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Born and raised in Miami, Kimberly Jones had lived in South Florida her entire life, until recently.
Her children, family and friends all live in Florida. And yet, at age 60, Kimberly and her retired husband decided to relocate to North Carolina.
As she explained in an article for Business Insider, Florida has become unlivable thanks to the rising costs, traffic congestion and extreme weather (1). Jones believes the cost of living is now “out of control,” adding that South Florida now feels “overly developed.”
Her commute to and from work in Florida was taking two-and-a-half hours each day. Meanwhile, her insurance premiums were going up, and everyday expenses like groceries were becoming noticeably more expensive.
“South Florida is nothing like what it used to be,” she told Business Insider. As she saw clusters of cranes and new buildings going up, she often wondered who could afford to live there.
Despite everything she’s given up, she says her quality of life has improved since making the move. And she’s not alone, with some retirees leaving Florida for other southern states in search of long-term financial stability and a better lifestyle.
Thanks to its warm climate and lack of state income tax, Florida has long been considered a retirement haven. But rising home prices, the threat of hurricanes (and skyrocketing insurance premiums) as well as infrastructure strain are pushing some long-time residents out.
And many are packing up the U-Haul in search of more affordability — and a more laid-back lifestyle — in neighboring states. The retirement conversation is no longer just about where to save on taxes, but how to offset the rising cost of living and boost quality of life.
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Florida was the second-fastest growing state from 2023 to 2024, making it the third-most populous state in America with 23.4 million people, according to Realtor.com (2). But in 2023, about 500,000 people left Florida for another state, according to the most recent census data (3).
Jones told Business Insider that many Floridians who choose to move are staying in southern states, and the numbers bear this out. Neighboring state Georgia, for example, was the most popular destination, accounting for more than 10% of Florida’s outbound migration in 2024.
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Texas was the second most popular, also accounting for about 10% of outbound migration. This was followed by North Carolina in third place, Virginia in sixth, Tennessee in ninth and South Carolina in tenth. Altogether, the southeastern states saw more than a third of Florida’s outmigration.
Like Jones, many are likely in search of affordability. Jones and her husband, for example, were able to afford a much nicer home in North Carolina — on a lake not far from Charlotte — than they would have been able to afford in Florida.
In May 2025, the median price for a single-family home in Florida was $436,600, versus a median price of $403,700 in North Carolina, according to an analysis of Redfin data by Forbes (4). Overall, in 2025, the cost of living was lower in North Carolina, which U.S. News & World Report ranked No. 23 nationally for cost of living (excluding housing). Florida, on the other hand, ranked No. 40 (5).
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Jones has noticed the difference. “We’ve been saving money on home insurance,” she told Business Insider. “Even grocery stores and restaurants are more affordable.”
Home insurance rates are quite high in Florida, where the average premium for a $400,000 home with a $1,000 deductible and $300,000 in personal liability coverage is $9,283, according to Insurance.com. That’s a whopping 265% above the national average of $2,543. In North Carolina, it’s $3,904, which is 53% above the national average (6).
In most cases, moving to another state will have some give-and-takes. For example, Jones and her husband pay state income tax in North Carolina (versus none in Florida). However, sales tax is “pretty much the same” in both states, she told Business Insider (1).
Your state tax burden is the portion of personal income you pay toward both state and local taxes. According to an analysis by WalletHub, Florida has the 45th-lowest tax burden in the U.S. at 6.49%, and while North Carolina has a higher tax burden at 8.18%, it still ranks at a respectable 35th in the nation (7).
Health care is another consideration. While Americans aged 65 and older have access to Medicare, this may not cover all of their medical needs. Vermont has the highest health insurance costs in the nation (averaging $1,224 per month), according to Visual Capitalist. At the other end of the spectrum are Maryland, New Hampshire, Virginia and Idaho, coming in with the lowest costs (8).
Of course, cost of living — while important — isn’t the only thing to consider when making a move, especially when the plan is to retire in your new location. Jones enjoys the people in North Carolina and the slower pace of life, as well as the weather. In South Florida, she says there was no better place to be in January and February, but “the heat and the humidity were just brutal” the rest of the year.
Florida may still be the preferred option for many retirees, but it’s no longer the cheapest — despite the lack of state income tax. For some, neighboring southern states may offer a better financial and lifestyle balance.
For Jones, her quality of life has “improved tremendously just from being out of what felt like a rat race.”
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Business Insider (1); Realtor.com (2); News 6 (3); Forbes (4); U.S. News & World Report (5); Insurance.com (6); WalletHub (7); Visual Capitalist (8).
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.