Skip to headerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Kiplinger logoLink to homepage
Get our Free E-newslettersGet our Free E-newsletters
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Subscribe to Kiplinger
Save up to 76%
Subscribe
Subscribe to Kiplinger
  • Store
  • Home
  • Investing
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • Personal Finance
  • Your Business
  • Wealth Creation
    • Podcasts
    • Economic Outlooks
    • Tools
    • Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
    • The Kiplinger Letter
    • The Kiplinger Tax Letter
    • Kiplinger's Investing for Income
    • Kiplinger's Retirement Report
    • Store
    • Manage My E-Newsletters
    • My Subscriptions
Skip advert
  • Home
  • retirement
retirement

11 Reasons You Don't Want to Retire in Florida

An overabundance of boomers, critters, sweat and weirdness. Welcome to the dark side of the Sunshine State.

by: Bob Niedt
October 6, 2021
A vintage motor vehicle is parked on the brick paved streets of the historic Old Southeast Neighborhood in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Getty Images

Skip advert

As retirement approaches and the punch of the coming polar vortex is conjuring dreams of warmer temperatures and a lost shaker of salt, you have Florida on your mind. After all, it’s the quintessential post-working world existence, so we're told. But is it right for you?

Before you take the Florida plunge, let us offer some earnest advice: Try before you buy. Spend some serious leisure time in the Sunshine State. Just be sure to skip the hotel and instead rent an Airbnb in a residential area you’re interested in, or park that RV you just bought in an RV-friendly place in Florida. Introduce yourself to the neighbors, shop and dine locally, and observe the rhythms of life. Stay a few days – or, better, a few weeks – and, as the realities of Florida living sink in, you might not like what you see.

To that end, we took a serious look at the downsides of retiring in Florida. Here’s some of what we found.

  • 10 Things You Must Know About Retiring to Florida
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

1 of 11

Florida Is Crawling With Boomers

Older couple walking under boardwalk on beach

Getty Images

Skip advert

Do you really want to join the graying crowd that made Woodstock a thing? Face it, your riff to retire in Florida isn’t solely yours. Look at the numbers and consider what you’ll be facing in the coming years.

Florida’s estimated population of nearly 21 million includes some 4.2 million residents 65 and older. That’s up from 3.3 million seniors in the 2010 U.S. Census. By 2030, the number of seniors in the Sunshine State is expected to crack 6 million. That’s a lot of tricked-out golf carts. Other popular retirement states in the Southeast – Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas – all skew much younger than Florida.

  • How Snowbirds Can Be Taxed as Florida Residents
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

2 of 11

Florida Is Crawling With Critters, Too

A smiling alligator. Florida

Getty Images

Skip advert

It’s common knowledge that Florida has a lot of alligators. There are also invasive Burmese pythons, green iguanas and herpes-carrying wild monkeys. Then there are the rats: Rats on the beach, rats in palm trees and rats on your roof. Molly Elliott, who lives in Fort Myers Beach, said beach rats were a big adjustment for her, as was the expense of keeping them out of her house. She pays $300 a year for rodent control.

Other transplanted northerners agree the pests and exotic creatures are an acquired taste. “Critters!” says Trisha Torrey, a transplant who now lives in central Florida. “It’s not unusual to see snakes and alligators, especially on golf courses. Neighbors have found poisonous snakes on their lanais and patios three times [since] we’ve lived here.”

  • 12 States That Won't Tax Your Retirement Income
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

3 of 11

Florida Has an Excess of Weirdness

The outside of a Florida shop showing a medieval torture collection

Getty Images

Skip advert

Perhaps Florida gets a bad rap, but come on: It sure has more than its fair share of weird stories that waft in and out of the news cycle. Craig Pittman, a native Floridian and journalist at the Tampa Bay Times, literally wrote the book on Florida weirdness: “Oh Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country.” Here’s a telling snippet from a 2016 New York Times review of Pittman’s book: “The deal with Florida is the charlatans and lunatics and Snapchat-famous plastic surgeons. It is the Ponzi schemes, the byzantine corruption, the evangelical fervor and the consenting-adult depravity. It is the seasonless climate. The lack of historical consciousness. The way in which this nation’s unctuous elements tend to trickle down as if Florida were the grease trap under America’s George Foreman grill.”

  • Retirees: Here’s How to Pay for 5 Common Expenses and Cut Your Taxes While Doing It
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

4 of 11

No State Income Tax? Florida Makes Up for It

Senior couple dining out in downtown Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

Getty Images

Skip advert

A big whoop to many Florida transplants is there’s no state income tax, including no income tax on Social Security benefits, pensions and other retirement income. Score one for the Sunshine State.

