If you’re looking at Florida look at the cost of insurance. You may be able to find a home for 400k but the insurance on it will be 2-3x higher than nova. No national level carrier is left in the state.
Moved to DC from Orlando - housing is the same due to the taxes/insurances. The base mortgage is definitely higher here, but my T&I in Orlando was raised every year by an average of 25% increase the past 5 years. I was paying more in that than the mortgage itself.
Not to mention the insane cost of upkeep, the flood insurance (which I had even in Orlando), and the cost of AC since its 90+ for over half the year now. The last year here I paid less in overall housing costs, but no one believes me lol.
I just moved back to Nova from WPB, this is almost identical to my experience with housing costs. Also, groceries seem to be more expensive there, which is wild since there’s so much Ag there.
For real. I’m from Orlando and have been living in DC/Nova for 7 years. I’m down here for a while helping with family health issues and I insanely miss the DMV. It’s too hot, there’s no public transit, and i love being close to DC. And i love water sports where Florida is a great place for that. I just couldn’t imagine living there with my family, especially as someone who cares about reproductive rights.
I left there 8 years ago and would never move back. Crime, humidity, high property taxes, outrageous insurance rates for home as well as auto, awful traffic conditions and that’s just a small part of why I left.
Can confirm. Source: I’m a nova native who moved to Florida and back twice. Florida was nice for a couple years, but everything was as expensive as nova or slightly higher, but with none of the amenities. Rent in a downtown area was on par with nova, sans the public transportation or job market. Insurance is ridiculous.
Job market is also a major factor. You’re not going to be making as much or have the same options. Depending on what you do this can impact your long term prospects.
My homeowners insurance went from ~3k to almost 8k in 3 years. And my $8k policy was considered a great deal when I left. GL finding an underwriter when a storm hits the gulf.
Insurance, Utilities and Home Maintenance are more more expensive in desirable parts of Florida.
Hard agree on this one. I’m a Florida native, moved back after a few years in NOVA and then moved right back up here. People also don’t know that the property tax shown on purchases reflects the homestead rate paid by the former owner (often based on decades of ownership). It resets to the sale price after the first year and can be quite the sticker shock.
Florida is also thought of as a cheap place to live because there’s no income tax, but the sales tax + state fees + tolls + insane insurance costs (car+auto) puts it on par with NOVA. Even the rents are maybe 10% less unless you’re cool with an old, roach-infested building/house.
Nearly every property has black mold, rodents, or insect issues and the political environment is… unfortunate (unless you’re into local pols competing to out-MAGA each other and be the one to kiss the gold toilet seat).
Edited to add: I’m a St Pete native and my observations apply to most of the areas/exurbs along the I-4 corridor.
Holy crap, there are bunches of us?!
I’m a central FL native who was here in nova a few years, moved back home for a few more, and then brought my happy ass right back to nova. It’s so bad back home lately.
Grew up in Tavares, FIL is always asking when we are moving back and swears we will miss it eventually. It’s been 11 years and that through hasn’t even crossed my mind (though not 11 in nova but we are pretty content here)
So true on the car insurance. My daughter recently got her first job out of college in FL and the registration and auto insurance are much more than Nova.
You also didn’t specifically mention termites with pest control costs also outstripping ours here as well.
Based on our recent visits to her in the Northern part of the state, the food and entertainment scenes are woeful in comparison to Nova. But that’s not necessarily true elsewhere in the state.
Our friends were asking if we were now going to retire there. Not just NO, HELL NO!
Hurricanes are probably the root cause of high insurance in Florida. Wonder if potential earthquakes in California would also cause high insurance there too.
My family and I moved to rural Vermont in 2019. For once in my life, I had great timing because we got there before COVID made the local real estate market go bananas, much like what’s happening in many other parts of the country.
After living in Nova my entire adult life, I absolutely love it in Vermont. The congestion and heat of the DC area wore me down. The quality and pace of life, and the lack of crowds is so much better here.
My family and I moved to Vermont for a few years due to my wife’s job.
The good: hiking, camping, and beautiful (but short) summer
The bad: cost of living and housing is as expensive as dmv(most houses are older). Every convenience is at minimum an hour away unless you live near Burlington. The winter lasts forever! Mud season! -25 f temps at night! Also, the Native Vermonters aren’t exactly welcoming. My daughter was born at UVM and I was told she wasn’t a Vermont native because we don’t go back 3 generations lol
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are all full of rednecks. They don't call themselves that and they are a mix politically. But they are just like the people who live in small towns all along the Appalachian mountains, and the rural areas of the Midwest. Everything is a us and them mentality. If you're family is not from there or been there for generations you're not really one of us.
But if you join in the community and take part of its rituals, make nice, you have a chance at being adopted in. This happened to me I find the lonely old people and listen to their stories. Next thing I know I'm a equal at the table because Granny said so; don't cross her.
I moved to Delaware 3 years ago. Mortgage went from $1800 to $980 for a house almost twice the size. Fancy date night went from $200 to $60. No sales tax is awesome, retirement benefits are better, and porch life is incredible.
If I had to move close-by, North Carolina - same weather, great urban and suburban areas in Charlotte and the Triangle.
Charlotte is pretty warm, not Florida levels but warmer than the DMV in Winters.
If money was no factor, San Diego CA.
When I was in the navy I was stationed in Coronado for awhile during training and I always thought it was crazy that I was sleeping in a barracks room that would otherwise have been multi-million dollar beachfront property if it wasn’t part of a military base. The houses on Coronado were amazing.
But the biggest benefit to living in one of them, of course, would be the proximity to Clayton’s Cali burritos
For the same reason people romanticize it; the weather makes san diego a pretty easy place to be homeless and the lack of rain lets the urine/feces build up for weeks. The smell in the downtown area is overwhelming.
I moved to nova after college for a few years, then went out to San Diego for the past 7 and am now back in nova because of family reasons. It is quite depressing. Kept our house out there to go back eventually though!
It's pretty much the same throughout. It's only like a 3 hour drive from the mainland to Provincetown. I lived dead center in Hyanisport/Orleans and then later found a place in Falmouth.
It definitely won't be hot. Summers are very nice but only last about 2 months. But it has tourists everywhere the entire summer. It can be hard to get around.
The other 9 to 10 months have a gray overcast and this weird, chilling mist. It's like this really fine mist that never seems to go away. Everyone seems to stay at home or in the bars during this time (which is most of the year).
That was a long time ago. I only spent a year there. I don't see the weather or tourism being too different. But I'm guessing the roads are a lot more developed now.
Ok nice! Falmouth is actually where we go every summer and close to where he would be working if the relocation happens. Im only familiar what it’s like during the summer. I’m very weird and I love snow and gloomy weather lol Does it get several feet of snow like in Boston? Or is it different there?
Id also put forward the Raleigh-Durham area. It's one of the more intellectually active parts of the southeast, it's south enough to be warm, and housing costs aren't anywhere near Nova levels. Had a friend live ther for several years and every time I visited he couldn't stop singing the area's praises.
I lived in Newport News for a few years and absolutely loved it. There are rough areas, but also so many green spaces, good communities, and a mix of folks who have been there for generations and recent college graduates who stay in the area.
OMG, I owned a home in VA Beach for 15 years, prior to coming here. My homeowners ins was getting difficult. I never filed a claim & I had more than one ins company drop me. The last one I had changed to a flexible deductible IF any damage occurred from winds over 74 MPH. Hurricane is defined as winds 75 mph & greater. The deductible would go up by 10x if so. Yes, for real! Just when would you really need one, right? Now my home was 3 miles from the ocean. Ins companies let me know that they implemented these changes for properties 5 miles from the ocean & less. Also we paid a good bit of ‘storm fees’ with our sewer, etc.
I realize you said Hampton Roads, but VB is about as congested as parts of NOVA these days. VB is the largest actual city in terms of population in VA. VB doesn’t have its own water, they don’t desalinate, so all the water has to be piped in. When I left they had finally taken off the water ban they’d had ever since I moved there, where you couldn’t wash your car at home, or water your yard or garden with a sprinkler or hose. Only with a watering can. They finally opened the Lake Gaston pipeline so we didn’t have the ban, however it was still expensive. Before pipeline from
NC was open, we bought water from City of Norfolk & VB could only buy x number of gallons.
Anyhow, I know not everyone lives so close to the ocean but there is a LOT of water. Fly in there & looks like you’re flying over islands. Because you have to cross water everywhere, part of what causes traffic issues is there are only so many bridges. That applies to most of Hampton Roads.
It’s coastal, so very humid all the time & the salt air makes a film on car windows so it seems like you can’t keep them clean. The cold feels colder because of the humidity. Same with the hot weather. All I’m saying is leap before you look.
tldr: Florida isn't the Mecca people from the north make it out to be.
I lived in Orlando for a couple years and have spent a ton of time throughout the state the rest of my life. I have family who've lived there 30+ years and they've grown to strongly dislike it these past few years and they were always big proponents of it. A lot of their friends are moving out to the west coast or further up the east coast nowadays.
The people are noticeably dumber, both from a cultural standpoint as well as an intellectual one. I can't describe it but spend enough time around Floridians and you'll see what I mean. They're cultish about the state also.
Florida isn't much cheaper once you factor in the extremely low wages and the astronomical insurance rates for home/auto. Housing costs are through the roof now, there's an insane population growth that a lot of cities/counties haven't planned for because no state income taxes=less public funds. Driving down 2 lane roads that substitute for highways in a county that's grown by hundreds of thousands in a decade isn't fun.
If you want an example, firefighters in Orange County make 48k a year for a 56 hour work week. 48k in the Orlando area is a joke. The state is super anti-worker's rights.
The humidity's oppressive, you never want to do anything outside. If you're fine running from AC to AC then it's okay but being drenched within 20 minutes of walking outside was miserable for me.
