Almost 330,000 new residents moved to the Sunshine State between April 2020 and April 2021. Did you recently move to the state of Florida or are you thinking about it? Today, let’s look at some of the pros and cons to living in Florida.
Pros to Living in Florida
- Weather. We aren’t just nicknamed ‘The Sunshine State’ for no reason. On average, we have 237 days of sunshine a year; while the national average is just 205. With an average temperature between 61℉ and 82℉ all year, we don’t get snow here either.
- No State Income Tax. If you are moving from a northern state, you’ll be delighted to know that Florida does not have a state income tax. While no income tax sounds great, you may find yourself paying higher property taxes, sales taxes, and fees for things that are free in other states.
- Lower Cost of Living. Florida’s Cost of Living ranks lower than many other states.
- Outdoor Activities. Our great weather allows us to enjoy many outdoor activities and events.
- Golf. Year round golf? No problem! Florida boasts over 1000 golf courses!
- Kayaking, boating, and hiking. Prefer to hit the trails and waterways instead of balls? With over 5,000 miles of hiking trails and the ocean, the gulf, natural springs and rivers – there are plenty of opportunities.
- Scuba diving and snorkeling. Want to see living reefs? We’ve got them, right off of our Florida coasts.
- Camping. Want to camp? We’ve got hundreds of campgrounds and you can camp with a tent or an RV.
- Fishing. Prefer to reel in a catch than sleep on the ground? We’ve got you covered with both freshwater and salt water fishing.
- Cycling. Like to hit the pavement on two wheels? You’ll have plenty of company with thousands of cycling enthusiasts in Florida.
- Always Something to Do. Not a fan of outdoor activities? No problem, you’ll still find plenty to do.
- Nightlife. Want to dance after dark? Florida has cities lined with nightclubs.
- Arts & Culture. Prefer to view a play, visit a museum, or a show? Great! Florida’s Cultural Coast awaits you.
- Breweries. Want a large selection of breweries to visit? Florida is host to craft breweries in every region of the state.
- Food. If you are a foodie, we’ve got restaurants all over the state with specialty cuisines from seafood to good ole’ fashioned home cooking.
- Theme Parks. Fancy going to world famous amusement parks like Disney World, Sea World, or Universal Studios anytime you want? Central Florida and the Orlando area might be the place for you.
- Various Parts of Florida.
- Love palm trees and salt water? We’ve got over 1,300 miles of beautiful beaches running from Florida’s Panhandle, down to the Florida Keys and back up to Northern Florida.
- Prefer an urban area? There are several to major cities and metropolitan areas to choose from: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
- Want to live somewhere quirky and full of history? The Florida Keys, especially Key West, might be right for you.
- Want to be surrounded by history? Consider St. Augustine, settled by Spanish explorers in 1565.
Cons to Living in Florida
- Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. Part of living on a peninsula is dealing with natural disasters. And, nowhere in the state is safe from the potential of strong winds, flooding, tornadoes, and other storm damage that come with hurricanes. In case you are wondering, hurricane season runs from June to November.
- School System. The quality of Florida schools have been lower than many other states for many years in national polls. However, in recent years, Florida has been moving up the ranks as the Florida Department of Education works to improve schools.
- Humidity. Along with that sunshine comes warm weather and humidity – and we mean oppressive humidity in the summer months. Did you know that many Olympic athletes trained in Florida to help their bodies get used to the hot weather in Tokyo?
- Minimum Wage. At the time of publishing this article, Florida’s minimum wage is $8.65. This is substantially lower than many other states.
- Housing Prices. MoveFlorida Real Estate shared some recent housing figures: Between July 2020 and July 2021, house prices in Florida have risen 23%. That means bidding wars, houses selling over appraised value, and fewer homes to buy. Unfortunately, these factors combined might make your new home cost more.
- Tourists. There is no escaping the tourism, Florida is a tourist destination. The state of Florida happily welcomes over 100 million visitors each year, with the busiest tourist summer and winter.
- Retirees. Along with the constant stream of tourists, you are going to want to get used to senior citizens. Florida is home to the largest amount of seniors in the country.
- Public Transportation. Florida’s public transportation infrastructure is lacking, although a bullet style train is being built to connect major cities to each other.
If you aren’t quite ready to make the move to Florida as a permanent resident, don’t forget: you can join thousands of other snowbirds and live in Florida during the winter months.
Tell us: Are you a Florida resident who thinks it is one of the best places in the United States to live? Or are you a future Florida resident who can’t wait to find out out for yourself what a great place Florida is to live?