Brand-new homes from the city to the Manatee River: a guide for buyers weighing Tampa, Parrish, Sun City Center, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Palmetto.
Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach opened its 40th anniversary season on November 1. Admission is free through April 15, 2027, and the boardwalk is already in season.
It is a clear morning on I-75, heading south of the city. Model-home flags catch the light, and a few miles west the warm outfall at Apollo Beach is already drawing manatees for the winter.
Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center opened its 40th anniversary season on November 1, 2026, and stays open daily through April 15, 2027, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
$448,188
median sale, Tampa
$346,667
median sale, Wimauma
2,640
acres at North River Ranch
40th
season at the Viewing Center
# Tampa Bay New Construction
This guide covers new construction in seven places I work every week: Tampa, Parrish, Sun City Center, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Palmetto. They stretch from the city across south Hillsborough and into Manatee County.
If you already live here, this is a map of what is still being built, and what it costs this season. If you are relocating, it is a first look at how the south shore actually lives: water, new streets, and a commute you should test before you sign.
Locals already have their tables in town. A few I send people to: Columbia Restaurant on 7th Avenue in Ybor City; Ulele beside Water Works Park; Oxford Exchange on West Kennedy; Armature Works in Tampa Heights; and Sparkman Wharf on the channel.
South of the city, amenity centers and new village sites are still adding restaurants, so I also point buyers to downtown when they want a sure reservation.
This season:
Touch-a-Truck at North River Ranch (November 14)
Family day in Parrish at the community, with RSVP on the official site (North River Ranch).
Winter Village (November 20, 2026, to January 3, 2027)
Ice skating, shops and a cafe at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Entry is free; skating needs a timed ticket (Winter Village).
River of Lights (from November 20)
Evening cruises on the Hillsborough River from Winter Village (Visit Tampa Bay).
Manatee season (through April 15, 2027)
Free daily hours at the Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter (Tampa Electric).
Next step
Looking at a new home in these communities?
I can walk the models with you, compare builders and keep the contract on your side.
A river town, then a region on the rise
South Tampa Bay was river, ranch and citrus country long before the model homes arrived. Palmetto grew up on the Manatee River; the historic aerial above is from the State Archives of Florida.
Tampa's port and Ybor City gave the region its working-city core, including a restaurant that has been serving on 7th Avenue since 1905.
A table in Ybor City
The Columbia Restaurant opened in Ybor City, and it is still in the same neighborhood on East 7th Avenue.
A retirement town takes shape
Sun City Center was planned as a retirement community in south Hillsborough, and that 55-and-over character still shapes the housing stock and the streets around it.
The south county boom
Master-planned communities spread along I-75 and US-301, including Waterset in Apollo Beach and North River Ranch in Parrish, with new villages still opening in Wimauma, Riverview and Palmetto.
“Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center is in its 40th anniversary season, a reminder that this shoreline was drawing visitors long before the newest streets were paved.”
Tampa Electric, November 2026
The story now is speed. In Wimauma, Cypress Ridge Ranch by Highland Homes is selling from $305,900, with a model center on Mangrove Creek Road. In Parrish, North River Ranch covers 2,640 acres and lists new homes from the $300s to $1 million-plus.
These are still active job sites. If you buy here, you are buying into a place that is not finished yet.
From Bayshore to the south county line
Each of these seven areas has a different feel, a different commute and a different kind of new home. I have listed them in the order we planned to launch their area guides, starting with Tampa.
Tampa
The job and cultural core, from Bayshore and downtown to newer infill. Median sale price was $448,188 over the three months ending October 2026. New construction here is a smaller share of the market than in south county, and asking prices on new homes run higher.
Parrish
Manatee County, north of Bradenton, with large master-planned living at North River Ranch: trails, resort pools, on-site schools and a village center. Official pricing is from the $300s to $1 million-plus. I could not independently confirm a citywide median sale price for Parrish as a whole.
Sun City Center
A long-established retirement community in south Hillsborough. The median sale price was $259,819 over the three months ending October 2026, the lowest of these seven. New construction here is more limited, and many buyers are comparing 55-and-over options with nearby family communities.
Riverview
Unincorporated south Hillsborough along I-75, a practical commute toward Tampa and MacDill. The median sale price was $374,739, down 2.3% year over year, in the three months ending October 2026. New-home neighborhoods continue to open east of the interstate.
Apollo Beach
Water, tidal canals and master-planned living at Waterset, about 16 miles south of Tampa on the official community site. The median sale price was $469,668 in the three months ending October 2026. Flood risk is a real part of the conversation here.
Wimauma
Some of the most approachable new-home pricing in this set. The median sale price was $346,667, down 3.7% year over year, in the three months ending October 2026. Cypress Ridge Ranch, Berry Bay area communities and Southshore Bay sit along the SR 674 and US-301 corridor, near Little Manatee River State Park.