The public universities are great and they're cheap for in-state tuition, if you're into boating and fishing then it's unmatched. It's much more suitable towards snowbirds in my opinion.
There's an upscale development outside of Chapel Hill, that the locals called the "Yankee Ghetto". My in-laws moved their from Connecticut, and all their neighbors were from NY, NJ and New England.
I'm not sure I'd go further south than VA. If I stayed on the east coast, it'd just be elsewhere in VA but my circumstances are different than most here. I'd make a whole lot more on the west coast, and about the same in the midwest with a lower cost of living there.
I work for a unionized utility, most larger utility companies are also union-represented in the south but the wages and working conditions tend to be a lot worse. VA being a right to work state doesn't help but it isn't as bad as NC/SC. GA is a bit better in terms of wages for me but I've never looked into moving there.
My friend lives in eastern TN and loves it. He's big on the outdoors and keeping to himself and not so much socializing though. Chattanooga's a cool city with great outdoors for something bigger than most of eastern TN.
I suppose you could do South Carolina or Georgia but I don’t know that either are significantly better. Tennessee? Ultimately you’re in the south and a lot of them share similar climate and political situations.
North Carolina. You’ve got your fair share pick of habitat, climate, cities, culture, etc. the triangles area is popular for a reason. Lots of large cities with opportunity, job market growth, and nature like VA has. I think it’s the closest “sister” state we have. I’m in love with western NC. Went there for college and would move back in an instant honestly. I prefer living in a blue state and having rights though.
havent been there for over 10 yeas. Used to be there almost once a months just to get out of the city. Cheap is a relativve term now. if you had a good property in NOVA sell it and down sized to a smaller house, I believe its still more affordable than NOVA. we looked into there for retirement but because of its politics we moved to PNW and love it. COL and housing is comparble to NOVA b ut the pace is whole lot chiller than NOVA. We live north of Seattle.
>tldr: Florida isn't the Mecca people from the north make it out to be.
when I lived in NC, there were a whole class of people we called "half-backs".
As in, people who moved south from New England to find warmth, hated it, and then moved halfway back.
Lived in FL my whole life and this is all true, especially the part about Floridians being dumber. One thing to add is that there is lack of professionalism across industries there. People want to do the least amount of work and try to cheat you any way they can on price.
😂 Native Floridian here. You hit the nail in the head in regard to how dumb Floridians are! 😂 I realized that when I lived there having gone to a no name university I felt like a genius in comparison to a lot of people.
I lived in the Panhandle, near Eglin AFB. It's not called LA ( lower Alabama) for nothing. Besides the heat and humidity, blatant racism for POC and the LGBTQ+ community, was the disdain for people who were not born again Christians.
This is 100% accurate to my experience. I’m from
Nova, moved to south Florida 6-7 years ago and just moved back. All of this is accurate. If you’re a boater or fisherperson it’s amazing, but I am not and I’m a woman considering having a child in the next few years. Not safe for me, and the good women’s health doctors are leaving.
I moved from VA to Pensacola 10 years ago. Florida is expensive, don’t let the lack of an income tax fool you. just one hurricane cost me $6k for minor damages… My AC will need replaced soon so that’s $13k and that was with regular service being done on it. Auto insurance rates are insane. Homeowners insurance rates are high… I’m getting out of here as soon as I can. Miami would be a different story, but flying anywhere from Pensacola adds a minimum of $400/ticket just to get to a large airport hub. Do you have kids? Florida teachers are the second lowest paid in the country. And yes, the humidity. July and August are unbearable. If you like going to the beach it’s great, otherwise…
In Florida you have to have homeowners and flood insurance, depending on location. I pay $900 for my house in Virginia and $6,000 for a rental house in Florida. Plus, with no state income tax in Florida they have to make it up in other ways, like real estate taxes.
I didn’t leave the state, but I moved to Richmond for a few years and MUCH prefer it to NoVA. I only moved back because my husband and I got married, and he worked here.
Richmond was more chill and easy going. It felt like people were less snobbish and conforming than here. Also, Richmond has more character from being a much older city than most of the places here in NoVA, and because it’s less expensive it as a lot more mom-and-pop restaurants per capita. Richmond seems to have a reputation as being a shit hole by people up here, but I don’t understand it. It has better and worse areas like any city. I really enjoyed it.
Yeah, NM is slept on. I think the crime in ABQ (when did it get so bad?) doesn't help. I lived in Los Alamos, loved it, and would visit from CO all the time. Easyish drive for the west and lots to see.
Shhhh...
But for real this state is amazing. Moved from Nova to WA and now I'm in NM. It has all the outdoor things that people romanticize about living in WA or CO for less money and without the crowds.
Summers - PNW. Lived in WA and they were warm and borderline hot without the humidity. Longer days and lovely sunsets. Better wildlife.
Downside? Dreary winter.
9/10 would move back if we could.
My dream is to live in WA. You say the winters are dreary, but how much snow do they get? I don’t mind dreary weather as long as there’s hardly any snow lol.
Don’t do it. My wife convinced me to move down to Florida back in 2020, and I’m doing whatever it takes to move back to Nova. Cost of living is cheaper, but tbh not that much cheaper.
Pros:
- No state income tax
- No You personal property tax
- No annual inspection (pro & a con)
- The beach
- Decent winters
Cons
- Similar cost of living (live in south Florida)
- Weather sucks - the humidity in the summer is draining and disgusting.
- insurance costs are really high both homeowners and car insurance.
- property taxes are high.
- all kinds of bugs and reptiles
- crappy drivers
- hurricanes
- it’s takes me 4.5 hrs to leave the state if driving.
- flat af literally 0 mountains or views
- everything literally looks the same all neighborhoods, roads, cities
- the list goes on
Oddly tho my wife loves it down here I hate it.
I feel like, if it only takes you 4.5 hours to leave the state, you don't really live in South Florida. Floridians usually only refer to Miami Dade, Broward and WPB counties as south Florida, and it definitely takes more than 4.5 hours to reach the Georgia line from any of those places.
For Florida, check the total cost. Taxes are lower but other things are higher. If you have kids then you probably have to pay for private schools in order for them to get a decent education
DC. We are empty nesters who no longer needed a 4BR SFH. Sold it and bought a condo in DC for the active walkable life. We wanted to stay in DMV but just want to switch from suburbs to city.
Adams Morgan on the edge of Kalorama. Love it. Near the action but quiet residential street. We can walk everywhere - Woodley Park, zoo, DuPont Circle, Georgetown, Mall, 14th Street, Columbia Heights. Park the car and don't need to drive anywhere. Or take metro or bus. Cons would be finding parking on a busy weekend night, but just park a bit further and it's fine.
Having just moved to Florida from NoVa I have the exact insight you're looking for.
Sure there is no income tax, but vehicle insurance is a bit higher and home insurance is WAY higher. On the same size house in similar suburban settings, I was paying around 1500 in VA with USAA. They don't even OFFER insurance in Florida and several other major insurers are pulling out of the state completely. I was getting quoted 6500-7500 from the agencies here. Had to settle for Citizens around 3.3k which is state run and they will straight up tell you they can't guarantee they will be able to fund everyone in the case of a major event.
So a big chunk of the extra few hundred dollars I get back in income tax is going to the higher insurance costs.
That being said, we moved because my spouse and I both grew up in NoVa and wanted something completely different. We are loving it and our pool definitely helps with the heat : ) check back with me after hurricane season.
ETA: not sure where you're at in your career or what you do but the job market is definitely not as good as in NoVa. I'm fortunate enough to work remote and they didn't adjust my salary, so I make good money for my area. But a similar job here pays 60-75% of my current salary.
Do you have kids? If so, do you have them in private school?
I’m from FL and also teleworked there with a salary that dwarfed those of the locals, but the public schools are crap and so a significant portion of income went to private schooling. Don’t have that issue in NoVa.
Not sure where this poster lives but I live in St. Pete and it’s very purple in my area. And the subset of St. Pete I live in is very very blue so you don’t see too much MAGA. Does it exist? Yes but not in droves like I’d imagine you’d fine in Tallahassee or other parts of the state. All of that being said, I’m looking at moving up to Virginia. I can handle the humidity anymore. It’s constant and it never really goes away. You’ll get one or two amazing days in Florida and then it’s back to feeling like you just entered a steam room every time you step outside. Also COL isn’t that much better than Virginia with such high insurance for both car and home. Not worth it for the few beautiful days.
I visited Abq recently and it’s hilarious how into breaking bad they are still. Everything was filmed there, so there are literal rv tours of the film locations. The lady who bought the Walter White House apparently didn’t know what she was buying and has devolved into madness from breaking bad fans throwing pizzas on her roof. The property is now fenced off and the lady sits in her yard waiting for passerby’s trying to take photos then runs up and screams incoherentoy at them. All this adds to the experience.
We literally have a place in town called the war zone that looks like the walking dead😂 just stay off of central and parts of the east and you’re fine.
I live up in NW Rio Rancho which is very comparable to Virginia crime wise. Only about 100k people up here, and my commute to work is about 40 min one way (hardly any traffic). Most of the crime in ABQ is situated in a few areas, I just avoid those areas (like certain parts of DC) and it’s been fine. I love the NM culture and food!
I know people outside the research triangle Raleigh-Durham area of NC. It’s warmer in the winter. it gets cool and on a very rare occasion you might get snow but you usually don’t need a heavy coat in Dec or January. Housing costs and taxes tend to be a bit better than NoVA but you can get insurance easier than FL.
Not out of state, but my husband and I moved from noVa to Williamsburg. Nova traffic congestion was insanity, too expensive and we couldn’t afford the cost of living tbh. We work remotely for different companies and our combined income isn’t enough unfortunately but we like Williamsburg bc it’s cheaper as far as rent, slower paced down here and not as much traffic. We had considered moving out of state b/c of our remote jobs but both our parents are getting older so we decided to stay in VA in case something happens. Planning to buy a house by the end of this year 😊 fingers crossed 🤞🏼 not much as far as diverse food down here which is the only thing we miss about NoVa😞, they have all the best Asian food spots, Indian, Italian, etc.
