasota area, touting it as perhaps Florida’s best kept secret. Author Christina Perez noted that our region was home to some of the country’s finest examples of mid-century modern architecture, beaches, and cultural attractions.​ (2017)

Business

8 Dreamy Beach Towns for Entrepreneurs | Sarasota
Livability has named Sarasota #2 on its "8 Dreamy Beach Towns for Entrepreneurs" list, praised for its long history of nurturing creativity, business-friendly tax policies, and new, offbeat ideas! (2018)

Best Small Cities for Small Business | Sarasota
Verizon Business Markets just released its Best Small Cities for Small Businesses report for 2018 and Sarasota made the list as the #44 ranked city across the U.S. for small businesses putting Sarasota in the top 16.6% across the nation! (2018)

Growth of Women-Owned Businesses | Florida
Florida ranked #1 and recorded the fastest growth in new women-owned businesses in the country between 2007 and 2018. (2018)

Best City for Young Entrepreneurs  | North Port / Sarasota / Bradenton
MoneyRates.com named the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton region as the number one city in the county with a welcoming climate for young business owners. They considered factors like growth rates, educational attainment, young adult affluence, and business tax environment. (2017)

​Best Place for Small Business | Sarasota-Bradenton
Topping the list, American City Business Journal named Sarasota-Bradenton #1 for Small Business Vitality Rankings. (2017)

Best States for Business | Florida
Chief Executive Magazine ranked Florida #2 for the fifth year in a row in their comprehensive list of “Best & Worst States for Business” citing Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.2%, exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.7%. (2017)

Top Selling Master Planned Communities | Lakewood Ranch
Real estate consultant firm, RCLCO, named Lakewood Ranch the third most top-selling master-planned community in 2017. (2017)

Beaches

#1 Beach in the United States | Siesta Key Beach
Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach), coastal expert and professor at Florida International University, named Siesta Beach the #1 beach in the United States based on fifty criteria, including water,  sand quality, number of sunny days, safety and management. (2017)

#1 Beach in the United States | Siesta Key Beach
TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards gave Siesta Beach the #1 spot to it’s collection of the top 25 beaches in the United States. (2017)

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#5 Beach in the World |  Siesta Key Beach 
TripAdvisor named Siesta Key Beach not only the #1 Beach in the United States, but the #5 beach in the world on TripAdvisor's annual Top 25 Beaches list. (2017)

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Most Extraordinary Beaches in the World | Venice Beach
Expedia named Venice Beach to this illustrious list of beaches from all over the world, noting it’s moniker as the “Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World.” (2017)

happy & Healthy

Happiest Cities in the United States  | North Port / Sarasota / Bradenton
According to National Geographic Explorer, our region has joined a very happy collection of 20 communities across the Unites States. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton was noted as a place where “locals smile and laugh more often, socialize several hours a day, have access to green spaces, and feel that they are making purposeful progress toward achieving life goals.” (2017)

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Healthiest Regions in Florida | Sarasota County
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranked the 67 counties of Florida in terms of health and wellness. Sarasota was named 3rd for overall health outcomes (length and quality of life) and 2nd for overall health factors (behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment). (2017)

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Happiest Cities in America |  North Port / Sarasota / Bradenton
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton ranked at #6 in the United States for highest well-being communities by Gallup-Healthways. (2017)

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Happiest Seaside Towns | Sarasota
Coastal Living noted Sarasota’s world-class beaches and top-shelf arts and culture scene, ranking it as the 3rd happiest seaside town in America. (2017)

Retire

The Best Place to Retire in 2018 | Sarasota
US News and World Report named Sarasota as No. 1 retirement spot in the country, providing a high quality of life at an affordable price. (2018)

Best Places to Retire | Venice
GoodCall.com named Venice #14 to its 2017 Best Cities for Seniors to Retire. (2017)
Source: Michael Saunders Company Blog

Our Sponsors

QUICK LINKS

Leadership Sarasota County
Sarasota Young Professionals Group
​CareerEdge Funders Collaborative 
Visit Sarasota County
EDC of Sarasota County
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1945 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, Florida 34236
(941) 955-8187
communications@sarasotachamber.com

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.  All Rights Reserved.​
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      • Leadership Council
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    • CareerEdge Funders Collaborative
    • Opportunities For All >
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  • About Us
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