population density was 951 people per square mile (367/km²). There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile (156/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.17% White, 14.96% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.66% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. 17.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The county is the thirty-second most populous county in the nation.

There were 391,357 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution was as follows: 25.30% were under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,663, and the median income for a family was $48,223. Males had a median income of $34,111 versus $26,962 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,812. About 9.10% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Service, retail, finance, insurance, and real estate play a vital role in the area's economy. Hillsborough County alone has an estimated 740,000 employees, a figure which is projected to increase to 922,000 by 2015. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa.

Downtown Tampa is undergoing significant development and redevelopment in line with a general national trend toward urban residential development. The Tampa Downtown Partnership notes development proceeding on 20 residential, hotel, and mixed-use projects as of April 2007. Many of the new downtown developments are nearing completion in the midst of a housing market slump, which has caused numerous projects to be delayed or revamped, and some of the 20 projects TDP lists have not broken ground and are being refinanced. Nonetheless several developments are nearing completion, which city leaders hope will make downtown into a 24-hour neighborhood instead of 9 to 5 business district.

Tampa's port is now the seventh largest in the nation and Florida’s largest tonnage port, handling nearly half of all seaborne commerce that passes through the state. Tampa currently ranks second in the state behind Miami in terms of cruise ship travel. Besides smaller regional cruise ships such as Yacht Starship and SunCruz Casino, Tampa also serves as a port of call for three cruiselines - Holland America's MS Veendam, Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, and Carnival's Legend and Inspiration.

Three Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the metropolitan area-- OSI Restaurant Partners (the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill), TECO which provides energy for the surrounding area, and Raymond James Financial, the namesake of Buccaneers home field Raymond James Stadium. Fortune 500 company Tech Data is based across the bay in Clearwater, Florida.

Wikipedia is based in Tampa, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul.

Attractions
Nighttime hot spots include the SoHo District, Channelside, and Ybor City.

Some well-known shopping areas are the International Plaza and Bay Street, WestShore Plaza, Westfield Brandon, Westfield Citrus Park and Hyde Park Village.

Events held annually in Tampa include the Outback Bowl (every New Year's Day), the Gasparilla Pirate Festival (every February), the Sant'Yago Knight Parade (usually 1 week after the day parade during the Pirate Festival), the Florida State Fair (mid-February), and Guavaween (every October near Halloween).

Tampa is also known for its significant landmarks. The Sulphur Springs Water Tower, a landmark in Sulphur Springs section of the city dates back to the late 1920s. Also during this time period was the construction of Bayshore Boulevard, which parallel Hillsborough Bay from Downtown Tampa to areas in South Tampa. The road has a 4.5-mile continuous sidewalk on the eastern end, the longest in the world. Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. It was bought in 1949 by the famous 'Babe' who had a residence nearby and closed at her death. In 1974, the City of Tampa opened the golf course to the public

The Story of Tampa, a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4' x 8' oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the City of Tampa's Public Art Program and can be found in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building.

Park Tower (originally the First Financial Bank of Florida), the first substantial skyscraper in Downtown Tampa. Completed in 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in Tampa until the completion of One Tampa City Center in 1981.

Future landmarks include The Tampa Riverwalk, a proposed continuous pedestrian walkway along the eastern end of the Hillsborough River. The sidewalk will extend from the Channelside district to Tampa Heights. The schedule time for completion is around 2010.

Other landmarks within the city include theTampa Theatre, Museum of Science and Industry (which include the IMAX dome theater), Fun-Lan Drive-In (drive-in theater), and Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Downtown Tampa boasts a number of landmark high rises, including the Suntrust Building, Sykes Building, SkyPoint Condominium, Towers of Channelside, and the Bank of America Building.

South of Tampa, spanning the southern part of Tampa Bay, is the region's most endearing landmark. In much the same way that San Francisco is recognizable world-wide because of its Golden Gate Bridge, the Tampa Bay area holds its massive steel-span Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the same regard.

Education
Hillsborough County School District boasts an impressive 200+ schools with an enrollment of over 180,000 students as well as 73 additional centers such as charter schools and early childhood education centers. There are also several well known colleges and universities in the area that provide opportunities for continuing education including University of South Florida, ITT Technical Institute, University of Tampa, and Florida College, as well as Hillsborough Community College.

Transportation

• Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is the city's main airport and, as of 2005, is ranked as the 27th-busiest in the US. In March 2003, Condé Nast Traveler magazine ranked the airport #1 in the US and #3 in the world for its creativity and interior design.
• Peter O. Knight Airport (IATA: TPF, ICAO: KTPF)is a small general aviation terminal located on Davis Islands near downtown.
• Vandenberg Airport (IATA: VDF, ICAO: KVDF) is another option for general aviation fliers.
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (IATA: PIE, ICAO: KPIE) is across the bay and offers another option for air travelers.

Amtrak services Tampa via the Tampa Union Train Station, located in a historic building near the port between downtown and Ybor City.

The Port of Tampa is by far the busiest port in Florida and one of the busiest commercial ports in North America. Traditionally, the largest bulk of shipments passing through the port have been phosphate and related materials, but petroleum products recently took over the mantle with an annual tonnage of over 19 million tons. Several cruise ships also make use of the Port of Tampa. Tampa's cruise ship terminals, located in the Channel District, are home to several Carnival Cruise Lines ships which regularly depart on Mexican and Caribbean sailings.

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) operates streetcars as well as the bus system. HART has a signed transit deal with the University of South Florida, allowing students to ride for free on most bus routes. In addition, students from several other colleges and universities can purchases passes at half price from their school.

The TECO Line Streetcar System, which links Ybor City, the Channel District and downtown Tampa, began operating on Saturday, October 19, 2002. Despite the system's limited reach and comparatively slow speed (about 10-15 mph), the air-conditioned cars do offer a nostalgic method of getting around in far greater comfort than was possible a century ago. The line is intentionally reminiscent of Tampa's extensive early twentieth-century streetcar network, albeit much smaller in scope at present (2007). Currently, the line has 10 stops along its 2.4 mile (3.9 km) route.