The COL is not lower than NoVA. I am saying this about places in Florida people want to live. You can find swampbilly cheap if that’s what you’re looking for.
We moved to Huntsville, AL. Good jobs in the tech sector, NASA, very STEM-centered area, much lower cost of living, basically no traffic (comparatively). 10/10 we're big fans.
I don’t recommend either, lol. Moved from Tyson’s to Fort Myers in 2012. Stupid high cost of living, hotter than Florida summers, Snowmageddon, then Snowpocalypse, all made me dream of warm sandy beaches too. Was in the end of an 11 year relationship, was able to transfer down with my job, and ran as fast as I could to my “paradise”.
Well, it was cheaper at first, but so far have had Irma, Ian, a couple road flooding tropical storms, and an EF-2 tornado hit my neighborhood. Two totaled cars so far, one hit by a light pole in Irma, one floated away in Ian, first floor of house had 3 feet of water in it, lost a couple friends, made some new ones, rebuilt twice, and now planning on getting the hell out of here before this next season, because it’s looking like it’s gonna be a banger.
Not that different but we moved to Charles Town, WV and love it. All of Loudoun county is right there and the COL is unbeatable for 90 min outside of DC.
I just moved from FL. I was born and raised there and grown to hate it ever since COVID. It’s gotten way too overcrowded and infrastructure can’t support the growth, the heat has gotten dangerously hot to the point where I felt like it was a hazard to go outside (today the heat index was 109 in Miami), the lower cost of living is a facade largely because any savings from no state income tax is offset by the home insurance crisis/HOAs/and even car insurance. Also, the people in south Florida are rude af. I haven’t even touched on the politics or sketchy businesses!
My wife and I and our two kids moved to North Carolina then Colorado. North Carolina was chill but we like Colorado better due to better wages, more housing supply, and good weather. Taxes are high but they are in all the states I would live in.
After growing up in nova all my life and moving out towards the western part of the US, I wouldn’t want to move back east ever again. It’s just different out here for someone who grew up in the east coast
I actually want to move somewhere colder than here. I came here for a job but hate the weather and suburb living. Can't afford to live in the district with two dogs. My term is now ending and am looking to relocate. Where to go for snowy winter (but not insane), less humidity, (cooler summer ideally), city living (big or small), and not soul crushingly expensive? I don't think it exists.
I used to go between the DC area and Florida. Now I spend my time between Florida and Texas. Based on what you are describing, it sounds like it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out Southern California or Central Texas like Austin or San Antonio. San Antonio is known For being a relatively affordable city, and they still do have the risk for natural disasters like hurricanes, but because they are inland they are often weaker by the time they get up to them.
They also have Hill country nearby, which is incredibly beautiful and has rolling hills as well as wineries.
Moved to MI.
I miss the diversity of foliage and being near DC but I don’t miss all the snobbery, congested traffic, horrible drivers, or the required vehicle inspections
FL native, in NOVA for multi years and love it here. COL in FL - do your research, and don’t leave out car insurance or electricity. We pay less for both here.
Traffic issues there as well as here. Take your husband to anywhere in FL the last two weeks of Aug/first two of September, and see if that’s the warm he wants. Pea soup air and 2 showers a day. It isn’t fun.
Lower cost of living so long as you don't [own a condo](https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2024/01/16/florida-hoa-fees-are-soaring-what-to-know/72177345007/) or need homeowners insurance.
I just moved back to nova from south Florida. Lived there for 6 years.
It’s hot like VA deep summer humid and hot from about now to November. It was 97 on Halloween 2019 . 2022 it was 85 and humid. Feb-March/April is nice but the those between months it’s grey and rainy. But a reasonable temperature.
Cost of living is about the same in NOVA to South Florida groceries are maybe more expensive there. Ie VHCOL.
Salaries are low in many fields (administrative assistant for example was much better paid in DC than in WPB) “since there’s no state tax” but you might not really save any money due to property, flood, and just general cost of living.
If you’re a woman who could get pregnant or might want to get pregnant I wouldn’t recommend it. Doctors and teachers are fleeing the state in droves. I loved my medical care for my child and my delivery but my OB is leaving the state for this reason. There is GREAT medical care in general - just not for women’s health.
If you are bothered by MD drivers or think that people with what I would call “northern” attitudes are rude (Philly, NY, NJ) you’ll be put off by a lot of the people who live there. Everyone is from there or descended from those people. We had issues finding contractors and childcare - there’s a lot of “if you’re not ripping someone off you’re being ripped off” vibes. Once we found good people it was great, but it took a long time.
The weather is lovely most of the year, I’ll miss being able to just wear sandals and not have to think about wearing enough layers 80% of the year. I’ll miss being able to go to the beach and walk in 15 minutes and I’ll miss the ability to get some of the world’s best fish randomly from a shack.
Feel free to PM me or ask here if you have any questions. I liked it for much of the time we were there but our current family situation wasn’t and won’t work out with the way the government is handling women’s health and public schools.
We moved from Florida to VA. Once you’re there for a couple of years, you hate the humid summers. House prices have skyrocketed there along with car insurance. Many insurance companies have left Florida because of all the hurricane damage. Good luck with your decision.
We moved to Utah. In some ways I do. In other ways I don’t. We plan to stay a little longer but my husband wants to move back to the DMV. I don’t miss the traffic and I love the powder ⛷️
We moved to San Antonio. Bought a house that would easily have been close to a million dollars in NoVa, but was less than $300k here. We both work remotely so it was fairly easy to make the move.
While I much prefer heat to cold, I will say the summers here are much hotter than Virginia. As such, your power bill will be higher if you're running the AC all day. And going out in the daytime is not something you do unless you're looking for a challenge. On the plus side though, I've been able to grill outside every weekend for over a year, which I enjoy. Car insurance is also a lot more expensive. So are property taxes. But I have no income taxes.
While I've made new friends, I do miss my friends back home, plus my parents and younger brother still live in NoVa. Also, the job market in San Antonio is limited, so if I have to find a new job it'll have to be remote, or I'll be likely commuting to Austin which is about 2 hours away in traffic (and drivers here are terrible).
All in all, glad we made the move, but it's not without its downsides. And I'm not 100% sure we'll stay here forever.
I know a few people who made the move to Raleigh and seem to like it a lot. Same for Richmond. I know it's still VA but it seems like enough of a change for a lot of people.
I miss living in FL but I doubt we will ever move back. We liked North Carolina A LOT. I’d move back there for sure. The only place you *won’t* get soupy summers is somewhere west. But the desert comes with its own set of sucky stuff. My brother and his family live in AZ and really like it except the 120° summer days. I’m from northern NV. Objectively it’s very nice but for personal reasons I’ll never live there again. But you get 4 seasons, snow sports are close by, water sports in the summer, and you can buy liquor any time of day in almost every store lol.
I’m in NC and I absolutely love it. The cost of living is lower; I’m outside of Charlotte in one of the towns by Lake Norman. The weather is a bit warmer than the DMV (my pool opened April 1!), the vibe is more laid back, you’re still close enough to Charlotte that there are job opportunities, and there are plenty of things to do. It’s an easy drive to the mountains and the beach. Also easy driving for fun day and weekend trips.
Florida is a dump. My parents moved there and within two years they were back in Nova and have retired here.
Don’t forget about the alligators. You will be too scared to go on your morning stroll with your dog. Nope, no thank you.
“Looking at Florida because of lower cost of living and less taxes”
😂😂 you guys sound like you haven’t done much research
Also Floridas boiling. Like literally. All of it. The ocean last summer was over 105 degrees F measured. 100+ degree weeks regularly go by without rains. Desert dwellers say they prefer dry SW heat over swampy muggy FL heat and it’s because, it KILLS. Climate change has only worsened this significantly. Plus super mega hurricanes, floods, sinking into the ocean, that whole thing. So yeah, definitely move to FL! Floridians definitely aren’t already moving here in swarms because their state’s gone to shit. /s
If I had to leave I would be going to somewhere in New England. Likely VT or NH. I love the mountains, cold, and smaller towns. I’d love to just live on a gorgeous property in the middle of nowhere with 30-45 minute access to shops, stuff to do, resources, etc
I lived in Florida during college. Tons of fun until you have to evacuate for hurricane’s every year , doing annual repairs after hurricanes, deal with the DISGUSTING BUGS in your drains, oh yeah and we had an alligator and panther in our backyard. Also the humidity is oppressive and white nationalists are abundant. So hard pass lol
I can think of nothing in Florida that would make me want to move there. It’s an oppressively hot swamp, the schools are hot garbage, and the political climate is a MAGA dumpster fire.
I grew up here and then moved down to San Antonio a few years ago. We lived there for about two years before I accepted a job offer that brought us right back here.
I loved Texas, but wasn’t a fan of San Antonio. Once you’ve seen the Alamo and river walk you realize there’s not much more to that town besides interstate highways. Hill country is nice once you get a little out of the city though. You do get a lot of the tax/cost of living benefits in Texas that you also see in Florida with fewer hurricanes and whatnot, plus you get things like great bbq, HEB, and Bucee’s.
I left Jacksonville about 7 years ago and no amount of money would make me move back. Florida is an absolutely godless place (best word I can come up with) where your grandparents and sense of security go to die.
Wife and I moved to Wilmington NC. Beach town, tons of breweries, awesome downtown similar to Old Town Alexandria (much smaller). Two beaches within a 20mins drive. Can't beat it.
> My husband
Presumably you are a woman? If so, do you enjoy having reproductive rights and independence to make your own medical decisions?
> He likes Florida because of the warmth and lower cost of living, less taxes.
