r/florida • u/AutoModerator • Apr 19 '26
AskFlorida Moving Megathread
Moving to Florida? This is your thread.
Please tried to include as much information as possible in your questions.
Keep Discussion on topic. Comments such as the below will be removed:
- "Don't Move here"/ "Leave" or any variation of goes against Rule #1.
- "Don't {insert state} my Florida"
- Complaining about people moving here - this isn't the thread for that.
- Unwarranted political discussion/comments. This is not a politics thread.
Thread will refresh every 2 weeks.
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u/Artist-Cancer May 02 '26
Best city / area to move to?
If price is no option ... I'm looking for this ...
(Trying to escape the growing dysfunction of many cities and areas.)
- Easy access to clean, swimmable warm-ish water (within a few blocks or walkable distance) ...
- Either / ANY, 1 or more:
- Ocean / beach (within a few blocks or walkable distance) (probably Gulf water, not cold Atlantic)
- Dock canal (swimmable backyard water)
- Spring water (swimmable spring)
- River water (swimmable without gators)
- Something like that, where I can swim year-round (weather/air temps-permitting), be in the water within 15 minutes walking, or in my backyard (such as a swimmable boat canal/dock)
- I'm fine with roaches and lizards, but not hoards of mosquitoes if I want to be outside daily
- Decent neighborhood / amenities ... low crime, clean, stress-free living
- I don't need major amenities (don't need bars/clubs/restaurants/entertainment/nightlife ... OK if it's there, OK if it isn't ... I know how to cook and entertain myself)
- Mainly looking for peace-and-quiet at home, work from home, relaxing home life, and safe neighborhood
- Functional city and functional people (no drugs, no crime, no stoopids, no wackos, no cashiers that can't do math, no vagrants, no dysfunctional crap, and repairmen that can repair, handymen that are handy, plumbers that can plumb ... you get the idea)
- I do want to stay away from daily partiers / obnoxious college kids / etc. (normal amount or normal people are fine ... but I don't want to live in a party city or frat house area -- if I can't escape the noise or nonsense or enjoy the water without stoopid partiers / drunks)
- (People and families on the beach / in the water are fine, just looking to stay away from partiers / drunks / and the obnoxious type)
- Big or small city, doesn't matter
- Urban or rural, doesn't matter
- People around or nature isolation, doesn't matter (people just have to be functional / peaceful)
- House or condo, doesn't matter
- Fancy or plain, doesn't matter (just gotta be functional and peaceful)
- Neighbors or no neighbors, if neighbors they just gotta be functional / nice / leave me alone
So, where does a city / town / area / home like this exist that you recommend ?
THANK YOU!
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u/trtsmb May 03 '26
Ask the AI that wrote this for you.
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u/Artist-Cancer May 03 '26
Jesus Christ. I wrote it and they're real questions. Don't be an ass. If you can't help, don't reply to something that doesn't apply to you.
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u/earlym0rning May 02 '26
My mom’s been in Delray/Boca for 30+ years & needs to relocate due to rising costs that are beyond her fixed income. What are other less expensive options than Delray/Boca?
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u/chavala1 May 02 '26
I recently got a job offer in West Palm Beach, and I’m so excited. I’ll be moving down to Florida mid June from Kentucky. I have no idea what housing is like around the area, and could really use some help. A lot of the apartment see very pricey, and I’m worried I might not be able to find something for me and my 5 animals (2 esa dogs and 3 cats) can comfortably live in. My budget for renting is $2k max. I looked into buying, but a lot of the HOAs will make my mortgage over 2k. I’ve looked in West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Springs etc. Would any be able to give advice?
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u/trtsmb May 02 '26
You are moving to an extremely expensive area and I think you're going to have a really hard time finding any place that will rent to you for that price with 5 animals. Don't forget to factor in your car insurance will probably close to double and apartments here often require renters to buy renter's insurance.
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u/Ok-Butterfly-5324 May 01 '26
Hi all, it looks more and more likely I’ll be moving to Vero beach for around 6 months from around February 2027 onwards. I’m a European guy (never lived in the US before) in my mid 30s. whats life like there? I love bars/restaurants on the beach, any good suggestions? Is public transport available at all? What about night life? Any hot spots or is it mainly a laid back city? Thanks
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u/heathersaur May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Vero Beach is primarily a retirement area. You can get some (very) local night-life in more of the Sebastian area.
Larger night-life scene in Ft. Pierce.
Highly recommend checking out Sebastian Inlet, Kayak the Sebastian River (south fork), and going to Mckee Garden. Kennedy Space Center also isn't that too far of a drive away!
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u/trtsmb May 01 '26
There is no public transport. Florida is car centric and you are going to need a vehicle.
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u/ExchangeIll7401 May 01 '26
Hi there, My partner (22M) and I (22F) are looking for locations to search for apartments that’s in between Tampa and Orlando!
For further context I am Black and he is Asian, so We’d like to move to a place that is safe. We’re also looking for a spot that has some things for us to do for fun, or at least some places nearby.
