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More than 300,000 new residents are moving to Florida every year.
Thefastest growing county in Florida is Sumter County in central Florida,led by The Villages,which is the premier active adult retirement community in Florida. The Villages has the oldest median age of any U.S. county. 2010-2017 population change in Sumter County is up 32.8% (94,279 to 125,165). It has its own social, charity based club of vette owners living in "The Villages".
It may serve you well to also google for the pros and cons to moving to Florida. Such as top reasons to move to Florida or not to. There are many links waiting for you.
Born and stayed in FL now for 64 years. 20 years Gulf Breeze, 30 years Tampa, 5 years Hudson and the rest here in Largo/Clearwater. Seen a lot of changes, most not for the better. Been to most places except for Key West.
Many areas such as Clearwater Bch have become so crowded with tourist/snowbirds/springbreakers that you cannot even go there anymore. Parking alone is $20, nevermind the traffic. I find it funny that so many of the beach "experts" rank Clw Bch as one of the best FL beaches, it's ok but there are much better, such as anything between Pens Bch and Panama City, Caladesi, and a few others.
Hurricanes are way overblown (no pun intended) by the media. I have been thru 20+ and it's usually some wind and rain, most damage is done by flooding, many times after hurricane has passed. Of course if a cat 5 is heading straight for you, leave. But in most cases it's just 3 good party days.
Yes it does get hot down here, June/July/August usually 94 every day with high humidity. But I'll take that anyday over 30 and snow. It's not perfect here, but no place is, and I've been to most major cities. If you come down here just to bitch, stay home.
Become aware of Love-bug season in FL... Mid Apr & May before the rainy season, and end of summer.
3rd season is sometimes Dec & Jan in S. FL but not every year.
Google the bug.
Last edited by cor28vettes; 12-29-2023 at 05:37 PM.
Reason: current events added
How many counties? 67
Best county (fill in the ________ blank)
How much FL coastline? 1,197* miles Atlantic and Gulf coast
How about CA? 840 miles of coastline
Hawaii? 750
How long? 447* miles N to S
How wide? 361* miles Atlantic Ocean to Pensacola Beach
How far? 792* miles by road Pensacola to Key West
Highest natural point 345 ft* in Walton County
# of islands greater than 10 acres? 4,500*
# of lakes? 7700*
How many time zones? 2
How many Cat 5 hurricanes @ landfall on record for the FL panhandle & how many miles from OP?
High end Cat 4 Michael at 155 mph was nearly one. 40 miles to the east is where the western edge of Michael entered in 2018.
*source FL Dept of State
Last edited by cor28vettes; 06-19-2023 at 06:07 PM.
Reason: update
Sure, I'll throw in some reasons to like and dislike this place we call home, along with pictures, and add to with random edits as time permits.
Under the like column:
October through April
Winter sunsets
Under the dislike column:
May through September
The heat, the humidity, "The Dreaded Hurricane Season"
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
The Coastal Areas in Florida are generally referred to by the following “Coast” names:
First Coast. East coast from Georgia border to Daytona.
Space Coast. Daytona to Melbourne.
Treasure Coast. Vero Beach to Boca Raton.
Gold Coast. Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo.
Lee Island Coast. Key West to Port Charlotte.
Cultural Coast. Port Charlotte to Bradenton.
Sun Coast. St Petersburg Tampa Clearwater.
Nature Coast. New Port Richey to Apalachacola.
Forgotten Coast. Apalachacola to Panama City.
Emerald Coast. Panama City to Pensacola.
Born and stayed in FL now for 64 years. 20 years Gulf Breeze, 30 years Tampa, 5 years Hudson and the rest here in Largo/Clearwater. Seen a lot of changes, most not for the better. Been to most places except for Key West.
Many areas such as Clearwater Bch have become so crowded with tourist/snowbirds/springbreakers that you cannot even go there anymore. Parking alone is $20, nevermind the traffic. I find it funny that so many of the beach "experts" rank Clw Bch as one of the best FL beaches, it's ok but there are much better, such as anything between Pens Bch and Panama City, Caladesi, and a few others.
