The states Americans left behind to move to Florida — and where people moving out of Florida headed for greener pastures
The Miami coastline at dusk.
When Derek Edwards was living in Wisconsin and Colorado, he often traveled to the Caribbean via Florida.
He liked his layovers so much that he decided to move to Miami when he was 28. Edwards, a teacher, said the weather has been worth it even if rent and groceries are more expensive.
“It’s just beautiful,” he told B-17 earlier this year. “Just in case I don’t stay in Florida forever, I’m going to go to the beach as much as I can.”
Drawn by the balmy climate, slate of outdoor activities, and more, hundreds of thousands of movers like Edwards choose Florida every year. Census data released on October 17 shows that between 2022 and 2023, nearly 637,000 people moved to Florida from another state, while nearly 511,000 left the Sunshine State for somewhere else in the US
The net inflow during this period, however, was not as dramatic as the previous year. From 2021 to 2022, nearly 739,000 people moved to Florida, while almost 490,000 left for another state. This data is based on responses to the American Community Survey and analyzes respondents’ moving routes.
Florida leavers have told B-17 in interviews that they are motivated by a range of factors, including increasing insurance costs, a rising cost of living, overall, and the increasing intensity of natural disasters.
Read on for an analysis of where movers to Florida came from — and where Sunshine State leavers headed for greener pastures.
New Yorkers continue flocking to Florida
New Yorkers still move to Florida in droves.
The New York to Florida route taken by over 71,000 people was the second-most popular route for all movers within the US between 2022 and 2023 — only behind California to Texas. Still, it’s a big drop from the 91,000 movers from New York to Florida between 2021 and 2022.
Many New Yorkers flee south in search of a cheaper life and better weather, though SmartAsset’s analysis of IRS tax data reveals those who made the move in 2023 didn’t save as much as those in previous years.
Most still do save money: Someone making $100,000 in New York saved $37,166 a year in Miami in 2023, compared to $51,273 they might have saved in 2019, according to SmartAsset. This is partly due to Florida’s rising utilities and housing costs.
Nearly 44,500 people moved from Georgia to Florida — even though about 55,000 people moved from Florida to Georgia, likely driven by Georgia’s relatively lower cost of living.
Over 39,000 left California for Florida. Some people who moved out of the Golden State told B-17 their decisions were due to rising costs and shifting politics. Terry Gilliam, who moved from California to Florida citing weather and political concerns, has started Facebook groups helping others make similar moves that have attracted almost 300,000 members total.
People who move out of Florida tend to stay in the South
Similar to last year, Georgia was the most popular state for those leaving Florida.
Some former Florida residents who moved to Georgia have said they wanted a similar climate but needed to leave as the Sunshine State became more expensive and commercialized. Others cited skyrocketing home insurance costs.
About 50,500 Floridians moved to Texas, well above last year’s 41,700. Some who moved said rents are cheaper in Texas than in Florida, and life is quieter. Texas is a popular place to move for Americans leaving many states: It experienced a big net positive inflow between 2022 and 2023, with almost 612,000 moving in, while about 478,600 left.
Many who move from Florida to Texas avoid the largest cities and buy property in more affordable suburbs.
Just under 40,000 people relocated from Florida to North Carolina. Some have told B-17 that they moved to North Carolina for the state’s natural beauty and employment opportunities.
Other popular routes take former Floridians to New York, Virginia, and Tennessee, while Alabama is also in the top 10.
John and Natalia lived in South Florida for most of their lives, but the rising costs of homeowners’ insurance forced them to move elsewhere.
The couple, who declined to share their last names with B-17 for privacy reasons, said they paid $6,000 for insurance one year and $12,000 the next.
They moved to Dell Prairie, Wisconsin, and saw their monthly expenses come down immediately.
“We didn’t want to leave Florida,” John told B-17 in 2023. “We just didn’t see a future there for our kids. And if there was a future, it was a future of hardship.”
