Moving to Florida: City Guides, Checklist & Tips

Updated July 2026

Florida levies no state income tax — the reason a household earning $150,000 that moves from New York or California can keep $10,000 or more a year that a state levy would otherwise take. That break comes with year-round warmth, real hurricane risk, and homeowners' insurance premiums that now run thousands of dollars a year. Where you land shapes the trade-off. Orlando and Tampa share a cost-of-living index of about 107 (7% above the national average) and a $380,000 median home price, but Orlando anchors a theme-park-and-defense economy inland while Tampa puts Gulf beaches 30 to 45 minutes away. Jacksonville, the state's largest city at nearly 978,000 residents, runs cheaper at a $310,000 median; St. Petersburg pairs a walkable arts district with 248 sunny days a year. This hub collects our city-by-city relocation guides for Florida, plus the practical steps to become a resident.

Florida City Guides

Jacksonville
Florida's largest city and most affordable major metro — a diversified economy anchored by Mayo Clinic, the Navy, and financial services, with a 22-mile Atlantic coastline.
Read the Jacksonville guide →
Orlando
The theme-park capital, with an economy that has diversified into healthcare, defense, and simulation tech — warm winters and moderate housing an hour inland.
Read the Orlando guide →
Tampa
Gulf Coast living with white-sand beaches 30 to 45 minutes away, anchored by finance, healthcare, and MacDill Air Force Base.
Read the Tampa guide →
St. Petersburg
A walkable arts city across the bay from Tampa — the Dalí Museum, a mile of Central Avenue dining, and 248 sunny days a year.
Read the St. Petersburg guide →
Boca Raton
Palm Beach County's corporate-HQ hub — FAU, an A+ Niche grade, and Atlantic beaches, at a high-$600Ks-and-up home price with real insurance costs.
Read the Boca Raton guide →
Valparaiso
A 4,900-person city on Eglin AFB's perimeter — Boggy Bayou waterfront, an A- county school district, and one of the strongest affordability stories on the Emerald Coast.
Read the Valparaiso guide →

Florida Living and Vacationing Quick Reference

Living here

State income tax: None — Florida is one of the few states with no state income tax
Sales tax: 6% statewide, with most counties adding a local surtax on top
Median home price: About $395,000 to $420,000 statewide as of 2026; $380,000 in Orlando and Tampa, $310,000 in Jacksonville
Cost of living: About 107 in Orlando and Tampa (7% above the national average); Jacksonville runs cheaper
Driver's license deadline: 30 days after establishing residency, with vehicle registration due in the same window
Population: About 24 million as of 2026, the third most populous state

Visiting first

Main airport: Orlando International (MCO), Florida's busiest, with major international hubs in Miami, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale as well
National parks: Three, all in the southern tip of the state — Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas
Best scouting months: March through May, after hurricane season risk fades and before summer humidity peaks
The hurricane risk, honestly: Hurricane season runs June through November and peaks in September — and inland cities like Orlando are not immune, since wind and flooding damage can reach 100 miles from where a storm makes landfall
Insurance is the real cost: Homeowners insurance premiums have risen sharply statewide and can run several thousand dollars a year on top of the mortgage
Getting around: Tampa puts Gulf beaches 30 to 45 minutes away, while Orlando sits inland, about an hour from either coast

How Florida Got Its Name

Florida is the oldest surviving European place name in the continental United States. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León sighted the coast in early April 1513, during the Easter season Spaniards called Pascua Florida — loosely, the "feast of flowers" — and named the land La Florida for both the holiday and the blooming landscape he saw. He believed he had found an island. The name stuck through four centuries and three flags: Spanish, British, and American. For a state now defined by beaches, theme parks, and the military bases along both coasts, its name is a 500-year-old reminder that here everything, more or less, is always in bloom.

How to Become a Florida Resident

Establishing residency unlocks a Florida driver's license, vehicle registration, in-state tuition, and resident access to state parks and programs. You establish residency in Florida by doing any one of the following — you don't need all of them:

Renting or buying a house or apartment in Florida
Being employed within Florida
Being registered to vote in Florida
Having a business located in Florida
Having children who attend a Florida primary or secondary school

Florida Moving Checklist

Transfer your driver's license and register your vehicle — deadline in the quick reference above
Update your car insurance policy to meet Florida requirements
Register to vote at your new address
Update your health insurance and other policies, and find new providers
Transfer medical, dental, and school records, and enroll children in your new district
Budget for homeowners insurance — Florida premiums have risen sharply and can run several thousand dollars a year
License your pets and find a local veterinarian
Set up utilities and file your change of address with USPS
Review the tax picture: Florida has no state income tax

Questions Movers Ask About Florida

Does Florida have an income tax?

No — Florida is one of the few states with no state income tax, which can leave a household earning $150,000 with $10,000 or more in extra take-home pay a year compared to a state that taxes income. The state makes it up partly through a 6% sales tax plus local surtaxes, and increasingly through homeowners insurance costs.

How expensive is it to live in Florida?

It varies by city. Orlando and Tampa both run a cost of living index of about 107 (7% above the national average) with a $380,000 median home price. Jacksonville, the state's largest city, is cheaper at a $310,000 median. Statewide, the median home price runs about $395,000 to $420,000 as of 2026.

How long do I have to get a Florida driver's license after moving?

30 days. Florida requires new residents to get a Florida driver's license and register their vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency.

Is Orlando safe from hurricanes since it's inland?

No — that's a common misconception. Hurricane season runs June through November and peaks in September, and inland cities are not spared: Hurricane Charley in 2004 brought hurricane-force winds to Orlando from nearly 100 miles away, and Hurricane Ian in 2022 dumped more than 13 inches of rain on the city. Wind and flooding are real inland risks even without a direct coastal hit.

How many national parks does Florida have?

Three, all clustered at the southern tip of the state: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas. Everglades is the largest at 1.5 million acres; Dry Tortugas is reachable only by boat or seaplane from Key West.

Which Florida city should I move to?

It depends on the trade-off you want. Orlando anchors a theme-park-and-defense economy inland, with moderate housing about an hour from either coast. Tampa offers the same cost of living with Gulf beaches 30 to 45 minutes away. Jacksonville, the state's largest city, is the most affordable of the group. Boca Raton and St. Petersburg cost more but add a corporate-HQ hub and a walkable arts scene, respectively.

Moving to Florida from Another State?

We compare the two states side by side — taxes, housing, and what changes on day one:

Sources and Data Notes

Residency options, license and vehicle-registration deadlines, and tax rates on this page reflect requirements published by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Department of Revenue. Cost, housing, and job-market figures draw on the public datasets used across ScoutLocale's city guides, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BestPlaces.net, and Niche.com.

Comparing states? Browse moving guides for every state.