Palmetto
A river city in Manatee County, with historic streets near the water and newer communities on the edge of town. The median sale price was $397,224, down 3.6% year over year, in the three months ending October 2026, on a relatively small sample of sales.
Next step
Cypress Ridge Ranch, Wimauma
Highland Homes lists homes from $305,900, with 3 to 6 bedrooms and 1,479 to 3,162 square feet, plus a pool, pickleball, a playground and trails. The builder notes a CDD, HOA dues of $150 per year, and zoning in Hillsborough County Public Schools. Enter off County Road 579 and Bishop Road.
This 2,640-acre master-planned community sits in Parrish, with models open daily and new homes from the $300s to $1 million-plus.
The official site lists more than 20 miles of trails, three resort pools, on-site schools and a village center, with builders including Neal Communities, Pulte, David Weekley, Cardel and Homes by WestBay.
11645 Camp Creek Trail, Parrish, FL 34219
These figures mix resale medians with builder starting prices. They are not the same thing. A community "from the $300s" is a starting price, before lot premiums, options and upgrades.
Medians include whatever sold, new and existing, in that period. Use at least these three kinds of numbers, and treat a small sample as a small sample.
Palmetto's October median is based on 37 sales, so that sample is small. Builder prices change, often without much notice, and quick move-in homes are usually priced above the "from" number.
On November 4, 2026, a market report using Stellar MLS records counted 647 new-construction homes for sale in Hillsborough County and 224 pending or under contract. In Wimauma, new-construction contracts outnumbered actives in that snapshot: 25 active and 41 in contract, with a median asking price of $384,990.
Apollo Beach showed 61 active new-construction listings and a median asking price of $574,990. Those are asking prices, not closed sales.
Next step
Already own in one of these communities?
Curious what your home might be worth today?
Water and woods at the edge of the new roofs
The best days down here still start outside, even when the streets around you are under construction.
Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center, Apollo Beach
Free admission and parking for the 40th anniversary season, November 1, 2026, through April 15, 2027, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails and the tower close at 4. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter (Tampa Electric).
Little Manatee River State Park, Wimauma
Canoes, kayaks, trails and river shade a short drive from the SR 674 corridor (Florida State Parks).
Tampa Riverwalk
Downtown's waterfront path is the easy urban walk when you come in for dinner or Winter Village (City of Tampa / Riverwalk).
Community trails and amenity centers
Waterset and North River Ranch both advertise miles of trails and resort-style pools on their official sites. Walk them at the time of day you would actually use them.
The 40th anniversary season runs November 1, 2026, through April 15, 2027, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with trails and the observation tower closing at 4.
Admission and parking are free. The center is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Easter.
6990 Dickman Rd, Apollo Beach, FL 33572
The river winds through south Hillsborough, a short drive from the new-home corridor along SR 674, I-75 and US-301.
It is one of the natural edges buyers ask about when they tour communities in Wimauma and nearby Southshore.
215 Lightfoot Rd, Wimauma, FL 33598
A century-old table and a growing south shore
Most of the sure reservations still sit in Tampa. South-county village centers are catching up, and I recheck what is actually open when we tour.
Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City
2117 East 7th Avenue. Spanish Florida cooking in a dining room that has been here since 1905 (Columbia Restaurant).
Ulele, Tampa Heights
1810 North Highland Avenue, beside Water Works Park, for a Florida-sourced menu by the river (Ulele).
Oxford Exchange
420 West Kennedy Boulevard, a bookstore, coffee and lunch stop many relocating buyers already put on the first-day list (Oxford Exchange).
Armature Works
1910 North Ola Avenue, a food hall and river gathering place in Tampa Heights (Armature Works).
Sparkman Wharf
A waterfront collection of food and outdoor tables on the channel, useful when family is in town (Sparkman Wharf).
When I have a Wimauma or Apollo Beach tour, I still often plan the special meal in town, then show the newer amenity restaurants on the way back so you can see what is actually serving.
Tampa's landmark Spanish restaurant still anchors 7th Avenue in Ybor City, a short drive from almost every community in this guide.
It is the special-night table many south-county buyers already know, and a useful downtown landmark when you are touring from I-75.
2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
This season on the water
Touch-a-Truck at North River Ranch (November 14)
Kids and families: a community event in Parrish, with RSVP on the official site (North River Ranch).
Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park (November 20, 2026, to January 3, 2027)
Local events: ice skating, shops delivered in PODS containers, a cafe and free park admission at 600 North Ashley Drive. Skating needs a timed ticket (Winter Village).
River of Lights (from November 20)
Date night: holiday cruises on the Hillsborough River from Winter Village, Stop 12 (Visit Tampa Bay).
Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center (through April 15, 2027)
Outdoors: free, in-season viewing in Apollo Beach, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Tampa Electric).
Thanksgiving Feast at Busch Gardens Tampa (November 26)
Families: a holiday meal at Treetop Kitchen, with Christmas Town running through the season (Busch Gardens Tampa).
A Pirate's Christmas (from November 28)
Families: selected holiday dates aboard the Lost Pearl (Visit Tampa Bay).
Tampa's Santa Fest and Tree Lighting (December 5)
Local events: a parade, park festivities and a 6 p.m. tree lighting at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park (Winter Village).
Gasparilla season (January 23 and 30, 2027)
Local events: Children's Gasparilla on January 23 and the Parade of Pirates on January 30 (Gasparilla Pirate Fest).
Local tip: If you are touring models on a Saturday, leave extra time for I-75 and for Winter Village parking downtown if you are staying for the evening.
By car
I-75 is the spine for Riverview, Apollo Beach, Sun City Center, Wimauma and the drive toward Parrish. I-4 and the Selmon Expressway move you through Tampa. US-41 and US-301 are the older north-south roads, and SR 674 is the east-west connector for Wimauma and Southshore.
Airport
Tampa International is the main airport for all seven areas. Test the drive at the hour you would actually fly.
Transit
Downtown Tampa has the TECO Line Streetcar and HART bus service. Most new-construction neighborhoods south of the city are car-dependent. Plan on driving for school, shopping and the hospital.
The commute test
A model-home drive at 11 a.m. is not the same as a Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. I recommend running your real commute twice, in both directions, before you write a deposit.
Apollo Beach
$469,668
Tampa
$448,188
Palmetto
$397,224 (small sample: 37 sales in October)
Riverview
$374,739
Wimauma
$346,667
Sun City Center
$259,819
Parrish
No confirmed citywide median in this research; North River Ranch lists new homes from the $300s to $1 million-plus
What the numbers do not show: Apollo Beach and Palmetto buy you closer water, and they also raise flood and insurance questions. Wimauma and parts of Riverview often buy you more house for the money and a longer list of active job sites. Tampa buys you the city.
Sun City Center is a different product, with a lower median and a 55-and-over center of gravity. Parrish leans master-planned and is closer to Bradenton and Sarasota than to downtown Tampa.
Tampa, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Wimauma and Sun City Center are served by Hillsborough County Public Schools. Parrish and Palmetto are served by Manatee County Schools.
Highland Homes lists Cypress Ridge Ranch as zoned for Wimauma Elementary, Shields Middle and Aquilla J. Morgan High. North River Ranch says children there are within walking distance of brand-new schools. Assignments change, and builder websites are not the district.
Room to start fresh
Moving within Tampa Bay? I can help you sell your current home and buy a new one in these communities, timing both sides so you only move once.
Relocating from out of the area or out of state? I will coordinate your move and work with the listing agent who is selling your current home, so dates, deposits and closings line up.
New construction has its own timeline: a deposit, a lot, options in the design studio, and a closing date that can shift. It helps to have someone who is not paid by the builder walking that with you.
Next step
Want a simple briefing first?
I also keep a short guide on buying a new-construction home.
Let’s map out your move together
Wherever you’re coming from, I’d love to hear about your plans. Reach out anytime.
Know the water, the fees and the contract
Sales centers need to see that you are working with an agent on the first visit, or they may not honor representation later. I am happy to meet you there.
Base prices, lot premiums, design-studio options and incentives change. The payment you were quoted last month may not be the payment on closing day. Get everything in writing, including any closing-cost or rate incentive that expires.
Many master-planned communities here have both an HOA and a Community Development District assessment. Highland Homes lists a CDD at Cypress Ridge Ranch and HOA dues of $150 per year.
A Homes by WestBay page for Waterset listed a CDD fee of $4,147.37 annually and an HOA fee of $151.41 annually. Those figures are parcel- and village-specific. Always ask for the current fee sheet for the exact homesite.
Redfin's climate reports, drawing on First Street data, describe severe or extreme flood risk for a large share of properties in Tampa (38%), Apollo Beach (60%) and Palmetto (90%). Riverview, Wimauma and Sun City Center are described as minor flood risk on the same reports.
Wind and hurricane exposure is a fact of this coast. Get flood, wind and homeowners insurance quotes early, before you are attached to a lot.
Confirm school assignment, sewer versus septic, and whether the homesite is inside a city or in unincorporated county. The pin on a sales map is not the last word.
Builder contracts are written for the builder. Read the sections on delays, deposits, option cutoffs and what happens if the appraisal or insurance comes in high. I go through those pages with you.
Whether you are moving up from across town or arriving from another state, I would like to show you what new construction looks like in these seven communities right now.
Questions about Tampa Bay New Construction?
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