The Best Things About Living in Florida — Why I've Stayed 23+ Years

The Best Things About Living in Florida — Why I'm Never Leaving

I wrote an entire post about the worst things about living in Florida, and I meant every word. The bugs are terrible. The summer heat is oppressive. Insurance is a crisis. But here's the thing: I've been here for over 23 years, and I have zero intention of leaving. Neither do most of the people I know who've been here long enough to get past the adjustment period.

The good stuff isn't just "nice beaches." It's a combination of financial advantages, lifestyle perks, and daily quality-of-life factors that, when stacked together, make Florida genuinely hard to beat. Here's the honest case for why this state is worth the palmetto bugs.

No State Income Tax

This is the headliner, and it's even bigger than most people realize until they do the math.

Florida has no state income tax. Zero. Whether you earn $50,000 or $500,000, the state doesn't take a cut. For people moving from states like New York (up to 10.9%), California (up to 13.3%), or New Jersey (up to 10.75%), the savings are immediate and massive.

A household earning $150,000/year moving from New York to Florida saves roughly $8,000–$12,000 per year in state income tax alone. Over a 10-year period, that's $80,000–$120,000 in your pocket instead of the government's. For retirees with pension income, the savings can be even more dramatic — Florida doesn't tax retirement income either.

This single factor is why remote workers, retirees, and business owners have been flooding into Florida. When your income goes up by 5–10% just by changing your address, the math is compelling. LendingTree can help you see how the tax savings translate into buying power for your new home.

The Beaches (30 Minutes From Almost Anywhere)

Tampa Bay is uniquely positioned for beach access. No matter where you live in the metro — Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Lakeland, wherever — you're within 30–60 minutes of Gulf Coast beaches. And these aren't mediocre beaches. Clearwater Beach, Siesta Key, Fort DeSoto, Caladesi Island, St. Pete Beach, Anna Maria Island — these are consistently ranked among the best beaches in the entire country.

The Gulf side has warm, calm water (no crashing Atlantic waves), stunning sunsets, and white sand. Beach days aren't a vacation — they're a Tuesday. You'll pack a cooler, grab some chairs, and spend an afternoon on the sand just because you can. After a few years, you stop taking it for granted, but you never stop appreciating it.

The Weather (October Through May Is Unbeatable)

Florida summer gets all the complaints, but nobody talks enough about how spectacular October through May is. Low humidity, highs in the 70s and low 80s, cool evenings, blue skies, and almost no rain. It's the kind of weather that the rest of the country pays thousands to vacation in.

January in Tampa Bay means 72°F, sunny, and gorgeous while your friends in Chicago are scraping ice off their windshields in negative-degree wind chill. February and March are perfection. Even the "cold" days (lows in the 40s–50s a few times per winter) are mild by any northern standard.

The weather supports an outdoor lifestyle that's simply not possible in most of the country for 8+ months of the year.

The Outdoor Lifestyle

Florida's outdoor recreation options are staggering. Fishing — inshore, offshore, and freshwater — is a way of life here. Boating on Tampa Bay, kayaking through mangrove tunnels, paddleboarding on calm Gulf water, swimming in natural springs with crystal-clear 72°F water year-round. Cycling the Pinellas Trail or Suncoast Trail. Running Bayshore Boulevard with Tampa Bay on one side.

State parks like Fort DeSoto, Hillsborough River, Myakka River, and Weeki Wachee Springs are world-class and affordable. The spring systems in central Florida (Rainbow Springs, Ichetucknee, Ginnie Springs) are uniquely Floridian and absolutely spectacular.

Golf is available year-round. Tennis and pickleball are everywhere. Even if your outdoor activity is just sitting on your lanai with a cup of coffee watching birds in the yard, the climate makes it possible most days of the year.

No Car Inspections

This is a small thing that new residents love. Florida has no emissions testing, no safety inspections, and no annual vehicle inspection of any kind. Your car gets registered, you pay your tag renewal, and that's it. For people coming from states with annual inspections, the freedom and cost savings are welcome. See my full guide to Florida's no-inspection policy.

