8. Not everything is cheap in Florida
We established that a lot of people come to Florida because it seems like a budget-friendly place to spend their golden years. But few of them know the true face of the Sunshine State.
In case you didn’t know, housing is expensive. Not only that, but if you want to visit a place or go to some theme parks, you will have to pay a lot of money. Plus, it’s going to be crowded. There are some expensive places in Florida where we don’t recommend moving: Surfside, Palm Beach, and Key Biscayne.
Have you ever thought about relocating to Florida for retirement?
84 thoughts on “These 9 Things Might Make You Hate Florida”
Hot,humid, Bug infested , Smelly swamp Overcrowded terrible drivers
All these things are true and more. After retiring there 22 years ago, I am leaving. The traffic is horrible. Restaurants are packed. Medical treatment is sketchy – depending on what part of Florida you live in.
All the things that you have listed are so very, very true. I live in Florida sine 2004 and the heat is unbearab;e every day. The hurracains are what really scare me and I hate the thought of that time of the year. The bugs, snakes, alligators, racoons, the green creapy crawling things called eguanas are disguisting and look like prehistoric times and look like dinasours. They are all over the place and I hate to look at them. The crowded roads are terrible and it takes hours just to run a few errands. The cost of like is not cheap and they get you on lots of things so being a state with no tax does not really help anybody. I know there are more things that I don’t like but can’t think of them right now so I will end here. Think twice before moving here.
The reason Florida is the way it is because everyone is no from here , they come here bitch and complain about Florida say that not how we did it in New York or where ever they came from ,as for housing the snowbirds bought houses and pushed the locals out of the housing market , so the reason why everything is high in Florida is the snowbirds brought with them Florida is a playground for the rich and nothing else
Houses near the shore have dropped, due to global warming??? What shore are prices going down? Waterfront house have increased in value more than non waterfront! If global warming is so bad, why are banks still loaning on waterfront property.
Global warming, ok then why are the ones pushing this buying beachfront homes ??
Moved to Jacksonville Florida 10 months ago and I must admit it’s not perfect, but nowhere is Perfect ! Very Little Taurus in the Jacksonville area, closest is St Augustine 40 mi to the south ! It’s not Hot all year in this area , from December to March temperatures can average fro the 30’s to the low 70’s . The summers are humid and rainy but it is bearable and the Hurricanes aren’t as numerous as south or west Florida ! It’s much better than freezing my buns in 10 degrees and Snow in New Jersey ! Thank you very much but I’m very Satisfied here, my only regrets are that I didn’t move here 20 years ago !
I lived in Florida for @ 60 years-from birth to retirement, & finally was able to leave to live in the North Carolina mountains. All the negatives listed in the article are absolutely correct & that is why I left. Never intend to return-even for a visit. The incessant heat & humidity, as well as the crowds, are miserable. Think twice before moving there.
Maybe a long summer vacation in any part of the state would be a better choice & allow you to reconsider your plans after the experience there.
I still like Florida. Been there before, and yes it is humid but I had live in the tropics and worked in the Middle East. Considering some of my good friends are there, yes I am considering to move to Florida sometime.
And Titusville is the place. . .haven’t heard of hurricane there. But thank you the input, though. worth reading!
Blessings!
Every place has its pluses and minuses. I’ve been in Florida going on 5 years and though it’s a little warmer than usual this year, I lived in Oklahoma in 1980 when it reached 100 on or around 5/31 and stayed that way for 90 days!
I’ll take the warmer winters – better than 0 or 15 – and a lot more sunshine than most places. We love it here – so, please, by all means stay where you are!!
All the cons are well known to the people of Florida and …. all of them are temporary and Hurricanes
are not a daily occurrence ! This year so far : NOTHING and the weather is FANTASTIC !
I am a New Yorker who spend a lot of time in Florida ! Florida = a bit of Paradise !
After living here for 30 plus years I regret ever moving from Massachusetts! It is not the paradise it used to be. The housing market is a nightmare, people drive like maniacs and after a few hurricanes and more people moving in its becoming a dump!
Florida has DeSantis – THAT is reason enough to hate it!
