Carrollwood, FL
What Carrollwood is actually like
Carrollwood -- technically the "Greater Carrollwood" Census Designated Place, encompassing both Carrollwood and Carrollwood Village -- is one of Tampa's older, more established northwest suburbs, built out around Lake Carroll and Lake Ellen roughly 9 miles from downtown along the Dale Mabry Highway corridor. It's unincorporated: there's no city hall or mayor here, and local identity runs through civic associations rather than municipal government, a structural fact that surprises some newcomers.
Nearly all of the community's retail and restaurant density sits along Dale Mabry Highway, its commercial spine, while Carrollwood Village adds its own social hub around Westwood Plaza and Town Centre Shopping Center. The community's demographics have shifted markedly over the past decade and a half: the non-Hispanic white share fell from roughly 60% to about 50% between the 2010 and 2020 Census counts, as the Hispanic/Latino share grew from about 27% to 35%. Carrollwood also sits close to Lowry Park Zoo, the USF Botanical Gardens, and Busch Gardens, and unlike most of its Hillsborough-suburb peers on this guide set, it has a full-service hospital -- AdventHealth Carrollwood -- located within the community itself.
Home values in Carrollwood
Zillow's ZHVI for Greater Carrollwood was $402,374 as of November 30, 2025, down 3.0% year-over-year (Zillow).
Getting around
Carrollwood is better served by transit than most Hillsborough suburbs on this list -- HART's Route 36 runs the Dale Mabry/Himes Ave corridor toward downtown, with sidewalks and some bike lanes along the way -- but day-to-day life still runs mostly on Dale Mabry Highway, the community's singular commercial spine.
Carrollwood FAQ
Is Carrollwood its own city?
No -- it's unincorporated, technically the "Greater Carrollwood" Census Designated Place, governed as part of Hillsborough County with no city hall or mayor of its own; local identity runs through civic associations instead.
Has Carrollwood's population changed much?
Its demographics shifted markedly between 2010 and 2020: the non-Hispanic white share fell from roughly 60% to about 50% as the Hispanic/Latino share grew from about 27% to 35%, per Census data.
Where's all the retail and dining?
Nearly all of it sits along Dale Mabry Highway, the community's commercial spine.
Is there a hospital in the neighborhood?
Yes -- AdventHealth Carrollwood is a full-service hospital located within the community itself, not just nearby.
Nearby alternatives*
Westchase
Both established, unincorporated Hillsborough suburbs built around lakes, with Westchase's Zillow-tracked value ($559,272) running above Carrollwood's $402,374, and each anchored by its own walkable node -- West Park Village versus Carrollwood Village.
New Tampa
Close in price ($480,326 vs. $402,374), but New Tampa's cited 25-40 minute commute is a confirmed, longer range than Carrollwood's qualitative ~9-mile, "reasonably accessible" description, and New Tampa is anchored by USF/Moffitt Cancer Center employment.
Temple Terrace
A real trade-off in price and governance: Temple Terrace's Zillow-tracked value ($318,891) runs below Carrollwood's $402,374, and it's a separately incorporated small city with its own municipal water utility, versus Carrollwood's unincorporated county governance.
Compare Carrollwood to these side by side →
*We're not ranking these — every neighborhood has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.
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