Where is the closest city in FL to Disney?

[bcla]

Aren’t NY, NJ, IL and CA the most “left from” states?

Not sure about Illinois. The big deal is the cost of housing. The Chicago area most definitely isn't as expensive as NYC or California.

 

[kdonnel]

Don't a lot of people do that to escape cold winters? Granted I understand Atlanta has hot summers and some freezing winters, but it sounds better than the really cold winters around NYC.

The weather where I live is part of the appeal. I've heard jokes that "you don't have any real weather". Snow in my community is a once in 25 years event.

Talking to my neighbors it seems to be about 30/70 trying to get away from the weather and trying to get away from the cost of living/taxes.

When my company closed the NJ office and relocated many to Metro Atlanta, the employees who relocated felt they got a 15-25% raise even though their pay did not change. Their yearly property tax bill was the same as their prior quarterly property tax bill.

 

[L&Lfan]

Illinois has lost people 5 years in a row. In 2018 it lost over 45,000 people. Reasons given were high taxes and low job prospects.

CA, IL and NJ are sanctuary states.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Aren’t NY, NJ, IL and CA the most “left from” states?

New York, Pennsylvania, Maine Vermont, Illinois, West Virginia... California is in neither the fastest growing nor fastest shrinking states by population.

 

[L&Lfan]

According to CNBC, CA lost a million people between ‘07 and ‘16. But you’re right, it’s not the “fastest” loser. High taxes and cost of housing are the main reasons given.

 

[bcla]

According to CNBC, CA lost a million people between ‘07 and ‘16. But you’re right, it’s not the “fastest” loser. High taxes and cost of housing are the main reasons given.

The price of housing is the primary contributor. If one doesn't have a high paying job or perhaps a house passed down through a family it can be really tough. I looked up the value of a house in my neighborhood that hadn't changed ownership in over 40 years. It had an assessed value of maybe $12,000 back in the early 70s and was the property tax basis. The owner's kids were living in it, and I doubt they could afford to buy it. The owner finally sold it for well over $1 million.

However, people leave, but more come. Certainly there are people who get jaded because they've got a high paying job that still isn't enough to save for a house in this crazy real estate market. They get replaced by people who come for good jobs and the cycle continues. Maybe that's no way to sustain it, but housing here has always been about supply and demand.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Florida has no state income tax. NY, IL, CA, NJ have high state and local taxes. Even sales tax is lower in FL that it was back in Louisiana.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I like the idea of going down to visit certain areas. Def. agree that where you vacation may not be where you'd actually want to live. Also thinking about just what sort of lifestyle are you looking for. Sure going to the parks may at least be initially high on the priority list but are there other things you may want to be in close proximity to? Could be that you try and find a more middle ground where you'd live in an area where you can easily drive to xyz.

 

[kirstenjk]

Local here, Born and Raised Florida girl - I live in Winter Garden directly behind WDW...

Its hot here, really hot, then adding in the humidity it get's even more miserable...

We have lots and lots of bugs - ants of all kinds, roaches indoor and outdoor, mosquito's that can carry you off, lizards, frogs, then you get into snakes lots of type's about half are deadly, gators they are every where you have to be alert... as well as deer, turkeys, hogs, birds lots of large cranes, and ducks and swan...

Lots of lawn pest moles, voles, and a plethora of weed, and you better like mowing, weeding.. because we normally mow year around.

Our weather is super unpredictable... then you have hurricanes, sink holes, tornado's, flooding.. that's the whole state not just the coastal area's.

Florida is a tourist mecca...116.5 million people visited Florida in 2017 - 65.5 million people visited Florida in the first 6 months of 2018

Fishing, Beaches, Theme Parks, historical sites, boating activities, golfing... There is no off season here...

As well we have snow birds, that come for the winter...and are residents for part of the year...

Our cost of living is high and wages are lower.

Traffic... We have all the traffic of a big city.... Then add in all the tourist, who don't have any idea of what or where they are going, as well as people who drive completely different that we do here, like for instance a stop sign is a suggestion where they are from.... On top of that add in the snow-birds - Land Yachts, 5th wheels, plus they bring their cars or get their cars out of storage when they come back... so you have then on the road as well...

Road maintenance - add in the fact the our roads are constantly under construction... I-4 is a disaster... by the time they finish it if they finish it... it will not be able to handle all the traffic at the time...

If you want a heart stopping experience... get a estimate on what homeowners insurance will cost you... more than likely you will have to get extra policies, for things like flooding, or hurricanes, or sink holes.. and list goes on and on...

In certain areas you compete with the tourist when shopping... As a local you might have to drive a bit out of the way to stop at the grocery store or wal-mart /Target... Why you wonder, a lot of visitors from other countries do a major shopping here, for things that they can't get in their own country, or that are priced much less here... Clothing and personal care items are always in high demand...I have seen with my own eyes, clearing of the shelves of some items... I'm not debating it one way or the other... Just giving you a real glimpse of what it is like living here.

The thing is that when you are on vacation you have that vacation state of mind, rose colored glasses... plus around the parks everything is taken care of for you, and visual it just stunning... Plus when you are in the parks everyone is really nice, and helpful.. Once out of the bubble that's not how daily life works...

You probably are wondering why do I live here...maybe I don't know any better... and this is all I know and love...
We love the water, boating and fishing, swimming, snorkeling, laying on a float with a drink in your hand, we Love Mickey and the Gang, and love our families- they are here... ... so this is home... Living here is a completely different lifestyle, You have to be willing to change your life style...

Like with any move there is the good and bad... You have to decide what is going to work for you... looking at the big picture... not the vacation pictures...

Thank you for answering the question, I couldn't agree more. I'm originally from the Northeast and have lived in the Tampa area going on three years.

A few things to add to the list above:

Although the cost to purchase a home might be less than other areas of the country, the cost of rent is just as high or higher than large major cities (at least in my area). The places where the rents are more affordable are, generally, not places that you would choose to live in.

In addition to the high cost of home insurance, car insurance is just as high. There is a reason that every other billboard is an ad for a personal injury attorney.

The schools can leave a lot to be desired in terms of a "good" education. You can easily be priced out of a good school district because they can be few and far between.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy living here and don't have plans on moving any time soon. As I've said before, and can't stress enough, living somewhere is extremely different than vacationing somewhere.