[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Not having a state income tax is a huge plus and definitely helps combat Florida's low wages. You can pay up to 13.3% in state income tax in California.

Keep dreaming...salaries are often all relative and 13.3% is only for those making $1M or greater.

Most average wage earners in California are paying between 8 and 9.3% and it rises to 10.3% after $254K.

Sure not paying taxes is great, but it's often a misnomer that you will save that money as it just goes someplace else, like high property taxes and/or property insurance depending on where you live. You can now tack on high health insurance costs, which most Florida residents do not realize thanks to the high % of elderly, the young have to offset the costs so we pay more than other areas where the % is lower. This will shortly rear it's head as the ACA progresses, just wait until many Florida employers drop providing coverage and tell you to run off to the exchange and oh BTW we will not be giving you more compensation cover it.

Compared to GA or NC, yeah it's great as both those states have high income tax rates 5.8% and 6%.

Many FL employers list "No State Income Tax" in their recruiting/job listing sections as a "Benefit", but what they don't tell you is often the salary might be substantially lower and also that after everything, you will not see much gain or worse yet the salary you accepted might be the extent of it for a number of years, no reviews or raises and salary freezes are common.

Texas though does not seem to advertise this, it's just part of the deal and they have a much better job market than Florida as well in STEM.

Also the allure of a no state income tax has not been proven to want to make people move here or any other state that does not have it.

Even my native state of PA has only 3.07% state income tax rate but we have high property taxes which pays the teachers well and the public schools in my area outside of Philly are leaps and bounds ahead of what most public schools can deliver here.

Salaries are much higher to offset that in PA, so much so I have classmates who have not left the area primarily because of this and most if they even attempted to buy a house comparable to what they have $800K to $1.5M range in the Philly area, they would be looking at $10K/year taxes in PB County easily, not even considering HOA fees of at least $6K/year + if they wanted to live in a certain area.

Tax Flight Is a Myth — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

ITEP Reports

That "No State Income Tax" line, needs to have the saying attached to it...like read the fine print....

[bmw335xi]

For the hundredth time, just move here already since everything is perfect to you including paying state income taxes lol.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

For the hundredth time, just move here already since everything is perfect to you including paying state income taxes lol.

Typical response, no facts just pure BS...

[Travelassie]

[quote=THX 1138;37672100]Keep dreaming...salaries are often all relative and 13.3% is only for those making $1M or greater.

Most average wage earners in California are paying between 8 and 9.3% and it rises to 10.3% after $254K.

Sure not paying taxes is great, but it's often a misnomer that you will save that money as it just goes someplace else, like high property taxes and/or property insurance depending on where you live. You can now tack on high health insurance costs, which most Florida residents do not realize thanks to the high % of elderly, the young have to offset the costs so we pay more than other areas where the % is lower. This will shortly rear it's head as the ACA progresses, just wait until many Florida employers drop providing coverage and tell you to run off to the exchange and oh BTW we will not be giving you more compensation cover it.

Compared to GA or NC, yeah it's great as both those states have high income tax rates 5.8% and 6%.


The cost of health insurance, besides being dependent on other factors, also depends on overall medical costs in a given locale, and the rates of a given policy will depend on where the insured lives.

Medical costs are significantly higher on the southeast coast of Florida, compared to the southwest, and northern Florida. My daughter received a substantial cut in the costs of her individual healthcare policy when she moved from Miami to SW Florida, and they cited the reason for this was her new location- this despite her heavy use of her insurance due to ongoing serious medical problems. While I am sure there are significant numbers of older people in Miami, there are also even larger numbers of immigrants and a high indigent population who use the ER for their primary medical care and expect they'll have their medical needs taken care of for free, and this, I suspect, is why the costs of medical care are so high in Miami. SW Florida- in particular the area in which I live, has a very large population of retirees, who indeed actively use the medical services here. Yet the costs of medical care here is less, and that's reflected in the price of individual insurance policies here.

[THX 1138]

[quote=Travelassie;37672836]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

Keep dreaming...salaries are often all relative and 13.3% is only for those making $1M or greater.

Most average wage earners in California are paying between 8 and 9.3% and it rises to 10.3% after $254K.

Sure not paying taxes is great, but it's often a misnomer that you will save that money as it just goes someplace else, like high property taxes and/or property insurance depending on where you live. You can now tack on high health insurance costs, which most Florida residents do not realize thanks to the high % of elderly, the young have to offset the costs so we pay more than other areas where the % is lower. This will shortly rear it's head as the ACA progresses, just wait until many Florida employers drop providing coverage and tell you to run off to the exchange and oh BTW we will not be giving you more compensation cover it.

Compared to GA or NC, yeah it's great as both those states have high income tax rates 5.8% and 6%.


The cost of health insurance, besides being dependent on other factors, also depends on overall medical costs in a given locale, and the rates of a given policy will depend on where the insured lives.

Medical costs are significantly higher on the southeast coast of Florida, compared to the southwest, and northern Florida. My daughter received a substantial cut in the costs of her individual healthcare policy when she moved from Miami to SW Florida, and they cited the reason for this was her new location- this despite her heavy use of her insurance due to ongoing serious medical problems. While I am sure there are significant numbers of older people in Miami, there are also even larger numbers of immigrants and a high indigent population who use the ER for their primary medical care and expect they'll have their medical needs taken care of for free, and this, I suspect, is why the costs of medical care are so high in Miami. SW Florida- in particular the area in which I live, has a very large population of retirees, who indeed actively use the medical services here. Yet the costs of medical care here is less, and that's reflected in the price of individual insurance policies here.

I know it varies, but if your move here thinking your saving plenty with "No State Income Tax" and do not get company sponsored health insurance with 100% coverage or if you have a family, you can expect to pay plenty. I know my neighbor is paying over $1200+/month for himself, wife and two kids and it's not a great plan...probably higher than that now. HR managers I have spoken with said that PB County has very high rates.

According to this, Florida leads the nation in the highest amount of Employee contribution (Family), which is $1K over the US Average.

Average Family Premium per Enrolled Employee For Employer-Based Health Insurance | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

I know my firm provides 100% coverage to people who are single, so that's a win but most jobs elsewhere still provide this. For how long is the question? If you add a spouse or family, it gets' very expensive, upwards of $500+/month for a spouse and over $1K for a family.

[boston904]

Originally Posted by UKWildcat1981

I love this, this is so true. Everyone in my family moved to Florida to retire and eventually die. That is why they call Florida the Newly Wed or the Newly Dead state.

I'm not sure if you know this but people eventually die no matter where they live

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

SW FL seems to move at a much slower pace the the right coast, if you left here in 2000 and came back now, you would be in severe shock.

I left in 2012... Only 2 years ago.

[StreetLegal]

I like Florida and I would probably live there over most other states but these two were laughable:

1. Everyone is jealous of Florida's weather.
2. Florida's varying landscapes make it easy to take a vacation without ever leaving.

Not even close. Yes, South Florida's winters are great but the rest of the year in Florida is mostly miserable.

Varied landscapes? That is one of the downsides to Florida...a very dull and monotonous landscape....

[Ray Deckard]

Those naive people who relocate to Florida get what they deserve. The stifling humidity and huge bugs is almost year round and many parts of Florida have no sense of community and the attitude of "everyone is out for themselves". Low wages, heavy traffic and road road and a state chock full of low class transients and NYC /NJ guidos not to mention 3rd world immigrants over-taking most of South Florida, certainly Miami Dade. Sad .............

If you come here then expect what you get - It's NO paradise.

[StreetSmarts]

^^^ do u think Central FL will be like South FL?