The Sarasota metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Southwest Florida. The metropolitan area is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the North PortâÂÂBradentonâÂÂSarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County. The principal cities listed by the OMB for the MSA are North Port, Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. At the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 833,716. The Census Bureau estimates that its population was 910,108 in 2023.
The North PortâÂÂBradentonâÂÂSarasota MSA is a component of the larger North PortâÂÂBradenton Combined Statistical Area, a combined statistical area (CSA) consisting of the North PortâÂÂBradentonâÂÂSarasota MSA, the Punta Gorda, Florida MSA (Charlotte County), and the Arcadia, Florida, micropolitan statistical area (DeSoto County). At the 2020 census, the CSA had a population of 1,054,539. The Census Bureau estimates that its population was 1,152,221 in 2023.
The Sarasota standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) was first defined in 1973, and included only Sarasota County. The Bradenton SMSA was defined after the 1980 United States census, and included only Manatee County. The two MSAs were combined in 1993 as the SarasotaâÂÂBradenton metropolitan statistical area. Venice was added as a principal city after the 2000 census. In 2007, the MSA was renamed the BradentonâÂÂSarasotaâÂÂVenice MSA because Bradenton's population then exceeded that of Sarasota. In 2009, the area was designated the North PortâÂÂBradentonâÂÂSarasota MSA after North Port qualified as a "principal city" under the metropolitan statistical area definition and was determined to be the largest of the area's three principal cities. In 2013, the MSA was renamed North PortâÂÂSarasotaâÂÂBradenton metropolitan statistical area. In July 2023, the MSA was renamed to the North PortâÂÂBradentonâÂÂSarasota MSA, and the CSA was renamed to the North PortâÂÂBradenton CSA. Lakewood Ranch was also added as a principal city within the MSA.
The following is a list of the five largest cities in the Sarasota metropolitan area as ranked by population.
The following is a list of census-designated places (CDPs) ranked by population. CDPs in the combined statistical area are included.
The Sarasota metropolitan area, like most of Florida, is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), closely bordering on a tropical climate like Southern Florida, characterized by hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and relatively drier and mild winters.
Sarasota and Manatee counties have transit networks, Breeze Transit (formerly Sarasota County Area Transit, SCAT) and Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT), which run bus services in the area. Amtrak operates an Amtrak Thruway route through the area starting in St. Petersburg-Clearwater and ending in Fort Myers, with Sarasota and Ellenton operating as stops along the route.
Public education is provided by Manatee County School District and Sarasota County Public Schools.
The following college/university campuses exist in the metropolitan area.
The Sarasota Metropolitan Area has a gross metropolitan product of $45.41 billion as of 2023.