But don’t confuse "no state income tax" with "no taxes at all". State and local taxes in Florida can take a bite out of your retirement savings. For instance, the combined state and local sales tax averages 7.01% in Florida, according to the Tax Foundation. That’s higher than the combined rates retirees from snowbird states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey are accustomed to paying. Buying a new ride for your retirement? The 6% state sales tax applies to the entire purchase price, plus counties can tack on their own vehicle sales tax. Fees can add up, too. Florida charges a steep "initial registration fee" of $225  to register an out-of-state vehicle, for example, and a drivers license costs $48 and is good for eight years (versus $10 for for an Arizona drivers license for folks age 50 and it's good for 12 years in that competing retirement hotspot).

  • Don’t Let a Stock Market Decline Ruin Your Retirement
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

5 of 11

You’ll Sweat. A lot.

A senior couple in their 60s hanging out in the park on a sunny day. They are walking and conversing, taking a break from jogging.

Getty Images

Skip advert

Let’s put this right up front: Florida earned three spots on the list of the top 10 sweatiest cities in the U.S. Tampa and Miami were No. 1 and No. 2. Orlando came in at No. 5. If you think it’s just those cities in Florida that are sweaty, you’re kidding yourself.

However, your actual retirement location goes hand in hand with your degree of perspiration. You’re at risk of breaking a sweat year round in South Florida, where even in the dead of winter temperatures can crack 80 degrees. But the farther north you travel, the more temperate the climate becomes. Yes, summers are hot, but expect winter temps to fall below freezing in parts of northern Florida. And in places like Pensacola, Tallahassee and Jacksonville, it even snows.

  • 12 States That Won't Tax Your Retirement Income
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

6 of 11

You Won’t Be Outside as Much as You Think (Red Tide Edition)

Sunglasses sitting poolside in the sun.

Getty Images

Skip advert

After years of being cooped up in an office, you’re looking forward to being outdoors for hours on end to soak up Florida’s eternal sunshine. Hold that thought. Remember those sweaty temperatures we warned you about? Many savvy retirees confine outdoor activities, from rounds of golf to leisurely walks, to early mornings when the mercury and humidity levels are still tolerable.

“The summer is so very hot, hot, hot!” says Torrey, the Florida transplant who lived in Central New York for many years. “Now, as I tell my friends, at least we don’t have to shovel 90 degrees.”

On top of the heat and humidity, there are also biting flies, mosquito swarms and columns of fire ants to ward off.

Looking to cool off or ditch those bugs by swimming in the ocean. Watch out for red tide. If it blooms on your favorite beach, you won't be doing any swimming, and that smell? Dead fish, done in by the deadly red tide.

  • How to Create a Retirement Income Stream
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

7 of 11

Swimming Pools Are Expensive

Outdoor dining room, bar and swimming pool all under a lanai screen.

Getty Images

Skip advert

Naturally, you’ll want a swimming pool to beat the Florida heat. Plus, imagine the joy of watching your grandkids splash around under the lanai. And while you’re at it, you’ll want an attached spa to soak those aging muscles.

Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny to keep your pool up and running year round. It costs $177 a week, on average, to maintain a standard 14-by-28-foot pool. You’ll also spend hundreds – even thousands – of dollars on routine repairs to torn liners and leaky plumbing. And if you want your water heated, expect to shell out anywhere from $100 to $600 a month to run a pool heater. Total annual pool costs: $3,000 to $5,000, including maintenance, repairs, electricity, and water.

Oh, and before you call the pool company, realize that since the pandemic began, there's been such a shortage of materials (and labor) that some pool firms are penciling you in -- for up to two years away.

  • Home Sale Prices in the 50 Largest Metro Areas
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

8 of 11

The Sun Can Take a Toll on Your Skin

Senior couple sitting in chairs on beach, eyes closed

Getty Images

Skip advert

Many boomers who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s grooved at the beach, slathering on baby oil to enhance the tan. SPF? Who knew? And those same boomers, now aging, are eager for the tropical Florida sunshine. But consider the dark side: Too much sun causes premature wrinkling, uneven skin coloring and worse.

"The skin can become tough and leathery," according to the Florida Institute of Neuroscience. "You may also notice more wrinkles. The sun can also cause brown, red, yellow, or gray spots in the skin called sun spots."

Prolonged sun exposure and frequent sunburns can also increase your risk of skin cancer. Sun worshippers are urged to avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (when the rays are most damaging) and use broad-spectrum sunscreens. And when you are on the beach or poolside, sit under an umbrella.

