Bradenton, FL
Real Estate: Living In Bradenton
Families enjoy walking along the path of the Bradenton Riverwalk, a top popular attraction in the Tampa area. File photo: Leigh Trail, Shutter Stock, licensed.
Bradenton is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County in Florida state and is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The city is governed by a city council with five members, in addition to a mayor and vice mayor.
As per the United States Census Bureau, Bradenton has a total area of 14.44 square miles, which consists of 12.11 square miles of land and 2.33 square miles of water. The region of the city that runs along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay is known for its 20 miles of pristine beaches, many of which are shaded by Australian pines.
As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Bradenton’s population is 55,698. The median income for a household in the city was $34,902, and the median income for a family was $42,366. The median rent is $1,974 and the median price for a single-family home is $412,936.
As per the United States Census Bureau, Bradenton has a total area of 14.44 square miles, which consists of 12.11 square miles of land and 2.33 square miles of water.
Bradenton downtown is located in the northwest area of the city and calls many professional offices and governmental buildings home, notable among them being the 12-story high Bradenton Financial Center and the 9-story Manatee County Judicial Center. Other standout buildings in the downtown area include the Manatee County Government building and the headquarters of the School Board of Manatee County.
Bradenton is served by Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and is connected to St. Petersburg by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Public transportation consists of Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) buses and free trolleys that run on Anna Maria Island as well as Amtrak charter buses.
Bradenton is home to numerous historical properties, including the Braden Castle Park Historic District, Bradenton Bank and Trust Company Building, Bradenton Carnegie Library, the Iron Block Building, Manatee County Courthouse, Old Manatee County Courthouse, and the East Peninsular Telephone Company Building.
Tropicana – known for numerous products, not the least of which being their signature orange juice – was originally founded in Bradenton in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi; the company was later purchased by Pepsi in 1998, and while its headquarters was later relocated to Chicago in 2003, their juice production facilities remain in Bradenton.
Other noteworthy companies headquartered in Bradenton include sports apparel chain Champs Sports and department store chain Bealls.
Bradenton is home to the Village of the Arts, a neighborhood where many previously run-down houses have been renovated and converted into studios, galleries, small restaurants and other small businesses. The Manatee Performing Arts Center is a popular venue and is home to the award-winning theatre group The Manatee Players.
There are also many museums and cultural institutions in Bradenton, such as the South Florida Museum, ArtCenter Manatee, and the Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium, which was home to Manatee County’s most famous resident and beloved mascot, Snooty the manatee, who unfortunately passed away in 2017 after an accident in his water tank resulted in his drowning.
Public education is supplied by the Manatee County School District, whose high schools have produced numerous nationally ranked football teams over the years.
