What s up guys! It s Jason here and welcome to my YouTube channel, Where Should I Move
Insight. As there has been a recent trend of residents from New York (and other places
in the northeastern United States) moving south, notably to states like Florida and
Texas, especially from people leaving comments on my YouTube video, I decided to make a separate
video talking about this.
If you have ever heard of the term snowbird then you know that residents from these much
colder places will leave for several months at a time almost every winter to escape the
freezing temperatures in places like New York, Boston, and other parts of New England.
Now, for some reason, those residents are not coming back, and are deciding to stay
in the southern region of the U.S. for good! The question is, why? Today, we ll go into
the detail on the big question many people have been asking themselves: Should I move
to Florida or Texas? We ll go over which state is better for families, which state is better
for singles and the cost difference between Texas and Florida explained.
But first you know where I m going with this right? A small favor. If you wouldn t mind
just tapping that LIKE button for the YouTube algorithm, I would really appreciate it. The
more engagement a video like this gets, the more likely the YouTube algorithm is to push
it out to more people to enjoy. And as this is a brand-new channel I started this year,
it helps me out and it s free to do. If you like juicy Florida oranges or mouthwatering
Texas BBQs, be sure to subscribe and hit that notification bell for new videos each week.
Thanks for doing that and now let us continue on with Texas versus Florida.
Is the Pandemic Making People Move from North to South?
Lots of the permanent relocation of people from larger cities has to do with the pandemic.
Bloomberg reported in the early fall of 2020 (when COVID-19 was at one of its deadliest
moments) that many of the people who were making spontaneous decisions to relocate did
so because they didn t want to reside in the most populated cities in America anymore where
things like public transportation were simply not back to normalcy just yet.
A few months later, the number of people from the Northeast moving to places like Texas
and Florida grew even more. New Geography, a contributor website that constantly examines
where Americans would prefer to work and live, conducted a thorough analysis a few weeks
before Christmas of 2020 that pointed to The Lone Star State (Texas) and The Sunshine State
(Florida) as preferences of U.S. citizens when they were deciding to relocate permanently.
The fact of the matter is the Coronavirus hadn t even hit the United States yet when
those experts did the research, so it s not only the pandemic that is making people want
to move.
For example, in 2019 over 35,000 people moved from New York to Florida, and over 16,000
people moved from New Jersey to Florida. Another of the most populated and bitterly cold places
in America in the winter, Illinois, had well over 14,000 people move to Texas the year
before the pandemic hit, and close to 10,000 people from cities like Chicago also moved
to Florida in 2019.
Interestingly enough, there were a little over 15,000 people who moved from Florida
to Texas that year. Is that saying that Texas is a better choice for Northeasterners to
permanently relocate to? Well, let s take a look!
Should I Move from the Northeast to Florida?
When the average person thinks of Florida, the wonderful weather always comes to mind.
But, did you know that getting more sunshine is actually good for your health? It s true!
When northeasterners are stuck in the house for much of the winter in places like New
York and New England due to massive snow and other inclement weather, experts say that
their mental health can be greatly affected. They point out a disease called Seasonal Affective
Disorder, where issues such as depression can actually show up from lack of outdoor
activity, sunlight, etc.
The cost of living is also much cheaper in Florida than in many spots in the Northeast.
And, if you are looking to buy property, checking out the Sunshine State would be a wonderful
option...just be sure to get hurricane insurance!
According to experts, almost 80 tropical or subtropical storms have hit the state, and
four of the strongest hurricanes to date - Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Charlie, Hurricane Irma,
and Hurricane Michael, all Category 4 or higher - caused hundreds of billions of dollars in
damage over the last few decades in Florida.
Certain parts of Florida have been popular for northeasterners to relocate to. According
to the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance, some of the most loved spots are
Hendry and Lee County. South Florida is actually in the top ten percent for the most loved
places to live in the entire United States, and the economy there is seemingly getting
better and better as the years go on.
One thing about Florida that Texas could never emulate is the fact that the air is much cleaner
in the peninsula. This is because there are three massive bodies of water on each side
of Florida, and they are the Florida Straits, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The price of real estate in Florida is also awesome, and it s a major reason why so many
families and independent folks alike are choosing this state for a permanent place of relocation.
The New York Times pointed out in the fall of 2020 that Palm Beach was one of the most
well-loved spots, and that nearby areas such as Boca Raton have seen demand for homeownership
from thousands of folks over the last few decades from places in the Northeast such
as New Jersey and New York. (Fischler, New York Times, Sept 2020).
Also, one of the most attractive features about Floridian society is that there is no
state income tax or any home taxes. After living in the high-priced northeast for so
long in places like Connecticut and Massachusetts, not only retirees but folks who are still
working full-time feel so relieved to have this financial burden lifted by moving south.
According to local news reports, Orlando, Florida is not only gaining more popularity
these days only because of it being the location of one of the best entertainment parks in
the nation, Disneyworld! In fact, in 2020 Orlando was the fastest growing place in the
entire United States as far as gaining new permanent residents. That never made sense
to me though I mean, how many times can someone go to Disney World in a year?
The largest majority of these folks actually came from places in the Northeast, and with
the pandemic still going on, there are seemingly no signs of the real estate market in Orlando
and surrounding areas slowing down.