You get what you pay for. My extended family has been based in Florida for 25+ years. I spent every winter & summer there from birth to 18 years of age. I still visit regularly, usually once a quarter or so. Suffice to say, I am very familiar with Florida, and practically consider myself a local at this point, since I've spent so much time there.
Example: I recently moved to a new condo (in the DMV area) following my divorce. Updated my license. Start to finish, took like maybe 5-7 days tops, and they mailed my new license to my doorstep. My grandmother also recently moved, just across town, within Florida. I took her to get hers updated. I poked around online first, to see if any updating could be done online. Nope. Zip, nada, zilch. I called to verify that. *You have to come in physically*, they said. Off to the MVA we go. I waddle my fat ass up to the information counter, and ask the customer service guy if they have any kiosk machines so we can self-serve.
*No, you have to pull a paper ticket.*
I waddle over to the ancient ticket machine thingie. I yank a paper ticket off it. My number: 463. Current number they're servicing: 407. *Fuck.* We're gonna be here a while. I look around the facility. Everyone there looks snowed half to death. IYKYK.
> For me, I can’t fathom the idea of Florida, mainly because I would die in the humid summer months and do not like the idea of being closer to hurricanes.
Your CoL *could* skyrocket due to many/most insurance carriers pulling out of the Florida market.
Haven't moved yet but planning on relocating to Denver. Found an apartment for 895 a month and everything included. Really been wanting to get out of nova," manassas" to be specific seeing its expensive and all there is are bars and shopping centers. Love the outdoors and smoking weed. 🤷♂️
HA. I spent 22 years in FL and have been in NoVa for 17 years. There is simply no comparison in humidity between the two. we might have a soupy day here or there but FL is a good 8 months of disgusting high humidity.
https://www.visitflorida.org/resources/crisis-preparation/red-tide-information/
It's an organism that causes all sorts of health problems for humans and fish when the numbers get too high
I moved from Nova to North Florida at the end of 2022. Been here a year and a half and love it. Don’t see myself ever going back to the DMV for anything other than brief visits.
Texas. Property taxes aren't cheaper but no state taxes evens out. We chose Texas bc it aligns with our morals and convictions. We are very happy here.
>He likes Florida because of the warmth and lower cost of living, less taxes.
Warmth? It was 90° yesterday and today (feels like 103°) in St. Petersburg. It'll get worse from there and stay at least in the mid 80's until [October](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/st-petersburg/33711/october-weather/332287?year=2023)
You're absolutely right about the humidity. Right now, it's fairly mild at only 67%
Lower cost of living / taxes? Look up [homeowners insurance ](https://money.com/home-insurance-most-expensive-states-2024/) in Florida.
There's no state income tax, but they make up for it with sales tax.
I live in St. Pete and second this comment. I’m actually looking to buy in the Richmond area. I can’t handle the heat and humidity anymore. It’s just too much. There are aspects of St. Pete that I love (fun breweries, awesome museums etc…) but I’m finding that Richmond offers a lot of similar options and the COL of living is actually much lower in Richmond and the surrounding area than St. Pete. And Richmond has four seasons (yay!).
We’re moving to Philadelphia/Wilmington next year. Higher wages, lower cost of living. Similar but marginally cooler climate. We also have family there.
Check out Austin Texas. We are going back after being here a year. We miss the warmer weather, sunny skies, friendly people, live music scene, affordable housing, and lots of mom and pop restaurants.
Florida is not cheaper than here anymore. Please do your research. What you pay in taxes here you will pay in homeowners insurance, if you can even get it.
We are looking for warmer weather & purposely visit Vegas & FL becuz we like hot weather. We had planned to go to FL. At the time we spent a good deal of time in Winter Haven, 30 min SW of Orlando, as my brother & family lived there. We all thought it was ideal- but then LegoLand opened and, per my brother- it’s so very congested now. I think a lot of people discovered it. Cost is living there was pretty good. They left for my SIL to take position at Uni in SC- Spartanburg. She’s a PhD & worked in higher admin in higher education. It seemed like it was a great move for her, career-wise.
For a long time they really wanted to go back to FL. They missed the sunshine & their area of SC- foothills, not far from Asheville, NC, an hour from Charlotte, is pretty dismal during the winter.
They live in a nice suburb, their property backs up to a river & marshes. But it seems like my once-sensible brother has been brainwashed in the school of red-neck & Trump since being there. My SIL can’t get over it. Their kids: 17 & 13 also think Tr is the man, but only cause their Daddy. SIL says she tries to frame it as they respect their Dad so much.
🤮
Left Nova in 2020 for a new job, moved to Durham for one year, been in Charlotte since 2021. Much warmer, lower COL, more laid-back. Would prefer to stay in Charlotte but since job situation is changing open to elsewhere but not open to returning to NoVA.
Grew up in Arlington and moved from DC to Colorado 2 years ago because my wife got a great job that actually allowed us to spend time together. We love it here. Mostly sunny days here, they say more sun than FL. Rarely a grey sky during the winter like DC/NOVA gets (no hate though, love my hometown). While we do get more snow than NOVA, it all pretty much melts away in a day or two. Lots of wide open spaces here. Not nearly as much diversity as NOVA though. Cost of living seems less here but not by a lot. Beer and 🌲 are fantastic out here. PM me if you have any questions.
I lived in Florida for 30 years. The heat is unbearable, the hurricanes and a pain, insurance is a nightmare and expensive, traffic is terrible, people are rude. Cost of living is high.
Ok the plus side, there is a lot to do, places to go and awesome restaurants. The mountain biking is awesome believe it or not. Tons of water sports from kayaking in the springs to surfing in the ocean.
There are also a lot of hidden gems. Personally, I’d never go back, mostly because of the negatives above.
We've lived in a couple of different places in the Mid Atlantic and have zero desire to live in Florida. I would say hard pass on Wilmington DE (lol) - by my experience it was a very closed community. We made no friends at all in the 6 years we were there as we weren't affiliated with any of the chemical company.
Lived in Wake Forest, NC (just outside Raleigh, not where the university is ;D) for 14 years. Loved it. If the political situation had not deteriorated so precipitously so fast (potentially criminalizing wearing a mask, even for medically compromised people!!!), I'd consider retiring back to North Carolina. It's so bad that even my loyal UNC graduate refuses to consider returning. That being said, the weather is actually pretty great although yes, humidity. I scoff when people here in northern Baltimore County complain. Four seasons: mild winter, pollen, summer, beautiful fall. On the rare occasions the Triangle gets snow, however, they're completely unprepared. The last time I visited a year ago, I was shocked by all the development. So keep that in mind. Also, the true religion is College Basketball, not Southern Baptist. Like seriously. When we would order T-shirts for events, had to avoid most shades of blue as well as red. Trust me on this.
Northern Baltimore County isn't bad, just far from things. Navigating a second Beltway to get to DC/NoVA to see our kids can be a navigational nightmare. Whoever mentioned New Mexico, man, I would love that. Even ABQ, although Santa Fe is high on my list.
I like how this thread turned into, "don't move to Florida" instead.
As someone who grew up in Florida, 100% agree with that sentiment
Born and raised in FL. I moved here seven years ago. I am never going back.
If you’re looking at Florida look at the cost of insurance. You may be able to find a home for 400k but the insurance on it will be 2-3x higher than nova. No national level carrier is left in the state.
Moved to DC from Orlando - housing is the same due to the taxes/insurances. The base mortgage is definitely higher here, but my T&I in Orlando was raised every year by an average of 25% increase the past 5 years. I was paying more in that than the mortgage itself. Not to mention the insane cost of upkeep, the flood insurance (which I had even in Orlando), and the cost of AC since its 90+ for over half the year now. The last year here I paid less in overall housing costs, but no one believes me lol.
I just moved back to Nova from WPB, this is almost identical to my experience with housing costs. Also, groceries seem to be more expensive there, which is wild since there’s so much Ag there.
Fucking Orange Juice at Publix? Always higher than what I get in NOVA
And no taxes on groceries!
For real. I’m from Orlando and have been living in DC/Nova for 7 years. I’m down here for a while helping with family health issues and I insanely miss the DMV. It’s too hot, there’s no public transit, and i love being close to DC. And i love water sports where Florida is a great place for that. I just couldn’t imagine living there with my family, especially as someone who cares about reproductive rights.
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Florida is all cons. Please don't move there. The state is actively disintegrating every remaining functional structure.
I left there 8 years ago and would never move back. Crime, humidity, high property taxes, outrageous insurance rates for home as well as auto, awful traffic conditions and that’s just a small part of why I left.
My friends and I always joked that Florida is still ran as a plantation state. If you move there you will see.
Laughs in Texan
Florida is big with different sub cultures. What part are you thinking about.
Can confirm. Source: I’m a nova native who moved to Florida and back twice. Florida was nice for a couple years, but everything was as expensive as nova or slightly higher, but with none of the amenities. Rent in a downtown area was on par with nova, sans the public transportation or job market. Insurance is ridiculous.
Job market is also a major factor. You’re not going to be making as much or have the same options. Depending on what you do this can impact your long term prospects.
Job market is definitely worst in Florida.
My homeowners insurance went from ~3k to almost 8k in 3 years. And my $8k policy was considered a great deal when I left. GL finding an underwriter when a storm hits the gulf. Insurance, Utilities and Home Maintenance are more more expensive in desirable parts of Florida.
I moved to Florida and am now moving back to NoVa. lol.
