[vk40]

I've done so much research and my head is spinning from it all. We are a family of five- myself, my husband, and my 3 kids ages 16, 18 and 21. By the time we move, my youngest may be out of school, so we'd only be looking into colleges and not high-school. We would be bringing along my mother-in-law who has only us to depend on.

We want a new start in life, in a warmer climate. Today in my small town in Wyoming, it is snowing and 28*F. We are getting sick of the snow and cold winters, plus the lack of green. Most of Wyoming is high desert and very dry. We would never come without a great deal of research, and the most important thing- a job. So one of our places of interest is FL, and it's at the top of our list. We have been there three times, but only to the Orlando area, but we loved it. Of course I know that is different than actually living there. I'm not concerned about the weather, or the employment, as of course, we would look into those before we moved.

My confusion stems from the whole crime issue. I read the posts on crime, and check out the stats, and I'm still confused. From reading things, it sounds like you are barely safe to walk out your front door to your car, much less take a morning walk. Here in my small town, my kids can safely walk around at night. Murders are rare, and are always connected to people that know each other. Yes, there is some crime, but it's not even close to what many people experience in bigger cities. My kids hate it here, as do dh and myself, because there really isn't much to do unless you are into snowmobiling, four-wheeling, mountain climbing, hunting, etc.

I really don't want to have to give up riding my bike, or taking walks around my neighborhood. I do realize that most of the city areas are not ideal for biking, I'm talking about neighborhoods. I don't want to have to worry about my kids being in danger every time they are off doing something. That's not a life I would choose to live. So how bad is it really?? My kids are not into drugs so it's not like they'd be looking for trouble that way. From reading these forums, it sounds like a war zone down there. Like we'd be taking significant risks every time we walked out our front door. Then others say it's completely blown out of proportion. Whose telling the truth here???!!!

[jsun556]

It depends where you live. FL is just like any other state with large urban cores... only it's more sprawled out.

FL is definitely not Afghanistan, unless you enter some more undesirable neighborhoods. But it doesn't sound like your family is poor enough to even consider living in one.

[vk40]

Originally Posted by jsun556

It depends where you live. FL is just like any other state with large urban cores... only it's more sprawled out.

FL is definitely not Afghanistan, unless you enter some more undesirable neighborhoods. But it doesn't sound like your family is poor enough to even consider living in one.

We'd be able to afford to live in a fairly decent area- of course we're not rich, but the sale of our current home would definitely give us some extra cash to help. Thanks for your reply

[Hawaii4evr]

As long as you avoid some really bad neighborhoods, you'll be fine. I felt safe walking around in Miami, and in Ft. Lauderdale AT NIGHT! I'd recommend somewhere like Ft. Myers for you, where it is in the warmer region of South FL, and it is one of the cheaper areas. SWFL is much cheaper than SEFL (Miami, West Palm Beach, etc). However, there are more retirees in SWFL, but it is safer and more relaxed.

[OysterCatcher]

Jobs are a concern for you and your S.O. so I'd stay either in the Orlando or Tampa metro area. If you go with Orlando, the top areas are Northern (Seminole County) or Western parts such as Dr Phillps/Windemere. Tampa area my top picks would be Northern parts of Pinellas County or North and Western parts of Hillsborough County. These are all considered safe areas.

[miamihurricane555]

if crime is on the top of your list of things to avoid don't come to SE FL. our murder,property, Robbery, and assault crime rates are 3x,2x,4x,3x times the national average respectively. In Miami you have a 1 in 84 chance of being a victim of a violent crime EACH YEAR! and a 1 in 18 chances of being the victim of a property crime per year. so point it don't come to miami or SEFL in general. On the good side places like Naples and FT myers have very low crime rates and are nice small to medium sized cities with the draw back being that job security is smaller because you're in a smaller job market. to me it seems like the best place for you would be along the I-4 corridor between tampa and orlando. if you live there that will give you plenty to do as well as give you access to both the orlando and tampa job markets. either way I think you will enjoy your self as long as you steer clear of SE FL.

[blueherons]

Firstly, and most importantly, the job. What kind of position is the family breadwinner looking for?

There isn't a lot of 'industry' here and unskilled labor positions pay barely above minimum wage.

What kind of job you find will dictate where you live.

I would suggest setting up a PO box because Florida companies contact people in Florida and generally don't look outside the state unless it is a specific position.

Florida gets millions of tourists a year. The crimes they commit get averaged into our year round population.

Example, Orlando has 1.2 million residents and 30 million tourists a year. So the crimes committed by 31.2 million people get averaged by 1.2 million residents. The numbers are WAY skewed.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Example, Orlando has 1.2 million residents and 30 million tourists a year. So the crimes committed by 31.2 million people get averaged by 1.2 million residents. The numbers are WAY skewed.

That's a nice spin, but not so much. The premise that folks visiting Disney are simultaneously on a crime spree is pure fiction. Crime is committed by people who live here and tourists make great targets. Orlando is a magnet for society's dregs because the weather is fairly nice year round and there is much opportunity to live as a felon. Orlando: America?s third most dangerous city for families - Orlando Business Journal

[vk40]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Firstly, and most importantly, the job. What kind of position is the family breadwinner looking for?

There isn't a lot of 'industry' here and unskilled labor positions pay barely above minimum wage.

What kind of job you find will dictate where you live.

I would suggest setting up a PO box because Florida companies contact people in Florida and generally don't look outside the state unless it is a specific position.

Florida gets millions of tourists a year. The crimes they commit get averaged into our year round population.

Example, Orlando has 1.2 million residents and 30 million tourists a year. So the crimes committed by 31.2 million people get averaged by 1.2 million residents. The numbers are WAY skewed.

My husband has done different types of Social Work for 21 years. I'm guessing the pay is nowhere near what he is making here, but I stay at home, so maybe with both of us working I could possibly make up some of the difference. I would look for something in Healthcare. I'm specifically interested in working with the elderly which I'm assuming there are a lot of. Like I said, there is no way we would come without a job, or jobs that would pay for our needs. Thank you for the idea to get a PO Box!!

And thank you all for your replies. It relieves my mind somewhat to hear there are places where we can live quite safely.

[Hawaii4evr]

Some of my grandma's friends live in Orlando, and talk about how it has surpassed Miami in terms of crime. Again, I'm not certain about this, as I've never been to Orlando, but I'm just saying what I've heard.