So, stay out then… go move to a blue state!
Quite an interesting comment since he was re-elected by a really wide margin and is considered one of the most popular governors in the country. Florida has the number #1 public education system in the country, no income taxes and people have been moving there in droves. I bet they are thrilled you don’t live there.
OR LOVE IT???? There is a reason people are moving to Florida, and it is to get away from the radicals running states like NY, NJ, Il, Ca. The cost of living really is a lot lower and the state Govt is responsive to it’s citizens.
The state of Florida will all be under water shortly. Like in the next 5 years. But most of California and the east coast also. Inland, Colorado is nice. Galveston, Houston, and New Orleans gone.
I have vacationed there in Florida many times over the years and agree with most of the negative comments. Loved eating alligator meat. However, I love the changing seasons. So, my retirement will be spent in New Jersey which is looking more like New York.
I am a Florida native. Yes, it is very hot. Yes, we do have terrible hurricanes. yes, we have bugs. Yes, in South Florida it is over populated. Yes, down there in Central & South Florida there are whole lot of tourist. And Yes down there it is too expensive. Global Warming is not a concern, because that is total propaganda.
But I live in North Florida. And like California (so I am told) that really Is a beautiful place. There are vast strechs of Forest here.., and you can still see old Floria as it was before the yankees came to ruin it. You alo didn’t mention about how acros teh state tyhere are so many beautiful parks, beaches and marsh areas. We have amazing wildlife, birds that are stunning and the Florida Alligator- a predator in swamps- but still a magnificent beast. I LOVE FLORIDA. I sould not and would not live anywhere else. But you are right.. if the above factors bother you.. then Don’t move here. We don’t want more belly aching Yankees down here anyway.
The Yankees didn’t ruin anything for anyone — they tried to help the perverse, antebellum, backward, narrow-minded southerners to “see the light”. Ky is just as hot as Florida but not 12 months/year and not as touristy or expensive or overrun with snakes, bugs or ugly, prehistoric, dangerous alligators. Sinkholes that swallow up houses and annual hurricanes that blow houses away and massive flooding. I don’t care for either state much but DeSantis is a MAGA fanatic while Ky has a progressive Democrat for governor and mayor. Check your spelling mistakes before hitting “send”.
I can’t believe your negativity. I love Florida.m, heat and all. Rather be hot than cold.
Agreed. I love Long Island, NY, but only from April 1 — Oct. 1 when the heat is mild and not humid. The northern winters nationwide are very long and cold. NYC is too big, crowded, expensive & crime-ridden. Florida has similar problems plus pythons, alligators, bugs, humidity, sink holes, hurricanes, flood water & touristy. If you wrre rich, you could have 2 homes to experience mild weather year-round.
Your obviously from the free State of california
Born & raised in Miami 90 years ago, I spent most of my life in Florida — but I’m so glad we moved to western NC. We only miss Florida in January and February now, that’s the only time it’s truly livable there.
Reminds me of LA in the 70’s, Crowded, too many people on highways, lousy food and worse restaurants. Terrible MEDIICAL doctors.
Do you really expect to live 100 years after you retire???
I moved to central Florida eighteen years ago from snowy Syracuse and have no regrets. I own my home and find it much cheaper than up north. Despite running my air conditioner continuously my energy bills are much cheaper than up north besides it does get cooler in the winter months. If anyone takes your article seriously and decides not to retire in Florida they are foolish. It is not the hellhole you describe in your article. The retirement community I live in , Stonecrest is the best place I have ever lived with the friendliest and kindest neighbors I have ever lived with. Don’t let this silly article cause you to visit Florida and enjoy it’s many pleasures. It is a very large state with lots to see.
Lived in Michigan and now go between Arizona and Florida. Arizona is no picnic either. Extremely hot and humid during monsoon season. Plus have scorpions and snakes to worry about. I am 75 and mountains don’t give me much entertainment. Not going to do mountain climbing. Michigan was gray, cold and snowy. Very short summers. Each state has pros and cons. We love Florida – traffic and all.
You forgot to mention the exorbitant HOA fees.