I’d love to get some recommendations for some places to look into! We’re trying to build up a list to do some personal research on. Thank you!
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u/Mirror_Agreeable Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
Question regarding Duke Energy Davenport friends.. PLEASE HELP!!
I am new to the area and I set up services with Duke energy. I have only been in my unit for 2 weeks and I have already received a $400 bill.. (I thought it was a mistake)..
when I called the representative/ Supervisor stated it's a “deposit” for services and all customers have to pay this.
However, this was never disclosed to me the 4x I have called them to set service.
I think $400 is excessive and never heard of such thing.
Can someone please explain if this has happened to you and how did you resolve it or if this is an actual thing charging for a deposit of $400.
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u/trtsmb Apr 30 '26
The deposit is standard. It's generally 2 times what the average bill would be. It will either be applied against your bill in about a year if you are on time with your payments.
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u/Smiles_in_the_dark Apr 29 '26
I grew up in Central Florida, living there from childhood to early adulthood. I moved away in 2004, and have visited many times, but not lived there since. It’s the only geographical location that’s ever truly felt like home. Within the next two years my husband and I will be moving back to Central Florida (we both grew up there). I often hear how bad it is to live there now…from old friends and strangers alike. They mention how hot, crowded, and expensive it has become, and how angry people seem.
I don’t remember it being that way before. I know places change over time, but is it really that bad? I am really looking forward to going back, but want to prepare myself for what I may be getting into.
Can anyone who lives there now please share their insight? Thank you!
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u/trtsmb Apr 29 '26
I'm about 20 miles from Orlando. In the last 20 years, the area has exploded population-wise to the point it is unrecognizable from what it looked like in 2004. Traffic is a non-stop nightmare - infrastructure did not keep up with growth.
The areas surrounding Orlando are subdivision after subdivision. For example around 2005-2010, I remember going up 27 from Davenport to the turnpike and there was maybe 1 apartment complex and a house here and there along the whole stretch. Now, it's completely developed and they are still developing on any piece of land they can find. The same is true in other directions outside Orlando.
Climate change/global warming has also impacted the area. Back in the early 2000s, we didn't start seeing 90s for the most part until late May and by early October, they were disappearing. Now, the 90s start in April and are still here in November. Rain has also become less reliable. We're in severe drought right now.
Since covid, drivers have become much worse and road rage is common. We sold our house and moved to a town with a lot of bike paths so we can use our bikes to get to most places without dealing with drivers.
The other thing that has changed is housing is phenomenally expensive along with insurance and taxes.
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u/Smiles_in_the_dark Apr 29 '26
Thank you for your feedback! We’ll be to the north side of Orlando. My husband still has his house there, so we won’t have the mortgage/rent concerns, but the other things you mention are right in line with what I have read and what the people I grew up with say about it. We have to go back for a while to handle logistics regardless, but I can’t imagine staying in the place you describe forever. That’s a bummer. I really appreciate you weighing in. Thanks again.
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u/trtsmb Apr 29 '26
We stay because we live right on the Florida Coast to Coast trail and can bike almost everywhere we need to go. We are also WFH.
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u/LaFabulosaaa Apr 28 '26
Hey! So I’m originally from South Florida moved to Colorado for a bit and now I want to go back. I’m thinking of the panhandle area. I went to college in Tallahassee so I’m familiar with the region. I want to be in a predominately black area as I’m tired of being racially profiled. Any areas I should look into besides Tallahassee/Quincy?
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Apr 25 '26
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u/The_Future_Marmot Apr 26 '26
Okaloosa County Schools have long had serious issues about failing to meet the needs of kids who have disabilities. Despite multiple lawsuits, things haven’t changed. Agree that Clearwater and Westin probably have significantly better resources.
As for hurricanes, a small and strong one like Michael or Charley can go quite far inland while maintaining high wind speeds. The damage zone for Michael effectively went into southern Alabama/Georgia and it’s pretty easy to still see the devastation from it along I-10 7+ years later if you know what you're looking for.
If you’re 25 feet above sea level, and have a home built to newer Miami-Dade code and your neighborhood is good at tree maintenance, that kind of thing is a pretty reasonable approach to mitigating windstorm damage if you want to live down here.
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u/trtsmb Apr 26 '26
The two best places for services for kids with level 3 autism are Clearwater & Westin. You are not going to find services for your child in the panhandle.
1-2 hours inland (which is really no protection from hurricanes/tropical storms) would put you in Georgia.
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Apr 26 '26
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u/trtsmb Apr 26 '26
I wish you the best of luck. If your child is already set up with services where you are, it would probably be to stay where you are and continue to vacation here.
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Apr 26 '26
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u/trtsmb Apr 26 '26
It sounds like your husband doesn't have your child's best interests in mind.
Florida is rivaling Alabama when it comes to school and support services for kids on the spectrum especially in the more rural areas like what he wants.
