At the southeastern tip of the continental U.S., Florida draws people with its warm weather, sandy beaches and world-renowned tourist attractions. But visiting Florida on vacation and becoming a local are two different experiences. Here’s what you need to know about moving to Florida and what to expect when you get there.
— Should you move to Florida?
— How to move to Florida.
— How much it costs to live in Florida.
— Different parts of the state offer different lifestyles.
— It’s a retirement destination.
— Hurricanes happen.
[See: The Best Places to Retire in Florida.]
Should You Move to Florida?
Whether you’re planning to retire in Florida, move there for work or relocate to be closer to family, know that you’re not the only one moving there. Of the 150 best places to live in the U.S., 14 are located in Florida, and 10 of them are among the 25 fastest-growing cities in the United States.
There are a wide array of places to move to in Florida, and they may or may not be near the ocean or alligators. Miami, in South Florida, is the second-most populous city in the state and is known as a global hot spot for major international business deals. Meanwhile, in the Panhandle you’ll find cities like Pensacola and Tallahassee that offer a completely different, small-city vibe.
There are also beach cities and inland lake towns that may provide a convenient commute for your new job, an ideal spot to work in the tourism industry or simply a place you’d like to raise a family or retire.
How to Move to Florida
If you’re planning to be a part of the workforce in Florida, it may be a good idea to have a job lined up before your move. While Miami is the center of international commerce in the state, in Orlando you’ll find that major amusement parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are major sources of employment.
If you’re unsure which part of the state is for you, consider renting to experience a city for a year or six months, and repeat the process in places like Tampa, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, among others. After extended stays in a few spots, you’re likely to find the place you want to call home permanently.
A large share of born-and-raised Floridians are renters, which can make buying a home a bit more challenging if you’re looking for a property at an entry-level price, explains Natalie Carmichael, a Realtor for eXp Realty in Pensacola. “That leaves you with investors buying up all these properties (with) cash for barely anything and then flipping them,” Carmichael wrote in an email.
You may find it easier to hire a real estate agent to find a rental, since you’ll be juggling a lot of things at once. Check out some of the top real estate companies in Florida to make your decision or find an agent in the Florida area that you’re considering.
[5 Harsh Realities of Homeownership in Florida]
How Much It Costs to Live in Florida
Just about every large city in Florida offers the full gamut of housing, from studio apartments to luxury waterfront villas. Some cities, naturally, will offer a lower cost of living than others. Miami is the fourth most expensive place to live in the U.S.
The median home price in the Miami metro area is $526,000 and the median rent is $2,717, as of February 2024. That’s higher than the national median sales price of $412,227 and $1,959 in rent. But the Tampa Bay metro area is cheaper to purchase a home than Miami, with a median home sale price of $371,000 and $2,085 in rent.
Here’s how much it costs to live in Florida’s major metro areas as of February 2024.
| Metro | Median Home Price | Median Rent |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $526,000 | $2,717 |
| Jacksonville | $373,000 | $1,704 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $403,000 | $2,183 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton | $449,000 | $2,382 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $399,000 | $2,008 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $371,000 | $2,085 |
A major draw for people looking to move to Florida for work is the fact that there’s no state income tax, which means you’ll have more income to cover your rent or mortgage payments and utilities.
Different Parts of the State Offer Different Lifestyles
Many describe life in the Panhandle as completely different from South Florida — the same with inland versus coastal cities. With its location in the Panhandle, Pensacola is more connected to nearby Southern states than spots on the Florida Peninsula. “In Pensacola you can go to Biloxi (Mississippi) in a couple hours and go to the casinos, or drive to Atlanta, or take a day trip to New Orleans,” Carmichael says.
The different vibes you might get throughout Florida are, in part, based on where people are visiting or moving from, says Roger Pettingell, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker based in the Sarasota area. Before air travel became the norm for vacationers, many people would pick their Florida destination based on the highway they’d take to go south — so people from the Northeast taking I-95 would end up on the eastern coast of the state, while Midwesterners taking I-75 would end up on the Gulf Coast.
Florida cities adapted their personalities to fit where the population is coming from — the Gulf side may be a bit more slower-paced than the Atlantic side, for example — and you’ll find people naturally drawn to the cities that match their lifestyle, Pettingell says. “Somebody that comes to see (Sarasota) would not equally like going to Boca (Raton), and vice versa,” he says.
[READ: Can You Build a Hurricane-Proof House?]
It’s a Retirement Destination
It’s no secret that Florida is a prime destination for retirees and those planning to retire soon, as well as people looking to avoid cold winters and take advantage of outdoor activities. While young professionals and families are attracted to Florida’s benefits, the median age of the state skews slightly older. More than 21% of the state’s population is over 65, according to the census, while just 17.3% of the entire U.S. population is over 65.
Hurricanes Happen
When a hurricane is expected to make landfall in the U.S., Florida is frequently in the path of the storm due to the fact that it’s a peninsula located between the Gulf of Mexico and the open Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes have devastated many parts of Florida in the past, though it’s not necessarily an annual occurrence if you stay in one place.
Previous hurricane damage can drive up your cost of living. Carmichael notes that beachfront condos in Pensacola, for example, come with high homeowners association fees based on increased home insurance premiums following massive hurricanes like Ian in 2022. In fact, the state’s insurance market was so unstable that the Florida legislature passed a sweeping insurance overhaul bill in late 2022. You should take precautions to protect your home against hurricane damage and heed instructions from authorities when a hurricane is expected to make landfall.
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What You Should Know About Moving to Florida in 2024 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/01/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