Thank you for discouraging people to come to Florida. I have lived in FL since 1958(I was 7 months old). I absolutely love where I live. The Space Coast. It gets hot but we have our freezing days. Too many cold days is not good for the orange trees so okay with us. I can visit the mountains anytime (and I have) but I like running to my mailbox barefoot in the winter. Can’t do that in the northern states. So to avoid more overcrowding we’re okay with you just visiting. In fact we love having you visit. So enjoy your stay.
I’m still leaving for FL> on Dec.19 & coming home May 11th. Nothing could make me spend another winter in RI.
There are no hurricanes in the winter!
Your lifestyle is the best way to live in Florida. Only be here in the winter. Been here 37 years and am moving out as way too hot for half of the year basically have to stay inside as people in the north do in the winter, storms are getting worse, bugs and now pythons are horrible
and do not even talk about the traffic and rude people.
Didn’t think I could handle Florida, but loving it. Getting away up north for some time in summer makes it so much better, and we have the best governor ever!
Well as someone who has lived in Florida since 1983, and consider myself a Floridian. This state has changed for the worse as far as pricing goes for housing I bought my first house for $54,000 a 2 bedroom 1-1/2 bath on a double lot, and that same property now is easily 150-180 K for one lot and don’t forget about homeowners insurance I consider it extortion. to your point about the roads yes they can be congested especially here in Pinellas county we are a very dense county but other counties have larger areas of low populated areas especially away from the beach where you might find more affordable homes. Hurricanes are not to be feared only respected and prepared for as for the heat and humidity you get used to it and we do have these things called air conditioners and you can design a breezeway around your home to make it cooler. But the real reason not to move here is we simply don’t want you here we are tired of the bullshit about how you did things up north or wee ever and you stupid sports teams if everything is better where you came from go the fuck home.
Jeff Brown
Saint Pete
FL.
I live in Florida. Homeowner’s insurance is very expensive. My daughter lives on a canal and is thinking of moving because her dock has flooded twice and her roof has been damaged by hurricanes. Her neighbor got his back yard and swimming pool flooded with seawater. I’ve found two scorpions in my bedroom and my neighbor found a rattlesnake. The only thing I hate worse than floods, bugs, and snakes is snow!
there is one more reason not to move to Florida—-it’s a red state with an awful Governor!!!!!
Then move back to your liberal leftist communist state. Take your attitude and politics back and support the true criminal Joe Biden.
I forgot to mention that, but being a Red State means you can contact your officials and make thing happen. That is an enormous plus. Oh, and they do not expect a bribe to work for you.
certainly beats California I could think of 150 reasons not to live there. It’s been ruined unfortunately.
I love Miami Beach!I have a great waterfront home in one of the nicest islands that I bought when they were given the houses away in the 1980’s.
It is now worth 60 times what I paid for and I love it
More than ever. No bridges to bay from my back yard!
If you live on the water in Miami Beach it never gets that hot and besides other than the Southern
Hemisphere during summer it is hot all over Europe and New York.
Yes, one day a hurricane will destroy the house but I have enjoyed it for 35 years with minor damages.
Traffic is getting bad so I am glad there are idiots out there that hate it and want to leave!
I think Southern California and south east Florida are
The only civilized places to live in the US.
I think living with all that snow or terrible heat is not for me. I used to be in love with New York City during its studio 54 days but now that the communists have taken over NYC You can have it! Lol.
What about sink holes, alligators, crazy politics….
I moved here and agree with you. Think carefully before time goes by and you’re stuck here.
Lived in Florida for five years, and hated every minute of it. Between the heat and those little critters that would get in the house the minute you opened the door, I had enough. Everyone told me how wonderful the heat was, but I never saw anyone sit outside to enjoy that suffocating wonderful heat! I also got tired of preparing for the yearly hurricanes. Our first one was terrifying. Yes, Florida is good for some, and not so good for others. We all find our forever home. The only thing I miss about Florida is the sweet stray cat who would visit us each day.