  • 40 Best Amazon Prime Benefits to Use in 2022
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

9 of 11

Hurricanes Are a Real Menace

Hurricane Irma seen striking Miami, Florida with 100+ mph winds and destructive storm surge.

Getty Images

Skip advert

The Atlantic hurricane season is a long one. It runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 – fully half the year – peaking in August through October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Florida is in the crosshairs of many of those deadly and destructive Atlantic hurricanes. In 2018, Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to hit the U.S. in 50 years, killed at least 20 people and devastated towns in Florida's Panhandle. Total losses topped $25 billion, according to NOAA. Hurricane Irma, one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, struck Florida in 2017 and caused $52 billion in losses.

  • Insurance Can Make or Break Your Financial Plan
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

10 of 11

Hurricane Insurance Premiums Are a Menace, Too

A home with plywood covering the window in preparation for a hurricane.

Getty Images

Skip advert

Retirees who move to Florida are often shocked to discover that deductibles for hurricane insurance often range from 2% to 5% (and sometimes as much as 10%) of the policy coverage, rather than the fixed dollar amount, say $500, they were accustomed to up north. And that’s if you can line up any insurance at all.

“Homeowners insurance in general can be tough to get when you live on a barrier island,” says Elliott, the northern transplant who now lives in Fort Myers Beach on the Gulf Coast. “No one wanted to insure us, so we had to use the default state insurer.”

If you want to spend less on insurance, you’ll have to dish out for a wind mitigation test for the house you plan to buy to see how well it would stand up to severe winds. Why? “The cost to insure a home without wind mitigation features could be four times higher than a home with wind mitigation,” says Chris Heidrick, an independent insurance agent in Sanibel, Fla.

Oh, and if you buy a home in a designated flood zone, your mortgage company will insist you buy flood insurance. Typical homeowners insurance covers wind and rain, but not flooding.

  • PODCAST: Is Your Home Insured Against Disaster? Better Check
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

11 of 11

You’ll Miss Your Family

Grandson embracing grandmother at home

Getty Images

Skip advert

Florida newcomers tend to brace themselves for a lot of visitors from the north. After all, there’s the irresistible lure of sunshine, beaches, theme parks and a free place to stay, am I right? But, some transplants say, that wears off after initial visits to Florida by your siblings or your adult kids.

“Loved ones are often far away (ours are in New York and Pennsylvania),” says Torrey, the central Florida transplant. “Phone calls and video calls help out, but we don’t spend as much time together as we would if we were still up north.”

  • Discussing Family Legacy Plans? 5 Tips to Navigate ‘the Talk’
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert
  • buying a home
  • home insurance
  • leisure
  • tax planning
  • retirement planning
  • retirement
Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert
Skip advert

Recommended

Short-Term Insurance Plans' Good, Bad and Ugly
retirement

Short-Term Insurance Plans' Good, Bad and Ugly

You'll need a squinty-eyed analysis to gauge the value of short-term care insurance plans and if they're right for you.
May 26, 2022
Cash Home Buyers: New Services Offer Help Making All-Cash Offer
Becoming a Homeowner

Cash Home Buyers: New Services Offer Help Making All-Cash Offer

Some firms help home buyers make all-cash offers on homes. Weigh the fees before you sign on.
May 25, 2022
12 Cheapest Small Towns in America 2022
real estate

12 Cheapest Small Towns in America 2022

Affordable small towns might not be for everyone, but their charms put them among the best places to live for plenty of folks.
May 25, 2022
How to Find the Perfect Balance Between Spending and Saving
retirement

How to Find the Perfect Balance Between Spending and Saving

It's the key to being able to enjoy life now AND in the future. It's also the basis for a successful retirement plan, and it all starts with setting y…
May 24, 2022

Most Popular

Why Are Gas Prices Still Going Up?
spending

Why Are Gas Prices Still Going Up?

The cost of a gallon of gas is heading back toward its March highs. What’s driving the resurgence, and will gas prices go down anytime soon?
May 23, 2022
Your Guide to Roth Conversions
Special Report
Tax Breaks

Your Guide to Roth Conversions

A Kiplinger Special Report
February 25, 2021
Retirement Income Shouldn’t Depend on the Market; It Should Depend on Math
retirement planning

Retirement Income Shouldn’t Depend on the Market; It Should Depend on Math

The math isn’t as tough as you might think. It all starts with dividing your assets into three different buckets.
May 23, 2022
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us (PDF)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Kiplinger Careers
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Preferences

Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Save up to 76%Subscribe to Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Do Not Sell My Information

Kiplinger is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com
© Future US LLC, 10th floor, 1100 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. All rights reserved.

Follow us on InstagramFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterConnect on LinkedInConnect on YouTube