Still, when compared to Texas, the only city that grew faster than Orlando in the Lone
Star State was Dallas. The pandemic had a lot to do with these moves because people
simply felt safer healthwise in areas that have more open spaces and less human congestion.
Over 60,000 people moved to Orlando in 2020, but the fact that Florida residents themselves
are not moving from the area brings about the issue of not having enough housing to
go around! In fact, reports indicate that three-quarters of the new residents in Orlando
are from places like New York and New England. That being said, people who are looking to
relocate permanently to the Sunshine State from the Northeast have to be super aggressive
when they see a home that they like on the market.
Should I Move from the Northeast to Texas?
Like Florida, Texas has been growing in popularity among homeowners even since before the pandemic.
Business Insider actually pointed out a dozen specific places that folks deciding to move
there preferred. Some of the smallest cities were surprisingly well-loved by northerners!
Here are a few:
Waco, TX. This city had over 8,000 new residents move there over the 2010-2019 period. Waco
is a place that has affordable housing and lots of things to do, such as a visit to the
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, Cameron Park and Zoo, and the Dr. Pepper Museum! Hmm I love
Dr Pepper!
San Angelo, TX. People who have a love for the outdoors tend to prefer San Angelo, and
this city has been steadily growing in recent years due to northerners migrating south.
The city s Nature Center is a loved visitor site, as well as the other historic locations
like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Chicken Farm Art Center.
Lubbock, TX. With a population of just over 250,000 people, Lubbock has surprisingly been
a place where those who are seeking a rural but lively area have decided to settle. Retirees
have been a large majority of the newest residents, but the Coronavirus pandemic had lured many
northerners to this area that hosts attractions such as the Joyland Amusement Park and The
National Ranching Heritage Center.
Tyler, TX. This city is even smaller than Lubbock with around 100,000 people, but it
seems to be a location that people in search of more open spaces (due to the pandemic)
are fans of. Like Waco, Tyler has an animal attraction, The Caldwell Zoo, and the theme
of nature lovers is apparent at places such as the beautiful Tyler State Park and the
local Wildlife Refuge at Tiger Creek. This place is literally a hiker and fisher s paradise!
College Station, TX. This is the location of the George Bush Presidential Library, as
well as Kyle Field, home of Texas A&M. Of course lots of young adults move here for
their education, but more and more northerners are beginning to take advantage of the low
real estate deals in this city that has only about 110,000 residents.
Those five cities were the most surprising rural areas that people from up north were
moving to, and the rest of the list included locations such as Houston, Dallas-Forth Worth,
Sherman-Denison, San Antonio, Midland, and Austin. As you can tell a huge factor driving
people moving is the price of real estate and rent. After all, would you rather live
like a rat in a New York City studio or have your own multi family home in the South.
Is Texas or Florida Better for Families?
At first thought, Florida would seem to be the vacation or leisure state, being that
it has the most beaches and generally a more lighthearted atmosphere. But, when looking
at the prices of larger homes and when trying to decide which state is the best for families,
Texas and Florida are almost neck and neck.
For example, when looking at the ranking list of states as far as which are the best to
raise a family, there are less than ten ranking places between Florida and Texas. WalletHub
did a detailed study in January of 2021 that placed Texas at number 28 in the nation and
Florida at number 36, but when it came to the family fun category Florida got a higher
score.
Schools are one of the most important details when thinking about settling down in a specific
place, so which state has the better education system? Well, there are popular colleges in
both states, and both have arguably some of the best universities in the nation.
But, when it comes down to K-12 aged kids, Florida is actually ranked higher than Texas.
U.S. News and World Report put FL at number 3 for that age group, and Texas way down the
list at number 34 in the 50 states. It s also worth it to point out that when talking about
colleges and universities Florida is actually ranked number 1 for higher education institutions,
and Texas is number 31.
Is Texas or Florida Better for Singles?
If you are living a single life, myself included (ahem, for the single ladies out there), then
Florida will be a much better choice than Texas according to the experts. CBS News in
Austin did a report in early 2021 that put both states at the top of the list, Florida
being number one and Texas being number two. This is not to say that a single person can
t have fun in places such as Houston, but being that Florida is more of a vacation-styled
location with romantic spots like Boca Raton, Texas simply will never be better suited for
singles than The Sunshine State.
It s also worth it to note that Texas has many attractions that singles adore, such
as more movie theaters and restaurants, and they also are 13th in the United States for
online dating. It really will depend on whether or not you are looking to buy a home and stay
in Texas for decades or if you are simply looking to get a six-month or maybe a year
lease to feel out the area.
Conclusion
And that brings us to today. Both Florida and Texas are wonderful places to live. The
choices of affordable real estate are continuously growing, and folks single and/or with families
are starting to realize that permanent relocation in either of these southern spots is a wonderful
choice that will allow them to live in a much more spacious place (due to COVID-19 preferences)
and save a lot more money while doing so.
So with that said, thank you so much for watching my video. There was a significant amount of
research and production into making this video possible. As this is a brand-new YouTube channel
I just started this year - if you enjoy videos like this, please click the subscribe button
and hit that notification bell! If you have any other suggestions, let me know! If you
haven t seen already, check out my video on the most moved out States in 2021 and The
Rise and Fall of New York City. As always, stay happy and healthy
and stay tuned for another episode of Company Insight next week.