What it's like for a family to live in Spring Hill
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12/31/2011
My family and I have resided in Spring Hill, Florida for over ten years. When we first moved here, the Suncoast Parkway just opened up and many young families were moving in. These families were a lot like us at the time - young, just getting started, and in search of large but inexpensive homes. The area grew rapidly. Shops and restaurants sprang up every where. When the recession hit, Spring Hill, like the rest of the country, was hit pretty hard. People lost their jobs. Homes went into foreclosure. Businesses began closing. Although Spring Hill isn't what it was several years ago, people are still moving here and the area is still functioning.
I am writing this from the perspective of a well-educated wife and mother. I am also a teacher and have a good grasp of the school system here. If you are thinking of moving to Spring Hill and have children still living at home, I hope you will find my post useful.
Spring Hill is a lower middle class community. Most of the people here have graduated from high school. A very small portion of the population have four year college degrees. Most are blue collar. The people here are mostly transplants from the North or the Midwest. Most are friendly and down to earth, but you will have your occasional crotchety, grumpy old person from time to time. The area is relatively quiet. There is plenty to do if you are an outdoorsy person: we have parks, the Gulf, the beautiful spring-fed Weeki Wachee river, and a large nature preserve with all sorts of trails. There are very few night clubs and the nightlife here pretty much shuts down at 10 pm.
Right now the year is 2011 and there are plenty of homes available, much are short sales and foreclosures so finding a good deal is not hard to do. Bear in mind that Spring Hill has a reputation for being riddled with sinkholes, but most of the sinkholes here are not the swallow-your-house-whole kind. They are the kind that create cracks in your walls and ceiling and often require costly and stressful repairs. Personally, I think almost every home in Spring Hill has some sort of sinkhole activity beneath it. If you are considering moving, don't let this dissuade you though. There are plenty of repaired sinkhole homes on the market that are safe. Most locals would agree that the sinkhole situation is not as desperate at outsiders often believe.
Definitely do your homework if you plan on placing your child in a public school. Challenger K-8 is the best for elementary and middle school students. It is a magnet school and oodles of parents try to get their kids in each year. Deltona Elementary is the place to be if your child has special needs as they have a great deal of services available for special needs kids. Springstead High School has an IB program. Nature Coast High is a vocational school. Winding Waters K-8 and Weeki Wachee High are both brand new schools (remember, this is 2011) and haven't yet established their reputations. There are several private schools in the area. Many are very affordable. Spring Hill Christian Academy, West Hernando Christian, and Hernando Christian Academy all have fairly solid programs. Hernando Christian Academy is the most expensive of the three, but it is also accredited. The closest 4 year public university is USF and it is over an hour away. There is one community college, though.
There are plenty of restaurants in Spring Hill. We have pretty much every popular "chain" restaurant (Chili's, Applebee's, Panera, etc.) and some smaller local places that make decent food. Shopping has gotten much better over the years. We now have two Targets, a Kohl's, JCPenney's, Belk's, Ross, Marshall's, Sears, Best Buy, Sports Authority, and others. All are in strip malls. We do not have a bookstore. (Years ago, some big name bookstores considered opening here, but apparently they did not feel our population was educated enough to support a bookstore.) There is a Sam's Club and 3 Walmarts. (Depending on your perspective, 3 Walmarts may or may not be a good thing.) We have two movie theaters, but both are kind of dated. Spring Hill 8 is the cheaper of the two. As I mentioned earlier, there's lots to do outdoors. There are a few bars, but most people who want decent nightlife travel south to the Tampa area to get it. There is a new farmer's market that is getting started. They open every Saturday and provide crafts and farm fresh produce to the community. There is also a fairly decent YMCA. Just be careful not to let your children accidentally splash the elderly in the pool; they don't like that one bit! (I speak from experience.)
Spring Hill has plenty of churches in most of the mainline denominations. The churches I've attended have been very friendly and welcoming toward newcomers. Some offer contemporary services, but many are still pretty traditional music-wise.
Keep in mind that Spring Hill is a large retirement community. Most of its residents are older folks, but there are still plenty of young families in the mix, too. Most residents are white, but we are getting more diverse with more Hispanic and black families moving in. As I mentioned earlier, most people here are either retired or low to middle class. I have found the education level here to be a little below average. Most high school graduates attend Pasco-Hernando Community College. Some finish with their AA degrees. Some do not. Most of the students here are decent kids, though.
Crime is fairly low compared to other areas of the country. What does take place are thefts, domestic violence, and often drug-related incidents. I have noticed that since the recession, we've had more crime committed in Spring Hill than in the past.
For healthcare, you will want to go to Gainesville or Tampa for the big stuff as Spring Hill healthcare is still somewhat "small town-ish". Your general doctors are OK. Be aware that many of our doctors are foreign and have names that are difficult to pronounce. This has no bearing on how they practice, though. It is merely an observation.
You will need some sort of vehicle to get around. There are a few taxis and very limited bus service. Sidewalks are also pretty much non-exisistent.
Insurance rates are high due to the large amount of sinkhole activity. We pay about $2500 each year for our very average sized home. They are even higher if you live on the water. Taxes are a little lower than other areas in Florida. We pay about $2000 in taxes each year.
In sum, if you are looking for a quieter, slower pace of life and are seeking an inexpensive place to raise a family in a lower middle class community, you will probably like it here.
sunny | Spring Hill, FL