Top 10 Reasons to Move to Florida

Learn why many are relocating to Florida.

If you visited Florida on a recent vacation and have given some thought as to living here year-round, you are definitely not alone! There are many great reasons to become a Florida resident. Whether you’re seeking your first career as a Millennial fresh out of college or you’re looking for your perfect retirement destination, come check out what Florida offers. The following are our TOP 10 reasons to move to Florida.

Top 10 Reasons to Move to Florida

1. Florida Offers Top-Rated Beaches

Spanning 1,350 miles of coastline alongside the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida is home to many of our nation’s top-rated beaches. Many of these beaches receive awards and accolades each year by popular review sites such as Trip Advisor, Dr. Beach, Conde Nast Traveler and others.

Top Panhandle Beaches

Top Gulf Coast Beaches

Top Atlantic Coast Beaches

To view a list of Florida’s most popular beaches by coast, be sure to check out our Top Beaches of Florida page.

2. Florida Does Not Have a State Income Tax

One of the biggest benefits of living in Florida is the lack of a state income tax, which allows you to keep more of the dollars you earn. In lieu of a state income tax, the state of Florida earns revenue from the many millions of tourists which visit our state annually year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) on revenues from hotel stays and short-term rental properties (for stays of 6 month or less). Once you become an official Florida resident, you will then be thankful for the many tourists as they continue to pay your share of state taxes.

3. Florida Has Great Year-Round Weather

When you think of Florida, you likely think of sunshine, beaches and great weather year-round. Known as the “sunshine” state, Florida enjoys 250 days of sunshine each year making the average year-round temperature 72’ in south Florida and 67’ in north Florida. Via this great weather, take up watersport activities such as stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking for a vigorous workout or rent a small boat for the day and explore the Intracoastal waterway and its remote sand bars. If tennis, pickle ball or golf are more your game, many towns offer year-round courts and courses to check out.

4. Florida Offers Reasonably-Priced Real Estate & Cost of Living

Even with higher interest rates, Florida’s real estate market continues to remain strong and new housing developments continue to break ground. This strong demand has caused home prices to rise in recent years and the average Florida home price in late March 2024 is now $397K. As the average home price in America is only $354K, Florida home prices are still reasonably-priced at just 12.1% above the nation’s average. Florida’s real estate prices continue to hold steady in this economy as many relocating to the sunshine state are coming from New York, New Jersey and California where average home prices are respectively 30%, 45% and 121% above the nation’s average.

To view how Florida’s real estate prices compare to all 50 states, including the annual cost of living, check out our how expensive is it to live in Florida page. Also be sure to visit our Florida real estate page where our relocation experts provide their current real estate market outlook, trends taking place as well as provide relocation advice.

5. Florida Has a Very Strong Economy & Employment Market

Florida’s economy and job market have been, and continue to be very strong, due to its top industries of tourism & hospitality, defense & homeland security, real estate & development, and multiple others. In calendar year 2023, Florida achieved 135 million tourists, just below it’s all-time high of 137.4 million tourists in 2022. Currently, Florida’s economy is ranked as the 4th largest out of all 50 states, based upon its Gross State Product (GSP) of $1.1 Trillion, just behind California, Texas and New York. To learn more about Florida’s economy and its top growth industries, visit our Florida’s Major Industries & Largest Companies page.

6. Florida Has Many Amusement & Theme Parks

Florida is currently home to 8 of the “Top 20” amusements parks in the entire nation as well as 3 of the “Top 20” water parks in the entire world. While Florida is well known for Walt Disney World and Busch Gardens, there are actually many more popular theme parks to explore. Many of these parks offer Florida resident discounts and have on-site accommodations for overnight and/or extended stays.

Florida Amusement Parks

Florida Water Parks

7. Florida is a Great State to Retire In

When most people think about a warmer climate to spend their retirement years, they usually think Florida, Arizona or Texas. In a recent study performed by WalletHub, a popular finance site, their panel of experts named Florida as the #1 state to retire in for 2024 based upon its overall affordability, quality of life and access to top health care.

In fact, each year, multiple cities within Florida are commonly rated as top retirement destinations including Naples, Sarasota, The Villages and Vero Beach. Many of these destinations, which offer lifestyle amenities catered towards baby-boomers, offer maintenance-free homes, RV parks, area golf courses, fishing piers and an abundance of outdoor activities to enjoy. When compared to all 50 states, Florida actually ranks highest in the nation with just over 21% of its total population being 65+ years of age, according to US census data.

8. Florida Offers Many Festivals and Outdoor Events to Attend

As a Floridian, you’ll be able to enjoy endless outdoor events year-round. Popular events include music concerts, famer’s markets, arts and craft shows, antique and exotic car shows, polo matches and sand sculpting contests just to name a few.

9. Florida is Home to Many Professional Sports Teams

If you’re an avid sports fan, Florida has got your bases covered (pun intended) with many sports teams spanning football, baseball, basketball and hockey. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are all based in the sunshine state. Also, with Florida’s warmer year-round weather, many MLB teams have their spring training here including the New York Yankees, The Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles. Many spring training games are open for public attendance and typically draw large local crowds.

10. Florida offers Endless Attractions & Day Trips to Explore

Whether you relocate to east, west or central Florida, there are many popular attractions to discover, and many are all within a single one-day trip. If you move to the east coast of Florida, popular attractions include the Daytona International Speedway, Las Olas Blvd and Everglades National Park. In central Florida, popular attractions include Walt Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center and Sea World. On the west coast of Florida, attractions include the Florida Governor’s Mansion, The Ringling Estate (Ca’ d’Zan) and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates.

To view a full list of Florida’s top and most popular attractions by region, check out our Florida’s Top Attractions page.