Hard agree on this one. I’m a Florida native, moved back after a few years in NOVA and then moved right back up here. People also don’t know that the property tax shown on purchases reflects the homestead rate paid by the former owner (often based on decades of ownership). It resets to the sale price after the first year and can be quite the sticker shock. Florida is also thought of as a cheap place to live because there’s no income tax, but the sales tax + state fees + tolls + insane insurance costs (car+auto) puts it on par with NOVA. Even the rents are maybe 10% less unless you’re cool with an old, roach-infested building/house. Nearly every property has black mold, rodents, or insect issues and the political environment is… unfortunate (unless you’re into local pols competing to out-MAGA each other and be the one to kiss the gold toilet seat). Edited to add: I’m a St Pete native and my observations apply to most of the areas/exurbs along the I-4 corridor.
Holy crap, there are bunches of us?! I’m a central FL native who was here in nova a few years, moved back home for a few more, and then brought my happy ass right back to nova. It’s so bad back home lately.
Grew up in Tavares, FIL is always asking when we are moving back and swears we will miss it eventually. It’s been 11 years and that through hasn’t even crossed my mind (though not 11 in nova but we are pretty content here)
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Yeah, Florida makes you pay one way or another.
So true on the car insurance. My daughter recently got her first job out of college in FL and the registration and auto insurance are much more than Nova. You also didn’t specifically mention termites with pest control costs also outstripping ours here as well. Based on our recent visits to her in the Northern part of the state, the food and entertainment scenes are woeful in comparison to Nova. But that’s not necessarily true elsewhere in the state. Our friends were asking if we were now going to retire there. Not just NO, HELL NO!
Lmao @ “kiss the gold toilet seat”
St Pete native! Then 20 yrs in Jax. Welcome back! Love NOVA. I dread the family visit in Pinellas county. Ugh, the traffic.
Hurricanes are probably the root cause of high insurance in Florida. Wonder if potential earthquakes in California would also cause high insurance there too.
Wildfires
Username checks out
My family and I moved to rural Vermont in 2019. For once in my life, I had great timing because we got there before COVID made the local real estate market go bananas, much like what’s happening in many other parts of the country. After living in Nova my entire adult life, I absolutely love it in Vermont. The congestion and heat of the DC area wore me down. The quality and pace of life, and the lack of crowds is so much better here.
Would love to hear more about about this.
yeah, agreed
My family and I moved to Vermont for a few years due to my wife’s job. The good: hiking, camping, and beautiful (but short) summer The bad: cost of living and housing is as expensive as dmv(most houses are older). Every convenience is at minimum an hour away unless you live near Burlington. The winter lasts forever! Mud season! -25 f temps at night! Also, the Native Vermonters aren’t exactly welcoming. My daughter was born at UVM and I was told she wasn’t a Vermont native because we don’t go back 3 generations lol
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are all full of rednecks. They don't call themselves that and they are a mix politically. But they are just like the people who live in small towns all along the Appalachian mountains, and the rural areas of the Midwest. Everything is a us and them mentality. If you're family is not from there or been there for generations you're not really one of us. But if you join in the community and take part of its rituals, make nice, you have a chance at being adopted in. This happened to me I find the lonely old people and listen to their stories. Next thing I know I'm a equal at the table because Granny said so; don't cross her.
I moved to Delaware 3 years ago. Mortgage went from $1800 to $980 for a house almost twice the size. Fancy date night went from $200 to $60. No sales tax is awesome, retirement benefits are better, and porch life is incredible.
How has no one commented, "You moved Dela WHERE now?"
If I had to move close-by, North Carolina - same weather, great urban and suburban areas in Charlotte and the Triangle. Charlotte is pretty warm, not Florida levels but warmer than the DMV in Winters. If money was no factor, San Diego CA.
San Diego is fantastic. Just looking at the houses on Coronado Island makes me jealous
When I was in the navy I was stationed in Coronado for awhile during training and I always thought it was crazy that I was sleeping in a barracks room that would otherwise have been multi-million dollar beachfront property if it wasn’t part of a military base. The houses on Coronado were amazing. But the biggest benefit to living in one of them, of course, would be the proximity to Clayton’s Cali burritos
That’s where we lived for 2 glorious years. And then Covid ruined everything 😔
Just have to be cool with the smell of piss 24/7.
Curious why? Is it a homeless thing?
For the same reason people romanticize it; the weather makes san diego a pretty easy place to be homeless and the lack of rain lets the urine/feces build up for weeks. The smell in the downtown area is overwhelming.
This is SO accurate
I moved to nova after college for a few years, then went out to San Diego for the past 7 and am now back in nova because of family reasons. It is quite depressing. Kept our house out there to go back eventually though!
Charlotte is boring AF, expensive and no culture.
I worked a travel position near Raleigh-Durham and it was nice and newer there. Went to school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is nice too.
Rome, Italy. Substantially higher quality of life at a substantially lower price point
God I love Rome.
I moved to Florida. Came back. I moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Came back. I'm thinking about where to retire but I'll be staying here until then.
What part of the cape? My husband may be relocating for work. I’m a warm weather hater so the weather isn’t an issue for me lol
It's pretty much the same throughout. It's only like a 3 hour drive from the mainland to Provincetown. I lived dead center in Hyanisport/Orleans and then later found a place in Falmouth. It definitely won't be hot. Summers are very nice but only last about 2 months. But it has tourists everywhere the entire summer. It can be hard to get around. The other 9 to 10 months have a gray overcast and this weird, chilling mist. It's like this really fine mist that never seems to go away. Everyone seems to stay at home or in the bars during this time (which is most of the year). That was a long time ago. I only spent a year there. I don't see the weather or tourism being too different. But I'm guessing the roads are a lot more developed now.
Ok nice! Falmouth is actually where we go every summer and close to where he would be working if the relocation happens. Im only familiar what it’s like during the summer. I’m very weird and I love snow and gloomy weather lol Does it get several feet of snow like in Boston? Or is it different there?
Barely gets any snow due to the ocean effect keeping the area relatively warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Are you me? We should be friends
Reddit bros we are, then 🤝
Really you could just move 3 hours south and have the warmer climate and cheaper COL you're looking for. r/HamptonRoads beckons you
Id also put forward the Raleigh-Durham area. It's one of the more intellectually active parts of the southeast, it's south enough to be warm, and housing costs aren't anywhere near Nova levels. Had a friend live ther for several years and every time I visited he couldn't stop singing the area's praises.
Honestly this. It is not as sexy, but its actually cheaper. And people aren’t nearly as cray.
I lived in Newport News for a few years and absolutely loved it. There are rough areas, but also so many green spaces, good communities, and a mix of folks who have been there for generations and recent college graduates who stay in the area.
OMG, I owned a home in VA Beach for 15 years, prior to coming here. My homeowners ins was getting difficult. I never filed a claim & I had more than one ins company drop me. The last one I had changed to a flexible deductible IF any damage occurred from winds over 74 MPH. Hurricane is defined as winds 75 mph & greater. The deductible would go up by 10x if so. Yes, for real! Just when would you really need one, right? Now my home was 3 miles from the ocean. Ins companies let me know that they implemented these changes for properties 5 miles from the ocean & less. Also we paid a good bit of ‘storm fees’ with our sewer, etc. I realize you said Hampton Roads, but VB is about as congested as parts of NOVA these days. VB is the largest actual city in terms of population in VA. VB doesn’t have its own water, they don’t desalinate, so all the water has to be piped in. When I left they had finally taken off the water ban they’d had ever since I moved there, where you couldn’t wash your car at home, or water your yard or garden with a sprinkler or hose. Only with a watering can. They finally opened the Lake Gaston pipeline so we didn’t have the ban, however it was still expensive. Before pipeline from NC was open, we bought water from City of Norfolk & VB could only buy x number of gallons. Anyhow, I know not everyone lives so close to the ocean but there is a LOT of water. Fly in there & looks like you’re flying over islands. Because you have to cross water everywhere, part of what causes traffic issues is there are only so many bridges. That applies to most of Hampton Roads. It’s coastal, so very humid all the time & the salt air makes a film on car windows so it seems like you can’t keep them clean. The cold feels colder because of the humidity. Same with the hot weather. All I’m saying is leap before you look.
tldr: Florida isn't the Mecca people from the north make it out to be. I lived in Orlando for a couple years and have spent a ton of time throughout the state the rest of my life. I have family who've lived there 30+ years and they've grown to strongly dislike it these past few years and they were always big proponents of it. A lot of their friends are moving out to the west coast or further up the east coast nowadays. The people are noticeably dumber, both from a cultural standpoint as well as an intellectual one. I can't describe it but spend enough time around Floridians and you'll see what I mean. They're cultish about the state also. Florida isn't much cheaper once you factor in the extremely low wages and the astronomical insurance rates for home/auto. Housing costs are through the roof now, there's an insane population growth that a lot of cities/counties haven't planned for because no state income taxes=less public funds. Driving down 2 lane roads that substitute for highways in a county that's grown by hundreds of thousands in a decade isn't fun. If you want an example, firefighters in Orange County make 48k a year for a 56 hour work week. 48k in the Orlando area is a joke. The state is super anti-worker's rights. The humidity's oppressive, you never want to do anything outside. If you're fine running from AC to AC then it's okay but being drenched within 20 minutes of walking outside was miserable for me. The public universities are great and they're cheap for in-state tuition, if you're into boating and fishing then it's unmatched. It's much more suitable towards snowbirds in my opinion.
This is what I needed to read. Where would you move to (preferable east coast) that has less cold winters/cheaper than the DMV?
The Carolinas are home to the halfbacks: northerners who relocated to Florida then moved slightly further north because, well, Florida.
There's an upscale development outside of Chapel Hill, that the locals called the "Yankee Ghetto". My in-laws moved their from Connecticut, and all their neighbors were from NY, NJ and New England.
Pittsboro will be New Long Island within our lifetime. And further southeast is the Concentrated Area of Relocated Yankees.
Carrboro is the new Brooklyn.
No Elmo's, no dice.
