Is Florida a Good Place to Live in 2023?

Are you considering moving to Florida in the US but want to be sure if it’s a good decision? Hence your question, “is Florida a good place to live?”

There are a number of factors to consider before deciding if Florida is a good place for you to live. These include security, cost of living, foreigners’ hospitality, etc.

Is Florida a Good Place to Live?

Living in Florida can be good. After considering several factors, it is satisfactory to say that Florida is pretty much a good place to live, whether you are a foreigner or just want to move to another state in the US.

What Makes Florida a Good or Bad Place to Live?

Here are the factors we considered:

1. Cost of living 

One of the most important things to consider when moving to any place is the cost of living there. You don’t want to live where you live from hand to mouth because the cost of living is crazy.

The cost of living in Florida is just a little tiny above the US national average. The median home cost in Florida is about $362, 400, and the US national average median home price stakes at $338, 100. Even though it is higher than the national average, it is still not far from it.

Going off to rent in Florida. A 1-bedroom apartment costs about $1,290 per month. A 2-bedroom apartment costs about $1560. A 3-bedroom  apartment costs about $2060, while a 4-bedroom costs about $2460.

If you ask me, the rent is a little bit on the high side, and way more than other states I have experienced. If this seems to be a bit of an issue for you, you can consider other states like Tennesse or probably try out Colorado

2. Security and crime rate

Nobody wants to live in the middle of a war zone, or in a place where one’s life is unsafe. Every other factor would not matter if safety is out of the window.

The violent crime rate in Florida is 23.4, while the US national average is 22.7. The property crime rate in Florida is 37.3, while the US national average is 35.4.

Even though this slightly goes beyond the US national average, it doesn’t make Florida littered with dead bodies or the state unlivable.

3. Weather

The weather in Florida is cool, with the months with the most pleasant weather always in November, March, and April.

July is usually the hottest month of the year, going up to 91 degrees, which is warmer than most states in the US. So, that is a thing that you need to prepare for.

Just so you know, there is rarely any snowfall in Florida. Don’t go hoping to play snow maze or baking in the snow. There most likely won’t be snow at all.

4. Amenities

This is another essential factor to consider when considering moving to a new location. You don’t want to stay in a place where you and your family will not have access to basic amenities like education, health, good transportation, etc.

Health in Florida seems to be one of the least, as Commonwealth Fund ranks Florida as 41st in healthcare in the whole of the US. That is the least 10 states in the US when it comes to healthcare.

Commonwealth fund ranks Florida as 48th when it comes to access and affordability. This says a lot about the cost of health in Florida.

Nevertheless, there are really great hospitals in Florida including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Baptist Medical Center, etc.

5. Tax

Tax is also another strong factor to consider, as tax can be high in some states in the United States. You might think that it won’t hurt that you pay a few tens or hundreds of dollars every month.

This is the case in Florida, as you don’t have to worry about any income tax. You know that is going to save a lot of bucks.

The sales tax rate in Florida is pegged at 6.8%

6. Economy and employment opportunities

You definitely want to know how easy it can be to get good jobs in the place you are planning to move to, or how the economy of the place is.

The unemployment rate in Florida is 5.3%, going a little below the US national average unemployment rate which is 6.0% at the moment.

Florida experienced a 2.1% increase in the job market over the last year, meaning more jobs were available compared to the previous year.

It is envisaged that Florida will experience a 41.6% increase in the job market over the next ten years, compared to the US average pegged at 33.5%. That is a whole lot of jobs that will become available to people in 10 years. That’s some huge opportunities right there

Conclusion

I hope you have gotten all the necessary information you need to decide if living in Florida is a good place for you.