Where Manatee County is
Manatee County is on Florida's Gulf Coast, south of Tampa Bay, between Hillsborough County to the north and Sarasota County to the south. Bradenton is the county seat. The Manatee River runs west through the county to Tampa Bay: Parrish, Ellenton, Palmetto, and Terra Ceia are north of it, and Bradenton is south of it. Lakewood Ranch and Myakka City are to the east, and Anna Maria Island and part of Longboat Key are on the Gulf.
I-75 and US-301 run north and south through the county, and I-275 crosses the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to St. Petersburg.
Comparing Manatee County with nearby areas
Within the county, Bradenton, Palmetto, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach are cities with their own governments, and Longboat Key is a town shared with Sarasota County. Everywhere else, including Parrish, Ellenton, Terra Ceia, Myakka City, and the Manatee County part of Lakewood Ranch, is unincorporated, so the county handles services like permits and roads.
Next door, Hillsborough County to the north includes Tampa, and Sarasota County to the south includes Sarasota and Venice. Each county sets its own property tax rates and runs its own public school district.
The community directory lists the neighborhoods in each part of the county, and Find Your Community narrows them down by the features you choose.
Commutes and drive times
Our drive-times guide gives off-peak drive times from our Ellenton office to the Gulf beaches, Tampa, and St. Petersburg, and from each town to the airports. Living in Manatee County covers what's nearby.
What owning here costs beyond the mortgage
If a community has an HOA, a CDD, or both, their fees and assessments belong in your monthly number, along with property taxes and insurance. The CDD guide and the HOA guide explain each, and the mortgage calculator adds them up.
If the home will be your permanent residence, Florida's homestead exemption can lower its taxable value. You apply with the Manatee County Property Appraiser, and the deadline for a tax year is March 1.
Insurance and flood zones deserve their own look before you make an offer; Living on the Gulf Coast covers both.
Schools
Public schools here are part of the School District of Manatee County, and the schools a home is zoned for depend on its address. The school guide explains how to check.
Your first month
- Get a Florida driver license: new residents have 30 days after establishing residency. The Manatee County Tax Collector issues them.
- Title and register your vehicles at the Manatee County Tax Collector's office. A vehicle titled in another state needs an out-of-state title transfer.
- Register to vote at your new address.
- File for the homestead exemption with the Manatee County Property Appraiser by March 1.
- Set up electric, water, trash, and internet service.