Hurricanes are way overblown (no pun intended) by the media. I have been thru 20+ and it's usually some wind and rain, most damage is done by flooding, many times after hurricane has passed. Of course if a cat 5 is heading straight for you, leave. But in most cases it's just 3 good party days.
Yes it does get hot down here, June/July/August usually 94 every day with high humidity. But I'll take that anyday over 30 and snow. It's not perfect here, but no place is, and I've been to most major cities. If you come down here just to bitch, stay home.
Born and stayed in FL now for 64 years. 20 years Gulf Breeze, 30 years Tampa, 5 years Hudson and the rest here in Largo/Clearwater. Seen a lot of changes, most not for the better. Been to most places except for Key West.
Many areas such as Clearwater Bch have become so crowded with tourist/snowbirds/springbreakers that you cannot even go there anymore. Parking alone is $20, nevermind the traffic. I find it funny that so many of the beach "experts" rank Clw Bch as one of the best FL beaches, it's ok but there are much better, such as anything between Pens Bch and Panama City, Caladesi, and a few others.
Hurricanes are way overblown (no pun intended) by the media. I have been thru 20+ and it's usually some wind and rain, most damage is done by flooding, many times after hurricane has passed. Of course if a cat 5 is heading straight for you, leave. But in most cases it's just 3 good party days.
Yes it does get hot down here, June/July/August usually 94 every day with high humidity. But I'll take that anyday over 30 and snow. It's not perfect here, but no place is, and I've been to most major cities. If you come down here just to bitch, stay home.
30 years here, all in Jupiter, the changes in 30 years are mind boggling and not for the better.
Born and raised in Miami...left when I was 17 years old and joined the U.S. Navy. Did 26 years and have seen just about all I can see in this country and overseas. IF I make it to my mid-60's...me and my beautiful Mrs. are going to build a very nice bungalow on the 10 acres we have on the gulf coast of my home state! So, we will happily become a statistic and contribute to the swelling Florida population...can hardly wait!
My wife and I both grew up in FL and spent our working lives there as well. Mostly the Gulf Coast/Tampa Bay area. We saw a wonderful state with lots of fishing and beach access become a clogged traffic jam with hysteria broadcast by the media every hurricane season. It became a joke. Mansions and condos blocked way too much access as the years went by. Cheap insurance disappeared with Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and made it almost impossible to afford if you had a nicer home. Counties raising taxes non-stop finally did us in, along with the worsening traffic, and we now live comfortably here in the western mountains where traffic is an unknown word and taxes are about the same as when we retired here 15 years ago. January and February are lousy winter months for us but we enjoy the changing seasons and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas where you don't sweat when you go outside. Also, not a love bug in sight. We don't miss those stinkin' creatures trying to destroy your car's paint every May and September. If you have money and are retired, Florida can still be heaven if you live on the water and don't need to fight the traffic. Unfortunately that's not us. We miss our old Florida and when we visit occasionally in the winter, it is sad to see what has happened to it. If you had the pleasure of living in FL in the 60's and 70's you know what we are talking about. As the saying goes, you can never go back.
St. Jude Donor '09,'10,'11,'12,'13,'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21
Originally Posted by NC96CE
My wife and I both grew up in FL and spent our working lives there as well. Mostly the Gulf Coast/Tampa Bay area. We saw a wonderful state with lots of fishing and beach access become a clogged traffic jam with hysteria broadcast by the media every hurricane season. It became a joke. Mansions and condos blocked way too much access as the years went by. Cheap insurance disappeared with Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and made it almost impossible to afford if you had a nicer home. Counties raising taxes non-stop finally did us in, along with the worsening traffic, and we now live comfortably here in the western mountains where traffic is an unknown word and taxes are about the same as when we retired here 15 years ago. January and February are lousy winter months for us but we enjoy the changing seasons and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas where you don't sweat when you go outside. Also, not a love bug in sight. We don't miss those stinkin' creatures trying to destroy your car's paint every May and September. If you have money and are retired, Florida can still be heaven if you live on the water and don't need to fight the traffic. Unfortunately that's not us. We miss our old Florida and when we visit occasionally in the winter, it is sad to see what has happened to it. If you had the pleasure of living in FL in the 60's and 70's you know what we are talking about. As the saying goes, you can never go back.