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u/Prize-Assistance4795 Apr 24 '26
I haven’t had the chance to update my license yet after moving here and I just found out about the moving policy thing and the jail time thing. How strict are they really? I’m super nervous now. I’ve been here for a little over 6 months now and I just got the car deed from my parents and I’ve been looking into insurance and was going to get a new license and plates within the next couple of weeks. I also have a clean record and no bad history of anything. I’m incredibly nervous.
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u/The_Future_Marmot Apr 26 '26
They’re not generally super strict, AFAIK. They’re probably just glad you‘re doing the right thing and making it all legal.
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u/trtsmb Apr 24 '26
Why not simply go to the DMV and get it done instead of posting here?
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u/Prize-Assistance4795 Apr 24 '26
I am going I’m just nervous what I’m going to hear in person. I just want a heads up is all. Like I just want to hear if anyone has had this experience and what their outcome was like if they wanted to talk about it.
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Apr 21 '26
[deleted]
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u/trtsmb Apr 22 '26
Traffic and cost of living is horrendous. It may take you awhile to save up enough money to be independent, especially if you have student loans. Once you get some experience, start looking at other areas that may pay better for your field.
If you want to be smart financially, avoid the social scene unless the activities are free.
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u/Choice-Sympathy563 Apr 20 '26
I NEED THE TEA
I am moving to Florida in a few months. I have a remote job and am just looking for a 1 bedroom. I am a girl in her 20s with a few friends in Jacksonville. I don’t really want to move to Jacksonville because I am interested in being closer to Southern Florida/Miami region. I have my eye on a couple places in Vero and Jupiter, but the places within my budget are more run-down compared to what I could afford in/around St. Pete. I like the community and artsy vibe of St. Pete but my concern is it being so far from the more “fun” young and opportunistic areas of Florida based on what my friends tell me and online threads. So which area is my best bet? I’m single, I like nightlife, I’m not really a granola type but I do love recreational activities, and the last thing I want to do is move to an area I will get bored of or regret. I need honestly and the real tea.
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u/trtsmb Apr 20 '26
Honestly, you need to look at what you can realistically afford when you factor in car insurance, rent, utilities, etc. What makes you think St. Pete is granola, just curious?
Have you actually visited any of these places in person before committing to moving?
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u/xyz140 Apr 20 '26
After 1 year you get in state tuition at state college! Super cheap compared to other states
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u/imperrynoid Apr 20 '26
the state requires you to transfer license within 30 days of you moving here and establishing residency. if you don’t do it you will face hefty fines. and chances are you can’t get an appointment with the DMV within 30 days. unless you go to a mobile clinic which can be 4 hours away but it’s worth it and you avoid fines.
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u/Bon3rguy69 Apr 19 '26
Considering moving from Maryland to Melbourne/ Viera area. Can anyone comment?
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u/angelfruit Apr 19 '26
personally i have fun here and the more cool people who move here the more friends i can have yippee
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u/whatthedrunk Apr 19 '26
I moved here 8 hours ago and would not change anything. Central Florida is awesome.
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u/TRDOffRoadGuy Apr 19 '26
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u/FormidableMistress Apr 20 '26
We have rules here but there's still chaos. Welcome to Florida! 🐊🍊☀️🌥️⛈️🌀
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u/GenX_1976 Apr 19 '26
Consider how your healthcare, education, and all insurance programs works in your current state.
If you're coming from the Midwest like I did, you have grown accustomed to solid Healthcare services. You will NOT get that here. Florida's healthcare ranks 42 out of 50 states and they DO NOT RESPECT YOUR TIME. If you or your family are disabled or have chronic illnesses, be prepared to travel.
Been here for 10 years and while IL was expensive AF, at least I had solid doctors for my disabled son. He's now having new issues and we're planning to go back to the Midwest for good.
Florida really is vacation only.
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u/Far_Reward4827 Apr 19 '26
12 years and can't get out of here fast enough
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u/GenX_1976 Apr 19 '26
Same. The healthcare system is 42/50 and for my son, I have to prepare to go back to the Midwest.
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u/BizzyBee89 Apr 19 '26
Every person I’ve met who moved here in the past 7 years, regrets it now. Do your research before you move here.
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u/The_Future_Marmot Apr 26 '26
It’s always been a transient state where people come and go- the ‘1,000 new residents a day’ I’ve been hearing since we moved down here in the late 90s has always been net- 2,000 people moving down here but 1,000 people leave.
It’s not a place for everyone and it can take coming down here and realizing just how different living here is from vacationing down here to figure out if it works for someone.
And it’s changed a lot since we moved down here too. I feel like we’re losing not only the young people but also the fun, happy, and quirky sorts that used to give the state a lot of its charm. So many people seem so angry here now.
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u/Middlewarian Apr 19 '26
Ben Shapiro and his extended family (parents, siblings, in-laws) moved from California to Florida around 2021. According to Ben they are happy with Florida.
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Apr 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BizzyBee89 Apr 19 '26
And? That still doesn’t change or disprove my statement about how everyone I’ve MET who moved here in the past 7 years regrets it now.
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u/[deleted] May 02 '26
[deleted]