Moving to the Sunshine State can be a dream come true. But nothing is perfect, and even Florida residents who love their new state can have regrets.
As a former Florida transplant, these are some of the most common situations I experienced or heard from fellow transplants that they wish they’d known sooner.
1: Job Troubles
Finding a job can be challenging in Florida, depending on where one lives. Although the number of job openings in Florida closely mirrors that of the national average, access to those jobs can be challenging; many jobs are located in cities, where the cost of living is too high for some salaries, causing many Florida transplants to undergo long commutes.
2: Bugs, Oh My
Two words sum up this point for anyone who’s lived in Florida for a full year: Lovebug season. Unsuspecting new Florida residents are often taken aback by the number of black mating flies that splatter onto their vehicles and hover around their yards. To make things worse, Florida has two lovebug seasons: From April to May and August to September. Fun times.
3: Bugs Again
The company Proven Insect Repellent declared Florida the worst state for mosquitos. To make things worse for Florida transplants who weren’t prepared for droves of mosquitos, high concentrations of mosquitos increase their chance of contracting a mosquito-borne illness, such as West Nile virus or Eastern equine encephalitis.
4: Expensive Living
Florida isn’t among the cheapest states to live in. So, transplants moving from states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Alabama may be in for a shock at how expensive Florida is relative to the housing, gas, and food prices they’re used to paying.
5. Wavering Politics
Some Florida transplants who feel strongly about the political party they identify with have second thoughts about their choice to relocate. Historically, Florida was a Democratic state. But in more recent years, it’s been relatively divided between Republicans and Democrats. On the flip side, because of that, some Florida transplants feel their vote carries more weight to impact election results.
6: Bug Control
Yes, bugs have made a third appearance on this list. Americans who move to Florida from more northern destinations may regret not taking pest control into account when working out their monthly budget. Between termites that’ll eat your wooden furniture, cockroaches that’ll eat your food, and venomous spiders that can send you to the hospital, paying for regular pest control is vital.
7: Not So Chill
Florida had the second-highest rate of incoming transplants in 2023. Nevertheless, some Florida transplants were hoping for a change of pace in both the scenery and people they encountered. Instead, depending on where they choose to call home, they’re sometimes met with so many people from the region of the U.S. they left that they feel like they aren’t living in a truly new place.
8: Underperforming Schools
Parents who move to Florida with children in school may regret their decision. Florida reportedly has the worst learning rate in the country. As the Tampa Bay Times reported, since 2003, Florida’s eighth-grade rank from a state perspective hasn’t come close to its fourth-grade rank on a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test across all subjects.
That said, U.S. News & World Report paints a different picture. It ranks Florida in tenth place in the nation for Pre-K-12 education and in first place for higher education. As with any state, the district and school a parent send their child to can make all the difference in the quality of education a student receives.
9: High Insurance
Not having to pay state income tax sounds great on the surface, but once transplants become Floridians, they often discover expenses they weren’t prepared for. According to Bankrate, full coverage car insurance costs about 55% more in Florida than the national average. Furthermore, depending on where in Florida you live, you might need to pay for additional insurance, such as flood insurance.
10: So Muggy
If you’ve been waiting for a comment on Florida’s weather, the time has come. Hot, humid weather was one of the driving factors behind my choice to move to Florida. I never regretted that decision, but I met many Florida transplants who wish they had moved to a cooler, dryer climate.
11: No Change of Seasons
You’ll be hard-pressed to meet a Florida transplant who didn’t know Florida is hot and humid. However, some people didn’t have the forethought to consider that living in Florida means they won’t experience a true change of four seasons. Sure, you can still get your pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, but some of the magic is gone when you’re walking through clouds of lovebugs instead of falling leaves.
12: Snow Birds
“The traffic isn’t that bad” is a phrase many tourists-turned-Florida transplants had uttered to themselves. But once they move to The Sunshine State, sitting in extra traffic during the winter months suddenly loses its appeal. With over 800,000 seasonal travelers visiting Florida each winter, it’s easy to understand why.
Not All Bad
Love it or hate it, Florida has some great qualities that are hard to deny. You can be outside year-round, and there’s sunshine about 230 days each year. With so much sunshine, people who used to struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may find their symptoms lessen or disappear in Florida.
The Hurricane Debate
Of the states that can get hit by a hurricane, Florida has a high chance of an encounter, with about 41% of hurricanes affecting Florida since 1851. While it’s unlikely a snowstorm will wipe out your house, transplants who move from snowy states have undoubtedly encountered their fair share of snow-related school cancellations and car accidents.
Migration Trends
Based on 2023 data, Florida is the most popular state for Americans looking to move. Texas and Arizona follow, with South Carolina and North Carolina tying for fourth place.
Get Me Outta Here
Don’t be surprised if you encounter a lot of Californians and New Yorkers in Florida, for residents in those states are leaving their home turf in droves. Given that California has the highest state income tax in the country and New York the third-highest, you can bet some transplants from those states were drawn in by Florida’s no state income tax.
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