{"id":313783,"date":"2026-06-20T02:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T02:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/313783\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T02:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T02:30:15","slug":"why-many-retirees-are-choosing-north-carolina-tennessee-and-south-carolina-over-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/313783\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Many Retirees Are Choosing North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina Over Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, Florida has been the gold standard for retirement<\/a> in the United States. With a long coastline, endless sunshine, and no income tax<\/a>, retirees thought this was the dream. For many retirees, the reality of living in Florida wasn\u2019t what they were promised.<\/p>\n

A lot of seniors end up leaving Florida<\/a> for \u201cHalfback States\u201d that have similar appeals without the crowds or expense. The locations are offering retirees the weather and comforts without all the headaches. So what are the \u201cHalfback States\u201d and what do they offer for retirees?<\/p>\n

The \u201cHalfback Retirees\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHalfback Retirees\u201d refer to people who left the North for Florida, only to find it wasn\u2019t what they thought, and decide to move half of the way back. The reality for many people is that Florida is crowded and expensive, with uncomfortable weather, according to an\u00a0article on<\/a> Realtor.com<\/a>. Instead of staying, many people are going to the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia.<\/p>\n

Related: Thousands of Retirees Are Skipping Florida for This One Sunny Arizona City<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Leave Florida<\/p>\n

Florida advertises itself as a great place to retire because of its no-state-income-tax policy, but the fees associated with living in Florida often outpace those savings. In fact, in 2025, Florida saw almost as many retirees move out of the state as move in, according to Moneywise<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Floridians have seen a 75% <\/a>increase in home insurance, well above the 38% national average, due to increasingly volatile weather. It\u2019s not just hurricanes either; the heat and the humidity have become so intense that Floridians need to run their AC most of the year. Utility bills are already high, but Floridians are relying on temperature control more than ever.<\/p>\n

Overdevelopment and the cost of living create an inhospitable environment for people on fixed incomes, even when that income is significant. Property taxes have risen dramatically, as have home insurance premiums, and HOA fees never go away.<\/p>\n

A study done by Florida Atlantic University<\/a> shows that 80% of Floridians are concerned about the cost of housing and nearly 50% have considered leaving due to the state becoming unaffordable.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca5 Parade’s daily newsletter explodes with the best stories on your feed. Sign up now \ud83d\udca5<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Halfback Destinations Worth Considering<\/p>\n

Asheville, NC<\/p>\n

Active retirees will love this city with access to the outdoors minus the heat. You\u2019ll still experience all four seasons without the unbearable winters of the north or the sweltering southern summers. It\u2019s framed by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Asheville has a thriving arts and culture scene.<\/p>\n

North Carolina doesn\u2019t tax Social Security income, and the cost of living is lower than pretty much any place you\u2019ll find in Florida. Currently, Zillow<\/a> lists the average home price at $463,235. That may seem a little high, but the average yearly insurance premium<\/a> for a home at that price is just over $2,000. It\u2019s a far cry from the $10,000 premiums many Floridians pay for the same type of property.<\/p>\n

Charleston, SC<\/p>\n

If you want the coast without the cost, this southern charmer has immense appeal. It\u2019s steeped in history, and the city’s beautiful architecture reflects its storied past. The climate has that warm coastal feel that many retirees crave.<\/p>\n

South Carolina is leading the nation in attracting and keeping retirees<\/a>, with it being the fastest-growing state for new residents 65+, having gained nearly 2,000 residents last year from Florida alone. That may be in part due to the fact that some retirement income is exempt from taxation, while the state also maintains affordable costs of living. The healthcare infrastructure is robust as well.<\/p>\n

Home prices, according to Zillow<\/a>, average around $596,003, with home insurance<\/a> landing around $3,000 a year.<\/p>\n

Chattanooga, TN<\/p>\n

If you love the lights and music<\/a> of Nashville, but not the increasingly expensive cost of living, Chattanooga is an alternative worth investigating. It offers access to the Tennessee River and the Appalachian Trail, but also has a revitalized, walkable downtown. The weather isn\u2019t as unpredictable as Florida, and you\u2019ll still experience a range of seasons.<\/p>\n

Like Florida, Tennessee doesn\u2019t tax any type of income<\/a>. Unlike Florida, Tennessee is still widely affordable with a dramatically lower cost of living. Retirees on fixed incomes benefit both from no income tax and affordability. Home prices<\/a> average out around $324,298, with home insurance<\/a> on that type of property averaging about $3,000.<\/p>\n

Related: The No-Income-Tax States Retirees Love Most Are Hiding a Financial Trap Nobody Warns Them About<\/a><\/p>\n

Is The Halfback Life For You?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re already in Florida and finding it isn\u2019t what you thought, or you\u2019re looking at places to retire, the halfback life may be for you. Florida used to be the gold standard for retirement living, but as it has become expensive and unenjoyable, there are better places to settle down in retirement.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Parade<\/a> on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Life<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For decades, Florida has been the gold standard for retirement in the United States. With a long coastline,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,3342,30,29,8853,130596,17602,10195],"class_list":["post-313783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-atlantic-university","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-floridians","tag-halfback","tag-income-tax","tag-tennessee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/313784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}