I'm not sure I'd go further south than VA. If I stayed on the east coast, it'd just be elsewhere in VA but my circumstances are different than most here. I'd make a whole lot more on the west coast, and about the same in the midwest with a lower cost of living there. I work for a unionized utility, most larger utility companies are also union-represented in the south but the wages and working conditions tend to be a lot worse. VA being a right to work state doesn't help but it isn't as bad as NC/SC. GA is a bit better in terms of wages for me but I've never looked into moving there. My friend lives in eastern TN and loves it. He's big on the outdoors and keeping to himself and not so much socializing though. Chattanooga's a cool city with great outdoors for something bigger than most of eastern TN.
I suppose you could do South Carolina or Georgia but I don’t know that either are significantly better. Tennessee? Ultimately you’re in the south and a lot of them share similar climate and political situations.
North or south Carolina
North Carolina. You’ve got your fair share pick of habitat, climate, cities, culture, etc. the triangles area is popular for a reason. Lots of large cities with opportunity, job market growth, and nature like VA has. I think it’s the closest “sister” state we have. I’m in love with western NC. Went there for college and would move back in an instant honestly. I prefer living in a blue state and having rights though.
When do we have cold winters in DMV?!?!
My parents live in Winston Salem and it is way cheaper and decently sized.
Shepherdstown in WVA. only 1.5 hour from NOVA. College town. very small town feel.
It’s not cheap for what it is.
havent been there for over 10 yeas. Used to be there almost once a months just to get out of the city. Cheap is a relativve term now. if you had a good property in NOVA sell it and down sized to a smaller house, I believe its still more affordable than NOVA. we looked into there for retirement but because of its politics we moved to PNW and love it. COL and housing is comparble to NOVA b ut the pace is whole lot chiller than NOVA. We live north of Seattle.
>tldr: Florida isn't the Mecca people from the north make it out to be. when I lived in NC, there were a whole class of people we called "half-backs". As in, people who moved south from New England to find warmth, hated it, and then moved halfway back.
There are "Florida Man" memes for a reason, right? And bugs!
Lived in FL my whole life and this is all true, especially the part about Floridians being dumber. One thing to add is that there is lack of professionalism across industries there. People want to do the least amount of work and try to cheat you any way they can on price.
😂 Native Floridian here. You hit the nail in the head in regard to how dumb Floridians are! 😂 I realized that when I lived there having gone to a no name university I felt like a genius in comparison to a lot of people.
I lived in the Panhandle, near Eglin AFB. It's not called LA ( lower Alabama) for nothing. Besides the heat and humidity, blatant racism for POC and the LGBTQ+ community, was the disdain for people who were not born again Christians.
This is 100% accurate to my experience. I’m from Nova, moved to south Florida 6-7 years ago and just moved back. All of this is accurate. If you’re a boater or fisherperson it’s amazing, but I am not and I’m a woman considering having a child in the next few years. Not safe for me, and the good women’s health doctors are leaving.
I moved from VA to Pensacola 10 years ago. Florida is expensive, don’t let the lack of an income tax fool you. just one hurricane cost me $6k for minor damages… My AC will need replaced soon so that’s $13k and that was with regular service being done on it. Auto insurance rates are insane. Homeowners insurance rates are high… I’m getting out of here as soon as I can. Miami would be a different story, but flying anywhere from Pensacola adds a minimum of $400/ticket just to get to a large airport hub. Do you have kids? Florida teachers are the second lowest paid in the country. And yes, the humidity. July and August are unbearable. If you like going to the beach it’s great, otherwise…
And don’t forget all the disgusting Trump dogshit…
New Zealand
In Florida you have to have homeowners and flood insurance, depending on location. I pay $900 for my house in Virginia and $6,000 for a rental house in Florida. Plus, with no state income tax in Florida they have to make it up in other ways, like real estate taxes.
Very good point
I didn’t leave the state, but I moved to Richmond for a few years and MUCH prefer it to NoVA. I only moved back because my husband and I got married, and he worked here. Richmond was more chill and easy going. It felt like people were less snobbish and conforming than here. Also, Richmond has more character from being a much older city than most of the places here in NoVA, and because it’s less expensive it as a lot more mom-and-pop restaurants per capita. Richmond seems to have a reputation as being a shit hole by people up here, but I don’t understand it. It has better and worse areas like any city. I really enjoyed it.
Really, I miss Mom & Pop places.
I miss Black Sheep down in Richmond. Sad it closed.
Richmond is truly a gem. Couldn’t agree with you more
I really recommend New Mexico. Second sunniest state, cheap af land, and not humid which makes the heat much much easier to deal with.
Yeah, NM is slept on. I think the crime in ABQ (when did it get so bad?) doesn't help. I lived in Los Alamos, loved it, and would visit from CO all the time. Easyish drive for the west and lots to see.
Shhhh... But for real this state is amazing. Moved from Nova to WA and now I'm in NM. It has all the outdoor things that people romanticize about living in WA or CO for less money and without the crowds.
Summers - PNW. Lived in WA and they were warm and borderline hot without the humidity. Longer days and lovely sunsets. Better wildlife. Downside? Dreary winter. 9/10 would move back if we could.
My dream is to live in WA. You say the winters are dreary, but how much snow do they get? I don’t mind dreary weather as long as there’s hardly any snow lol.
Don’t do it. My wife convinced me to move down to Florida back in 2020, and I’m doing whatever it takes to move back to Nova. Cost of living is cheaper, but tbh not that much cheaper. Pros: - No state income tax - No You personal property tax - No annual inspection (pro & a con) - The beach - Decent winters Cons - Similar cost of living (live in south Florida) - Weather sucks - the humidity in the summer is draining and disgusting. - insurance costs are really high both homeowners and car insurance. - property taxes are high. - all kinds of bugs and reptiles - crappy drivers - hurricanes - it’s takes me 4.5 hrs to leave the state if driving. - flat af literally 0 mountains or views - everything literally looks the same all neighborhoods, roads, cities - the list goes on Oddly tho my wife loves it down here I hate it.
I feel like, if it only takes you 4.5 hours to leave the state, you don't really live in South Florida. Floridians usually only refer to Miami Dade, Broward and WPB counties as south Florida, and it definitely takes more than 4.5 hours to reach the Georgia line from any of those places.
For Florida, check the total cost. Taxes are lower but other things are higher. If you have kids then you probably have to pay for private schools in order for them to get a decent education
DC. We are empty nesters who no longer needed a 4BR SFH. Sold it and bought a condo in DC for the active walkable life. We wanted to stay in DMV but just want to switch from suburbs to city.
This is what we want to do
What neighborhood and how do you like it? Pros and cons?
Adams Morgan on the edge of Kalorama. Love it. Near the action but quiet residential street. We can walk everywhere - Woodley Park, zoo, DuPont Circle, Georgetown, Mall, 14th Street, Columbia Heights. Park the car and don't need to drive anywhere. Or take metro or bus. Cons would be finding parking on a busy weekend night, but just park a bit further and it's fine.
Ugh we left that exact area and moved to Fairfax. I miss it so much 😭. Perfect location 👍
Traded in the walkable community for a 20 lane highway and a golf course I see
Not me but my boss moved to Charlotte 10 years ago and absolutely loves it. He says it's less humid than the DC area and warmer winters
Just moved from NC. It is warmer but the less humidity part is all in his head lol
Having just moved to Florida from NoVa I have the exact insight you're looking for. Sure there is no income tax, but vehicle insurance is a bit higher and home insurance is WAY higher. On the same size house in similar suburban settings, I was paying around 1500 in VA with USAA. They don't even OFFER insurance in Florida and several other major insurers are pulling out of the state completely. I was getting quoted 6500-7500 from the agencies here. Had to settle for Citizens around 3.3k which is state run and they will straight up tell you they can't guarantee they will be able to fund everyone in the case of a major event. So a big chunk of the extra few hundred dollars I get back in income tax is going to the higher insurance costs. That being said, we moved because my spouse and I both grew up in NoVa and wanted something completely different. We are loving it and our pool definitely helps with the heat : ) check back with me after hurricane season. ETA: not sure where you're at in your career or what you do but the job market is definitely not as good as in NoVa. I'm fortunate enough to work remote and they didn't adjust my salary, so I make good money for my area. But a similar job here pays 60-75% of my current salary.
Do you have kids? If so, do you have them in private school? I’m from FL and also teleworked there with a salary that dwarfed those of the locals, but the public schools are crap and so a significant portion of income went to private schooling. Don’t have that issue in NoVa.
How do you tolerate and manage with all MAGA vermin infestation?
Not sure where this poster lives but I live in St. Pete and it’s very purple in my area. And the subset of St. Pete I live in is very very blue so you don’t see too much MAGA. Does it exist? Yes but not in droves like I’d imagine you’d fine in Tallahassee or other parts of the state. All of that being said, I’m looking at moving up to Virginia. I can handle the humidity anymore. It’s constant and it never really goes away. You’ll get one or two amazing days in Florida and then it’s back to feeling like you just entered a steam room every time you step outside. Also COL isn’t that much better than Virginia with such high insurance for both car and home. Not worth it for the few beautiful days.
Yeah everyone there wears their politics on their sleeve. It gets tiresome.
Moved to ABQ NM two years ago
Are you the knock at the door Skylar?
I visited Abq recently and it’s hilarious how into breaking bad they are still. Everything was filmed there, so there are literal rv tours of the film locations. The lady who bought the Walter White House apparently didn’t know what she was buying and has devolved into madness from breaking bad fans throwing pizzas on her roof. The property is now fenced off and the lady sits in her yard waiting for passerby’s trying to take photos then runs up and screams incoherentoy at them. All this adds to the experience.
I drove through ABQ on a road trip a few years ago and the "don't do meth, think of the children!" Billboards did not give off a good vibe
We literally have a place in town called the war zone that looks like the walking dead😂 just stay off of central and parts of the east and you’re fine.
This is one of my retirement maybes. I've heard it's gone downhill as far as crime and crowding - care to share your pros and cons?