We used to visit family in St. Pete in the early 70s and agree it certainly has changed but so has Long Island.
I remember getting smoked Mullet on the pier, now there is only one place that I know of and that's on the way to N.P. Richie.
We inherited my parents place in Ocala (horse country) Almost all the horse farms have been sold or are being sold. SR200 was a 2 lane road 15 years ago it is now 6 lanes. Silver Springs is now a state park (or federal?).
I blame the Mouse for so much change.
We will do the snowbird thing. It still is a better place to drive a vette.
The roads are in great shape and there is unlimited things to do or visit. I'll take Fl. with all its warts over NY any day.
I've been here most of my life, 4th gen Floridian with a daughter. I grew up mostly in Bradenton and now live in Tampa. Maybe it's me becoming more cynical but I just dont see this place as a family friendly anything anymore. It's a cesspool of selfishness and degeneracy.
I'm here for the money, hoping to move out to NC (where I spent 4 years growing up) before my kid turns 18.
Have lived in FL off and on for 30+ years. Had 3 USAF tours in Tampa (early 70's and again in the early 80's) and then moved to east of Orlando 25 years ago (92 - to date) as that was where the job was. As stated above, FL is NOT the same as the 70's. I-4 through Orlando is trying to compete with Atlanta traffic. Something to avoid. Another place is Daytona, a seedy beach town. Seems like the desirable beach locations are financially out of reach. Have thought about moving out of the state a few times, but after 28 years in the AF, and all those moves, I just couldn't bring myself to do it - especially when it was on my dime.
By the way, if you depend on Obamacare there is only one insurer in the state as I understand it. And it would not surprise me for that company to leave. My daughter has had to change companies 3 times. Because of the insurance laws there are fewer and fewer companies insuring homes or taking on new clients. We have USAA and they will only insure one property. That forced us to find another company to insure my daughter's condo.
If you still have kids in school, do your homework looking for a public school system. I taught high school for 13 years following AF retirement and had one daughter in HS for 2 of those years. Plus now I sub in a HS to keep from pulling weeds. IMO the only education going on in HS is in the honors and AP classes. The "regular" classes are a zoo. Reason is the teachers are spending most of their time with classroom management.
Sure, there is no state income tax (local sales tax is between 6.5 and 7%) and you can drive the Vette year round. But, would I move here today (2017) - probably not.
**A word of caution about using the Property Tax Estimator/Calculator on that website & other websites like that...DONOT rely on them for actual taxes.**
Your actual taxes are based on Taxable Value less Exemption Value (if any). In my county there are 10 taxing authorities. Each gets a cut of the pie. If you do use the Estimator Calculator, do so comparing one county to another perhaps but not to determine actual taxes you would pay. It's much more complex and much higher than these tax rate calculators.
Having cautioned you, as of Jun 2017, your taxes on $1million assessed property would otherwise compare as follows:
Hillsborough County - Includes Tampa...$10,900.
Lee County - Ft Myers...$10,400.
Miami-Dade... $10,200.
Palm Beach County - Boca Raton... $10,200.
Orange County - Orlando... $9,400.
Volusia County- DeLand/Deltona/Daytona Beach... $9,200.
Sarasota County... $8,900.
Duval County - Jax... $8,500.
Sumter County - The Villages (mostly Sumter)... $8,200.
Seminole County - Adjacent to Orlando... $8,100.
Nassau County - Amelia Island... $7,400.
Collier County - Naples... $6,700.
Okaloosa County - Destin... $6,500.
Bay County - Panama City... $6,100.
Dixie County - Cross City... $5,100
Walton County - Miramar Beach/Sandestin/30-A/Seaside/Santa Rosa Beach... $4,200.
Cities/Towns/Communities were mentioned only to ID the county location better. Incorporated cities have their own tax factored in with the county tax. There are 67 counties total in Florida.
05-13-2017, 03:02 PM
**Your Official Florida Relocate Thread**
