Trust for Public Land released its annual ParkScore index Wednesday, which ranks local park systems across the country.
St. Petersburg and Tampa cracked the list’s top 50 — though they fell some spots from the previous year.
The nonprofit’s report revealed that St. Petersburg placed 19th on the 2026 ParkScore Index, down five spots from last year. Tampa also dipped slightly from 43rd to 46th.
ParkScore rankings are based on five factors: access, equity, acreage, investment and amenities.
Seventy-eight percent of St. Petersburg residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, just above the national ParkScore average of 76%. Tampa offers 64% of its residents 10-minute walk access.
When it comes to park investment, St. Petersburg outperformed, spending $222 per person on its park system, well above the average of $154. In Tampa, the city invests $145 per person.
Both cities also outperformed for park amenities and park equity, but their ParkScore rankings were limited by small median park size.
St. Petersburg’s median park size is 3.5 acres and Tampa’s is 4.2. Both measures trail the national ParkScore average of 5.4.
Why the change? The dips for both cities were caused by positive moves by other locations, not by changes to the local park system.
Washington, D.C. was rated the best big-city park system for the sixth consecutive year.
The 10 highest-ranking park systems