Here is the deal. Florida is expensive to live. No state tax is an illusion. You pay in other ways. Property taxes are high, of course not in comparison to NY. Home owners insurance if you can get it is very expensive. There seems to be no long term plan for all these people moving there. Infrastructure behind the times, can not handle the masses. Lacking teachers, doctors, nurses, fire and police people. Depending on where you live walkability may be fine. Newer communities are on top of it. Right now seems lawless. Calif has high taxes, earthquakes, droughts, mountains, vineyards, lots of traffic. Middle has tornadoes, droughts maybe not as much traffic. North has snow, high taxes, mountains, crowds in some areas. It is all about what YOU like and are willing to put up with. No matter where you, go if you decide to move, rent for a year. You will know what you want to do.
the beaches like siesta, lido, venice beach and boca grande are beautiful except when the red tide comes, and like mentioned the drivers are really bad with tailgaters a common thing, they are almost as bad as nyc area/ garden state parkway.
This article forgot / neglected the most important reason to stay out of Florida.
His name is Ron Desantis.
I lived in Florida for 20 years. Terrible. Racism is very prominent. Had to live in air conditioning because allergies were so bad. Glad to be back in New England. Yes, racism is here too but not “in your face” all of the time.
I’m sure this article while it might have some truths most states have issues now even more the illegal immigration status and crime .
This article might just be fodder for the sheep that think the progressive utopia is better . Look at San Francisco. Don’t fall for Governor Newsom’ s Presidential bid after the Dumbocrats replace Biden at their convention .
Be safe America the wolves are hunting .
I lived in FL in the late 80’s and it was delightful. I decided to return as I think about retirement in 10 years. Biggest mistake . . . Healthcare costs, auto and homeowners insurance far outweigh any benefits. The traffic and weather is also abysmal. I’m gearing up to move as I get closer to those retirement years.
Hello, I was born and raised in west central florida, St pete area and it is full of bugs and crime.
Thank you so so true, I lived in Florida for 20 years. Forget to tell about sink holes!
The Yankees that come here and tell us how to do things is what i hate the most.
We bought an awesome condo in Cape Coral. Fully furnished and ready to live in. We spent many short trips, I can fly free, and finally decided we should spend a year just for a fair evaluation. Here are some of my observations: 1. Best maintained freeways I have ever seen. Some require a toll, and it is not bad if you buy the transponder that just bills you once a month. 2 All of our utilities were about half what they would be in our home in Colorado. Florida has very reasonable electricity but no natural gas. To my surprise the A/C costs were very low, and we had a 3 bedroom 2 bath sized condo. The costs of moving such as Drivers license, voting registration, car plates, etc. were quite nominal and easy to get. Crime? we saw none, saw a few skeeters, hoped to see a real live wild alligator, but never did. 9 months of perfect climate, 3 months where you do things very early or late in evening. We now live in California, family matters, and everything is 2 to 3 times as expensive with Real Estate totally craxy. My only regret was that we needed to be near family, and that was in California. Saw no homeless or beggars, but that as 10 years ago. Crime?? at that time the Fr Myers paper published the mug shots of everyone arrested the night before. It was mainly prostitution and drugs, with an occasional assault and battery. Not so sure that was even legal, or if they still do it. Actually had an issue with the state, complained to the local media, and the Secy of State, and LO and Behold, they amended a law to solve my complaint. I would not live long enough to see results like that in Calif. Its a great and low cost place to live, but they have laws, and they do enforce them. Bad place to if you are into crime.
Lived there for 38 years. Sorry I left. Hope to go back.
And Ohio is cold. What’s your point?
Wow, as I am a Floridian, I don’t see what this hateful editor is saying, they must hate Florida-or us. I lived in New York and that is so dangerous. I won’t go back there.
Yes, been to Florida. Currently lived there 51 years.
Ty I would like to visit but no, not live there. So many do go there to retire but lot of negative reasons to mentioned here. ☺️Sunshine state would love to visit your beaches though! I’m a Midwest gal! Luv the four Seasons!!
Whoever wrote this article is a complete idiot. Lived in Florida for the past 25 years. Moved from the midwest. Will never look back.
I quit wasting my time after “global warming”. As I do with any YouTube video that promotes that nonsense.
