'Take your vacation goggles off': American's who moved to Florida as part of ... trends now
The shimmer and shine of the Sunshine State appears to be wearing off with American's who had moved to Florida during the country's mass migration in the pandemic now leaving in vast numbers after realizing the state is not all it is cracked up to be.
With an average of 250 days of sunshine each year, it's easy to see why the allure of Florida is strong, especially to those from norther climes where the cold and clouds rule - but after a couple of years living in the south, many are looking for reasons to get out.
And it doesn't take long to list any number of arguments as to why those who are still fresh to Florida have had enough.
Everything from extreme heat and hurricanes to native wildlife such as crocodiles and alligators - not to mention the rising cost of living, all adds up to make the Sunshine State something of a turnoff.
Florida had a population boom during the pandemic with more than 700,000 people moving there in 2022.
Florida appears to be is losing its shine as disillusioned newcomers find the state less idyllic than they had expected, despite plentiful sunshine and tax breaks
The weather can be a huge draw for Florida, but the heat can be relentless with 250 days of sunshine on average each year
The weather can also be brutal with hurricanes a common occurrence and ever-present risk. Pictured, an American flag is seen amidst the wreckage of a home after a hurricane in Horseshoe Beach, Florida last August
The state with the biggest number of transplants was New York with 90,000 leaving the Empire State for Florida in 2022, according to census data.
Census Bureau data also reveals Florida was still the second-fastest-growing state as recently as July 2023, but there may soon be a sharp decline in such numbers with more people making a u-turn in their U-Haul trucks.
But while hundreds of thousands became Florida residents in 2022 lured by the promise of stunning weather, no income tax and lower costs overall, almost 500,000 left the same year.
Some of those who departed blame soaring insurance costs, a hostile political environment, worsening traffic and extreme weather.
When it comes to the cost of living, consumer prices in South Florida were up almost 5 percent year on year compared with 3.2 percent across the country.
Only a few years ago, Florida's housing market was at bargain basement prices but now it is quite the opposite with with prices up 60 percent since 2020.
The average house price is $388,500, according to Zillow. This is only slightly above the median U.S. home price which is around $384,000.
Florida also has some unique and threatening wildlife. Pictured, an alligator is seen last week in Palm Harbor, Florida
The allure of Florida's once cheap housing market has now faded, with prices skyrocketing and insurance premiums jumping due to weather-related risks
When it comes to the cost of living, consumer prices in South Florida were up almost 5 percent year on year compared with 3.2 percent across the country
But when it comes to getting insurance to have a roof over your head, home insurance soared 42 percent in 2023 to around $6,000 per annum, with the state's wild weather events to blame, following a series of hurricanes and the flooding that followed.
As for car insurance, getting covered in Florida is a massive 50 percent higher than the national average.
Work wise, things are nothing to write back to your old home about with the median salary in Florida among the lowest in the country.
The state has an unemployment rate of 3.1 percent - well below the national average of 3.9 percent, but the wages are among the lowest too.
Floridas politics are also something of a turnoff with the state flip-flopping between Democrats and Republicans several times since 1992 when it voted for George H. W. Bush.
The state turned blue and voted for Bill Clinton in 1996 before flipping red for both of George W Bush's terms.
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 saw the state turn Blue once again until Trump came to power in 2016. Trump managed to cling onto Florida in 2020 despite losing the election overall.
The state has now introduced some strongly conservative policies thanks to its divisive Governor Ron DeSantis, including a six-week ban on abortion, bans on transgender care for minors, state interventions in how race, slavery and sexuality are taught in schools, and a crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
One New York transplant to Florida was Louis Rotkowitz, pictured, who spent two years in Florida before moving north again and settling in North Carolina
After getting a job as a primary care physician, Rotkowitz, pictured left, he quickly fell out of love with the area as it would take him more than an hour each way to commute to work
