Serenity Lake
Closed14508 Seaford Circle, Tampa, FL 33613
University, FL
University is a densely settled census-designated community in northern Hillsborough County, about nine miles north of downtown Tampa. Bounded by Interstate 275, Tampa’s city limits, and Sinclair Hills Road, it includes the Nowatney area and sits beside the University of South Florida. The community is known for its youthful, student-oriented character, multicultural population, major retail corridors, medical services, and evolving mixed-use development around the former University Mall, now rebranded as Rithm.
Recreational Delights
University is primarily an urban, developed community rather than a beach destination, but its location provides access to Tampa’s broader outdoor attractions. The University of South Florida area offers landscaped campus spaces, walking routes, and opportunities for community events. Nearby northern Tampa and Hillsborough County provide parks, trails, waterways, and nature-oriented outings, while the wider Tampa Bay area is accessible for beaches, boating, fishing, and water sports. Interstate 275 and the area’s HART transit connections make regional recreation relatively convenient. Planned drainage improvements also aim to make the community more resilient and comfortable following major storms.
Culinary Scene
Dining in University is concentrated along Fowler and Fletcher avenues, where stand-alone restaurants, fast-food locations, and retail-centered eateries serve residents, students, medical workers, and commuters. The area’s proximity to the University of South Florida supports an affordable, casual, student-oriented food scene with international influences and quick-service options. Rithm, the mixed-use redevelopment of the former University Mall, adds retail and student-housing activity that can strengthen the surrounding dining environment. Fletcher East, near AdventHealth Tampa, also serves medical offices and their employees, while nearby Tampa offers a much broader range of regional, Latin, Asian, seafood, and contemporary cuisines.
Demographics
- University has an estimated population of 48,127 and a median age of 28, substantially younger than the U.S. median age of 38.9, reflecting its proximity to the University of South Florida and concentration of students and young adults.
- The estimated median household income is $37,207, below the U.S. median of $80,734. Student households, renters, and households connected to entry-level service, retail, healthcare, and education employment help shape the local economic profile.
- The community grew from 30,736 residents in 2000 to 41,163 in 2010; the 2020 census recorded 50,893 residents, indicating substantial long-term population growth and increasing demand for housing, transit, services, and infrastructure.
Population
48,127
Growth -1.52%
Households
20,256
Growth 1.87%
Median Age
28
US Median Age 38.9
Median Household Income
$37,207
US Median Household Income $80,734
Entertainment
Rithm mixed-use district and former University Mall redevelopment
University of South Florida campus cultural and event facilities
USF Contemporary Art Museum
Yuengling Center at the University of South Florida
Quality of Life
University combines convenient access to Tampa, USF, healthcare, shopping, public transportation, and employment with relatively affordable, diverse, and youthful surroundings. Lower household incomes and persistent infrastructure needs, including flooding concerns, remain challenges. Ongoing redevelopment, transit upgrades, cultural programming, and drainage investment are improving the community’s long-term prospects.
2022 Population by age
6%
0-4 Years
17%
5-19 Years
20%
20-24 Years
31%
25-44 Years
16%
45-64 Years
9%
65+ Years
Employers
5%
Unemployment rate
Employment sectors
Health Care and Social Assistance
16.42%
Retail Trade
13.75%
Construction
12.61%
Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services
11.02%
Educational Services
10.96%
Accommodation and Food Services
9.83%
Finance and Insurance
4.55%
Manufacturing
4.47%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
4.31%
Transportation and Warehousing
3.89%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
2.53%
Information
2%
Other
3.64%