I moved to Florida in 2010 from a cold, snowy northern state. Best decision of my life. Some sections of Florida I wouldn’t choose to live, but others, absolutely. True, hurricanes happen and they are dangerous. But the weather stations track them very thoroughly and can advise you how to be safe. Better an occasional hurricane then 3 or 4 noreasters every year guaranteed.
Im NOT checking out page after page when it could all be right in front of me on one page…
I have lived here all of my life. I think everybody should absolutely stop moving here. It’ds hot, we have alligators and hurricanes. Yes, you should stay put.
You are 100% Correct. You should stay put. Please don’t move to Florida.
I’m pretty sure when you were about 6 years old your mother told you to look both ways before you crossed the street. That rule still applies in Florida and Montana. Have you ever tried crossing the street in New York City?
Donald Trump Lives in Palm Beach. Very few people in this country can afford to live in the same place he does.
The beach trumps the mountains every time.
Didn’t get past Disneyland
Florida is a great state for a vacation or short-term residency. If you live in the north and love to experience the beauty of the four seasons, the Florida is not the place for you !
Did Gavin Newsum pay for this Romanian troll article?
LOVE FLORIDA!!! Do your research. Florida is flat! No mountains but you can hike in any of the numerous State Parks. We moved here from NYC a year and a half before covid. It was great. Prices have gone up since then but coming from NY were used to that. Parking? I have a problem making up my mind as there are so many spaces to choose from. Great hint, stay close to home on weekends. During the week everything is fairly empty. Again by NYC standards, we are used to 8 million people in the city. Tourists? There are always tourists everywhere unless you live in a place that’s not tourist friendly. Bugs and heat, 2 things you cannot control as well as hurricanes. Everything everywhere has a/c so there’s the heat cure. Bugs, extermine everywhere, seal your house and keep it clean. Outside if you can plant certain bushes or plants that repel mosquitoes and other pests. Hurricanes do most of their devastation on the coasts so live inland and they don’t come every year to Florida. We share with Texas, Louisiana the East coast and the Carribean. Worse places to live, Anywhere there are earthquakes and tornadoes. I’ve never looked back at New York. Driving? If you can survive NYC traffic during rush hour; Orlando traffic is a piece of cake.
I grew up in New England. The only 2 things I miss from up there are genuine great sea food & candlepin bowling, AKA ‘real bowling’. Lived there from 1945-2009 except for 6 years in the Navy & 6 months in the LA area in the late 60’s. Moved to Florida in 2009 full time & have never looked back, LOVE IT!
I lived in Florida for almost 30 yrs and loved it. The only reason
I left was because my children had grown up and moved out of the state and didn’t want me living there by myself.
I lived in Florida in the 80s and the start of the 90s. I left for family reasons but I agree leaving in Florida demand a lot of you, heat, traffic, distances and rush hours are terrible mostly those were the cons for me. My pros the beaches, the different type of food choices, the friendly people, places where to go and enjoy makes it an atractive state specially Miami. I go and visit my relatives there once a while and I have a good time, since I am familiar with the Miami area and knows its pros and cons I programs my stay at my convenience and always have a very exciting vacation when I go there.
Those are good things that you listed. I agree with all of them. One other thing is,that people in the stores don’t seem to give a darn about helping people when they need help finding something. Also,if you are in a hospital, you can wait for a long time before someone comes to your assistance. It seems Southern hospitality has flown out the window for everyone living here.
I lived there for 50 years and was not thrilled at being there. It is sooo hot but the worst part is the humidity. When you walk out your front door and immediately are unable to breath, it is HUMID! That is year round, not just certain months. The threat of a hurricane is ongoing. I totally disliked it. I now live in South Carolina and love it. Yes, there is always the possibility of weather issues but not nearly as bad as Florida. For instance, we just had snow. Yep, in SC! We still have snow on the ground but I would rather deal with that as opposed to humidity. I originally lived in Ohio and that is extreme cold as Florida is extreme heat. Visit Florida but my advise is to NOT move to Florida. And yes, drivers are horrible, bugs are really bad. But to be fair, it doesn’t seem to matter where you live, there is always problems with the area of one kind or another.