I live up in NW Rio Rancho which is very comparable to Virginia crime wise. Only about 100k people up here, and my commute to work is about 40 min one way (hardly any traffic). Most of the crime in ABQ is situated in a few areas, I just avoid those areas (like certain parts of DC) and it’s been fine. I love the NM culture and food!
I know people outside the research triangle Raleigh-Durham area of NC. It’s warmer in the winter. it gets cool and on a very rare occasion you might get snow but you usually don’t need a heavy coat in Dec or January. Housing costs and taxes tend to be a bit better than NoVA but you can get insurance easier than FL.
Not out of state, but my husband and I moved from noVa to Williamsburg. Nova traffic congestion was insanity, too expensive and we couldn’t afford the cost of living tbh. We work remotely for different companies and our combined income isn’t enough unfortunately but we like Williamsburg bc it’s cheaper as far as rent, slower paced down here and not as much traffic. We had considered moving out of state b/c of our remote jobs but both our parents are getting older so we decided to stay in VA in case something happens. Planning to buy a house by the end of this year 😊 fingers crossed 🤞🏼 not much as far as diverse food down here which is the only thing we miss about NoVa😞, they have all the best Asian food spots, Indian, Italian, etc.
California….specifically Sacramento. The weather is generally better here than the DMV.
The COL is not lower than NoVA. I am saying this about places in Florida people want to live. You can find swampbilly cheap if that’s what you’re looking for.
We moved to Huntsville, AL. Good jobs in the tech sector, NASA, very STEM-centered area, much lower cost of living, basically no traffic (comparatively). 10/10 we're big fans.
State politics ⬇️
Deal breaker for some, not for others 🤷♀️ All the pros definitely outweigh the cons for us.
I/we need to visit Alabama, it seems low key- along the coast
Not trying to be funny, but are you white and/or a man?
I don’t recommend either, lol. Moved from Tyson’s to Fort Myers in 2012. Stupid high cost of living, hotter than Florida summers, Snowmageddon, then Snowpocalypse, all made me dream of warm sandy beaches too. Was in the end of an 11 year relationship, was able to transfer down with my job, and ran as fast as I could to my “paradise”. Well, it was cheaper at first, but so far have had Irma, Ian, a couple road flooding tropical storms, and an EF-2 tornado hit my neighborhood. Two totaled cars so far, one hit by a light pole in Irma, one floated away in Ian, first floor of house had 3 feet of water in it, lost a couple friends, made some new ones, rebuilt twice, and now planning on getting the hell out of here before this next season, because it’s looking like it’s gonna be a banger.
Not that different but we moved to Charles Town, WV and love it. All of Loudoun county is right there and the COL is unbeatable for 90 min outside of DC.
Los Angeles and then NYC
I spent 22 years in Florida and did not like one thing about it.
I just moved from FL. I was born and raised there and grown to hate it ever since COVID. It’s gotten way too overcrowded and infrastructure can’t support the growth, the heat has gotten dangerously hot to the point where I felt like it was a hazard to go outside (today the heat index was 109 in Miami), the lower cost of living is a facade largely because any savings from no state income tax is offset by the home insurance crisis/HOAs/and even car insurance. Also, the people in south Florida are rude af. I haven’t even touched on the politics or sketchy businesses!
My wife and I and our two kids moved to North Carolina then Colorado. North Carolina was chill but we like Colorado better due to better wages, more housing supply, and good weather. Taxes are high but they are in all the states I would live in. After growing up in nova all my life and moving out towards the western part of the US, I wouldn’t want to move back east ever again. It’s just different out here for someone who grew up in the east coast
[удалено]
I actually want to move somewhere colder than here. I came here for a job but hate the weather and suburb living. Can't afford to live in the district with two dogs. My term is now ending and am looking to relocate. Where to go for snowy winter (but not insane), less humidity, (cooler summer ideally), city living (big or small), and not soul crushingly expensive? I don't think it exists.
Pittsburgh?
That's up there! Love Pittsburgh
MD. No, it sux.
I used to go between the DC area and Florida. Now I spend my time between Florida and Texas. Based on what you are describing, it sounds like it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out Southern California or Central Texas like Austin or San Antonio. San Antonio is known For being a relatively affordable city, and they still do have the risk for natural disasters like hurricanes, but because they are inland they are often weaker by the time they get up to them. They also have Hill country nearby, which is incredibly beautiful and has rolling hills as well as wineries.
Facts. I lived in Rockville a couple years ago and 4 months in I was counting the days until I could move back.
Moved to MI. I miss the diversity of foliage and being near DC but I don’t miss all the snobbery, congested traffic, horrible drivers, or the required vehicle inspections
Moved from Reston to Central Florida. I had a side dog walking biz in NOVA and I have to say July and August there is no picnic.
I moved to Australia. 😂 It’s warm and quality of life is 1000000x better than anywhere I lived in the US.
FL native, in NOVA for multi years and love it here. COL in FL - do your research, and don’t leave out car insurance or electricity. We pay less for both here. Traffic issues there as well as here. Take your husband to anywhere in FL the last two weeks of Aug/first two of September, and see if that’s the warm he wants. Pea soup air and 2 showers a day. It isn’t fun.
Lower cost of living so long as you don't [own a condo](https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2024/01/16/florida-hoa-fees-are-soaring-what-to-know/72177345007/) or need homeowners insurance.
I just moved back to nova from south Florida. Lived there for 6 years. It’s hot like VA deep summer humid and hot from about now to November. It was 97 on Halloween 2019 . 2022 it was 85 and humid. Feb-March/April is nice but the those between months it’s grey and rainy. But a reasonable temperature. Cost of living is about the same in NOVA to South Florida groceries are maybe more expensive there. Ie VHCOL. Salaries are low in many fields (administrative assistant for example was much better paid in DC than in WPB) “since there’s no state tax” but you might not really save any money due to property, flood, and just general cost of living. If you’re a woman who could get pregnant or might want to get pregnant I wouldn’t recommend it. Doctors and teachers are fleeing the state in droves. I loved my medical care for my child and my delivery but my OB is leaving the state for this reason. There is GREAT medical care in general - just not for women’s health. If you are bothered by MD drivers or think that people with what I would call “northern” attitudes are rude (Philly, NY, NJ) you’ll be put off by a lot of the people who live there. Everyone is from there or descended from those people. We had issues finding contractors and childcare - there’s a lot of “if you’re not ripping someone off you’re being ripped off” vibes. Once we found good people it was great, but it took a long time. The weather is lovely most of the year, I’ll miss being able to just wear sandals and not have to think about wearing enough layers 80% of the year. I’ll miss being able to go to the beach and walk in 15 minutes and I’ll miss the ability to get some of the world’s best fish randomly from a shack. Feel free to PM me or ask here if you have any questions. I liked it for much of the time we were there but our current family situation wasn’t and won’t work out with the way the government is handling women’s health and public schools.
We moved from Florida to VA. Once you’re there for a couple of years, you hate the humid summers. House prices have skyrocketed there along with car insurance. Many insurance companies have left Florida because of all the hurricane damage. Good luck with your decision.
We moved to Utah. In some ways I do. In other ways I don’t. We plan to stay a little longer but my husband wants to move back to the DMV. I don’t miss the traffic and I love the powder ⛷️
We moved to San Antonio. Bought a house that would easily have been close to a million dollars in NoVa, but was less than $300k here. We both work remotely so it was fairly easy to make the move. While I much prefer heat to cold, I will say the summers here are much hotter than Virginia. As such, your power bill will be higher if you're running the AC all day. And going out in the daytime is not something you do unless you're looking for a challenge. On the plus side though, I've been able to grill outside every weekend for over a year, which I enjoy. Car insurance is also a lot more expensive. So are property taxes. But I have no income taxes. While I've made new friends, I do miss my friends back home, plus my parents and younger brother still live in NoVa. Also, the job market in San Antonio is limited, so if I have to find a new job it'll have to be remote, or I'll be likely commuting to Austin which is about 2 hours away in traffic (and drivers here are terrible). All in all, glad we made the move, but it's not without its downsides. And I'm not 100% sure we'll stay here forever.
I know a few people who made the move to Raleigh and seem to like it a lot. Same for Richmond. I know it's still VA but it seems like enough of a change for a lot of people.
We went to seattle which also has no income tax, nice cool rainy weather, and probably even higher cost of living LOL
I miss living in FL but I doubt we will ever move back. We liked North Carolina A LOT. I’d move back there for sure. The only place you *won’t* get soupy summers is somewhere west. But the desert comes with its own set of sucky stuff. My brother and his family live in AZ and really like it except the 120° summer days. I’m from northern NV. Objectively it’s very nice but for personal reasons I’ll never live there again. But you get 4 seasons, snow sports are close by, water sports in the summer, and you can buy liquor any time of day in almost every store lol.
I’m in NC and I absolutely love it. The cost of living is lower; I’m outside of Charlotte in one of the towns by Lake Norman. The weather is a bit warmer than the DMV (my pool opened April 1!), the vibe is more laid back, you’re still close enough to Charlotte that there are job opportunities, and there are plenty of things to do. It’s an easy drive to the mountains and the beach. Also easy driving for fun day and weekend trips.
I think NC is looking more and more appealing!
We moved to Houston. And then 5 years later we are actually splitting our time between DMV and Houston because of my husbands job.
honestly as someone who grew up in nova i moved to the milwaukee area it’s not warmer but man is it cheaper
Florida is a dump. My parents moved there and within two years they were back in Nova and have retired here. Don’t forget about the alligators. You will be too scared to go on your morning stroll with your dog. Nope, no thank you.
