Learn More About New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey, FL
Located in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, New Port Richey is a suburban town in Pasco County, Florida. WIth a population of a little over 15,000 people,New Port Richey is approximately 30 miles northwest of greater Tampa.
New Port Richey was incorporated into the Florida State in 1924, quickly becoming a winter haven for Hollywood stars from the 1920s. In 1926, a theater was built, named after Thomas Meighan, a silent movie star at the time. In the following year, the Hacienda Hotel, a a 55-room Spanish-style luxury hotel, was completed in the city. However, this great boom in development, encouraged by Hollywood stars visits to town came to an abrupt end, and New Port Richey suffered a great loss during the Great Depression in 1929.
Today, however, New Port Richey managed to overcome the obstacles and is a thriving small town, with an attractive historical downtown and Main Street, bustling with nature, beaches, and great shopping with restaurants, culture and business. There are several points of interest for visitors and residents alike, such as Sims Park, James E. Grey Preserve, West Pasco Historical Society Museum and Library and Richey Suncoast Theater, formerly known as Thomas Meighan Theater.
With hot rainy summers and very mild winters, New Port Richey offers a place that mixes nature and history. With a beautiful riverfront, facing the Pithlachascotee River, the city offers parks and several beaches, like Cadalesi Island, Sunset Beach Park and Anclote River Park. The proximity to the Tampa Bay area also provides easy access to beaches like Clearwater Beach, Treasure Island and Redington Beach.
New Port Richey is not an expensive place to live, despite its proximity to a big city like Tampa. The cost of living in town is 15% lower than the average when compared to other cities in the United States and the median annual income per family is approximately $42,000. New Port Richey is also home to several big companies, with North Bay Hospital and Hyundai featuring as some of the top employers in the city.
The city is served by the Pasco County Public School System and it offers a variety of K-12 schools, such as Cotee River Elementary School and Gulf High school. It also has several private institutions, like Genesis Preparatory School, New Port Richey Seventh-Day Adventist El and Shepherd’s Christian Academy. New Port Richey is also home to a campus of Pasco-Hernando State College.