Publix

If you've never experienced Publix, you'll understand within your first visit. It's the grocery store that makes every other grocery store feel inadequate. Clean stores, friendly staff, outstanding deli (the Pub Sub is the official sandwich of Florida), BOGO deals that actually save money, and a shopping experience that people genuinely look forward to.

Publix is headquartered in Lakeland, right in our backyard, and the company's commitment to customer service is legendary. You'll become a Publix person. Everyone does.

The Cost of Living (Relative to Other Coastal Metros)

Tampa Bay isn't cheap anymore — that myth died around 2020. But relative to other desirable coastal metropolitan areas (San Diego, Boston, Miami, the entire Northeast corridor), Tampa Bay is still significantly more affordable. A family home that costs $800K in suburban New Jersey can be matched for $400K–$500K in the Tampa Bay suburbs.

When you stack the no-income-tax savings on top of lower housing costs, the total financial picture is compelling. You're not just saving on your house — you're saving on your entire income, every year, for the rest of the time you live here.

The Diversity of Communities

Tampa Bay isn't one thing. It's everything. Want urban walkability? Downtown St. Pete. Want master-planned suburban with top schools? FishHawk or Wesley Chapel. Want waterfront living? Apollo Beach or Dunedin. Want acreage and rural character? Brooksville or Plant City. Want the most affordable entry point? Spring Hill or Winter Haven.

Within a one-hour drive, you can experience dramatically different communities, lifestyles, and price points. That range of options means almost anyone can find a place that fits, regardless of budget, lifestyle, or life stage.

Springs and State Parks

Florida's spring system is one of its best-kept secrets from outsiders. Crystal-clear, 72°F spring water flowing from underground aquifers into rivers and pools. Weeki Wachee, Rainbow Springs, Crystal River's Three Sisters Springs, Ichetucknee — these are natural wonders that most states would build entire tourism campaigns around. In Florida, they're day trips.

The state park system is excellent and affordable ($4–$6 entry per vehicle for most parks). Between the springs, coastal parks, river parks, and preserves, you could spend every weekend at a different natural area for years without repeating.

Spring Training Baseball

Every February and March, Major League Baseball teams descend on Florida for spring training, and Tampa Bay is ground zero. The Yankees in Tampa, Blue Jays in Dunedin, Phillies in Clearwater, Pirates in Bradenton — all within an easy drive. Small stadiums, affordable tickets, and a relaxed atmosphere make spring training one of the great perks of living here. See my complete spring training guide.

The People

Florida attracts people from everywhere, which creates a unique social dynamic. Your neighbors might be from Ohio, New York, Puerto Rico, Colombia, or Tampa born-and-raised. The transplant culture means people are generally open to making new friends — because most people had to make new friends when they moved here too.

The Florida attitude is casual. First-name basis with everyone. Flip-flops are acceptable almost everywhere. The social hierarchy is flatter than in older, more established regions. Nobody cares where you went to school or what your family name is. They care if you're a good neighbor and whether you know a good fishing spot.

The Bottom Line

Florida's best features aren't just nice-to-haves. No income tax is a permanent raise. Beach access in 30 minutes is a lifestyle upgrade. Eight months of perfect weather is a mental health advantage. The outdoor lifestyle, the diversity of communities, the springs, the financial advantages — they stack up into something that's genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else at this price point.

The worst things are real. The bugs, the heat, the insurance — they're real. But the best things are real too, and for most people who give Florida an honest chance, the best things win.

The NOW Team — Barrett Henry, REALTOR® helps families discover these advantages every day. I'll match you with the right community for your lifestyle, budget, and priorities — and I'll be honest about the tradeoffs along the way.

Ready to see what Florida life looks like for you? Barrett Henry has been living it for over 23 years. The NOW Team — Barrett Henry, REALTOR®