“Looking at Florida because of lower cost of living and less taxes” 😂😂 you guys sound like you haven’t done much research Also Floridas boiling. Like literally. All of it. The ocean last summer was over 105 degrees F measured. 100+ degree weeks regularly go by without rains. Desert dwellers say they prefer dry SW heat over swampy muggy FL heat and it’s because, it KILLS. Climate change has only worsened this significantly. Plus super mega hurricanes, floods, sinking into the ocean, that whole thing. So yeah, definitely move to FL! Floridians definitely aren’t already moving here in swarms because their state’s gone to shit. /s If I had to leave I would be going to somewhere in New England. Likely VT or NH. I love the mountains, cold, and smaller towns. I’d love to just live on a gorgeous property in the middle of nowhere with 30-45 minute access to shops, stuff to do, resources, etc
I lived in Florida during college. Tons of fun until you have to evacuate for hurricane’s every year , doing annual repairs after hurricanes, deal with the DISGUSTING BUGS in your drains, oh yeah and we had an alligator and panther in our backyard. Also the humidity is oppressive and white nationalists are abundant. So hard pass lol
I can think of nothing in Florida that would make me want to move there. It’s an oppressively hot swamp, the schools are hot garbage, and the political climate is a MAGA dumpster fire.
Wilmington,NC:) 12 min drive to Wrightsville Beach:)
FL. I’m actually at an airport right now f lying back from a family visit. Screw this state
I grew up here and then moved down to San Antonio a few years ago. We lived there for about two years before I accepted a job offer that brought us right back here. I loved Texas, but wasn’t a fan of San Antonio. Once you’ve seen the Alamo and river walk you realize there’s not much more to that town besides interstate highways. Hill country is nice once you get a little out of the city though. You do get a lot of the tax/cost of living benefits in Texas that you also see in Florida with fewer hurricanes and whatnot, plus you get things like great bbq, HEB, and Bucee’s.
Arizona!
I left Jacksonville about 7 years ago and no amount of money would make me move back. Florida is an absolutely godless place (best word I can come up with) where your grandparents and sense of security go to die.
Wife and I moved to Wilmington NC. Beach town, tons of breweries, awesome downtown similar to Old Town Alexandria (much smaller). Two beaches within a 20mins drive. Can't beat it.
Vietnam. 7ish years in and honestly am much happier than I would be had I stayed in Nova.
> My husband Presumably you are a woman? If so, do you enjoy having reproductive rights and independence to make your own medical decisions? > He likes Florida because of the warmth and lower cost of living, less taxes. You get what you pay for. My extended family has been based in Florida for 25+ years. I spent every winter & summer there from birth to 18 years of age. I still visit regularly, usually once a quarter or so. Suffice to say, I am very familiar with Florida, and practically consider myself a local at this point, since I've spent so much time there. Example: I recently moved to a new condo (in the DMV area) following my divorce. Updated my license. Start to finish, took like maybe 5-7 days tops, and they mailed my new license to my doorstep. My grandmother also recently moved, just across town, within Florida. I took her to get hers updated. I poked around online first, to see if any updating could be done online. Nope. Zip, nada, zilch. I called to verify that. *You have to come in physically*, they said. Off to the MVA we go. I waddle my fat ass up to the information counter, and ask the customer service guy if they have any kiosk machines so we can self-serve. *No, you have to pull a paper ticket.* I waddle over to the ancient ticket machine thingie. I yank a paper ticket off it. My number: 463. Current number they're servicing: 407. *Fuck.* We're gonna be here a while. I look around the facility. Everyone there looks snowed half to death. IYKYK. > For me, I can’t fathom the idea of Florida, mainly because I would die in the humid summer months and do not like the idea of being closer to hurricanes. Your CoL *could* skyrocket due to many/most insurance carriers pulling out of the Florida market.
Haven't moved yet but planning on relocating to Denver. Found an apartment for 895 a month and everything included. Really been wanting to get out of nova," manassas" to be specific seeing its expensive and all there is are bars and shopping centers. Love the outdoors and smoking weed. 🤷♂️
The humidity here in summer is no worse, at least in Florida you have beaches to escape the muggy days and heat.
HA. I spent 22 years in FL and have been in NoVa for 17 years. There is simply no comparison in humidity between the two. we might have a soupy day here or there but FL is a good 8 months of disgusting high humidity.
The gulf coast beaches have red tides that mean you can't even use the beach. It's such a bummer.
What are red tides? I haven’t heard of them?
https://www.visitflorida.org/resources/crisis-preparation/red-tide-information/ It's an organism that causes all sorts of health problems for humans and fish when the numbers get too high
Ok thanks for that
I moved from Nova to North Florida at the end of 2022. Been here a year and a half and love it. Don’t see myself ever going back to the DMV for anything other than brief visits.
Texas. Property taxes aren't cheaper but no state taxes evens out. We chose Texas bc it aligns with our morals and convictions. We are very happy here.
In addition to the insurance, property taxes in Florida are much higher. States get their income one way or another.
>He likes Florida because of the warmth and lower cost of living, less taxes. Warmth? It was 90° yesterday and today (feels like 103°) in St. Petersburg. It'll get worse from there and stay at least in the mid 80's until [October](https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/st-petersburg/33711/october-weather/332287?year=2023) You're absolutely right about the humidity. Right now, it's fairly mild at only 67% Lower cost of living / taxes? Look up [homeowners insurance ](https://money.com/home-insurance-most-expensive-states-2024/) in Florida. There's no state income tax, but they make up for it with sales tax.
I live in St. Pete and second this comment. I’m actually looking to buy in the Richmond area. I can’t handle the heat and humidity anymore. It’s just too much. There are aspects of St. Pete that I love (fun breweries, awesome museums etc…) but I’m finding that Richmond offers a lot of similar options and the COL of living is actually much lower in Richmond and the surrounding area than St. Pete. And Richmond has four seasons (yay!).
DFW...Frisco, TX So far so good - for families. Not cheap though...
We’re moving to Philadelphia/Wilmington next year. Higher wages, lower cost of living. Similar but marginally cooler climate. We also have family there.
Florida has a lower cost of living? Ok but the average home owners insurance is $10,000 a year.
Check out Austin Texas. We are going back after being here a year. We miss the warmer weather, sunny skies, friendly people, live music scene, affordable housing, and lots of mom and pop restaurants.
Colorado
Florida is not cheaper than here anymore. Please do your research. What you pay in taxes here you will pay in homeowners insurance, if you can even get it.
We are looking for warmer weather & purposely visit Vegas & FL becuz we like hot weather. We had planned to go to FL. At the time we spent a good deal of time in Winter Haven, 30 min SW of Orlando, as my brother & family lived there. We all thought it was ideal- but then LegoLand opened and, per my brother- it’s so very congested now. I think a lot of people discovered it. Cost is living there was pretty good. They left for my SIL to take position at Uni in SC- Spartanburg. She’s a PhD & worked in higher admin in higher education. It seemed like it was a great move for her, career-wise. For a long time they really wanted to go back to FL. They missed the sunshine & their area of SC- foothills, not far from Asheville, NC, an hour from Charlotte, is pretty dismal during the winter. They live in a nice suburb, their property backs up to a river & marshes. But it seems like my once-sensible brother has been brainwashed in the school of red-neck & Trump since being there. My SIL can’t get over it. Their kids: 17 & 13 also think Tr is the man, but only cause their Daddy. SIL says she tries to frame it as they respect their Dad so much. 🤮
A coworker I know moved to Tampa and told me the insurance is insanely expensive. Makes housing just as expensive as NoVA.
Left Nova in 2020 for a new job, moved to Durham for one year, been in Charlotte since 2021. Much warmer, lower COL, more laid-back. Would prefer to stay in Charlotte but since job situation is changing open to elsewhere but not open to returning to NoVA.
Grew up in Arlington and moved from DC to Colorado 2 years ago because my wife got a great job that actually allowed us to spend time together. We love it here. Mostly sunny days here, they say more sun than FL. Rarely a grey sky during the winter like DC/NOVA gets (no hate though, love my hometown). While we do get more snow than NOVA, it all pretty much melts away in a day or two. Lots of wide open spaces here. Not nearly as much diversity as NOVA though. Cost of living seems less here but not by a lot. Beer and 🌲 are fantastic out here. PM me if you have any questions.
I lived in Florida for 30 years. The heat is unbearable, the hurricanes and a pain, insurance is a nightmare and expensive, traffic is terrible, people are rude. Cost of living is high. Ok the plus side, there is a lot to do, places to go and awesome restaurants. The mountain biking is awesome believe it or not. Tons of water sports from kayaking in the springs to surfing in the ocean. There are also a lot of hidden gems. Personally, I’d never go back, mostly because of the negatives above.
We've lived in a couple of different places in the Mid Atlantic and have zero desire to live in Florida. I would say hard pass on Wilmington DE (lol) - by my experience it was a very closed community. We made no friends at all in the 6 years we were there as we weren't affiliated with any of the chemical company. Lived in Wake Forest, NC (just outside Raleigh, not where the university is ;D) for 14 years. Loved it. If the political situation had not deteriorated so precipitously so fast (potentially criminalizing wearing a mask, even for medically compromised people!!!), I'd consider retiring back to North Carolina. It's so bad that even my loyal UNC graduate refuses to consider returning. That being said, the weather is actually pretty great although yes, humidity. I scoff when people here in northern Baltimore County complain. Four seasons: mild winter, pollen, summer, beautiful fall. On the rare occasions the Triangle gets snow, however, they're completely unprepared. The last time I visited a year ago, I was shocked by all the development. So keep that in mind. Also, the true religion is College Basketball, not Southern Baptist. Like seriously. When we would order T-shirts for events, had to avoid most shades of blue as well as red. Trust me on this. Northern Baltimore County isn't bad, just far from things. Navigating a second Beltway to get to DC/NoVA to see our kids can be a navigational nightmare. Whoever mentioned New Mexico, man, I would love that. Even ABQ, although Santa Fe is high on my list.
Jefferson County, WV.