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Here is what I've noticed-
Gas: More expensive in Colorado by 10-15 cents
Food: More expensive in Florida (you only really have one grocery store in Tampa-Publix) & not much seletion
Registration: Colorado rapes people-
Housing: Colorado
Property Taxes: Florida
Wages: Colorado hands down for the exception of a few industries-Nursing and Law-(A lot of great Universities and U of Denver is one of the top law Universities).
Utilities: Florida is way higher-
Colorado is a little higher yes but the quality of life is MUCH better-
I am currently just North of Tampa. Moving to Breckenridge in a couple of months. I find the rents to be fairly equal. In Breck....i can find a ski in/ski out one bedroom for 1200 utilities included....furnished!!
A comparable condo in the Tampa/Stpete area(waterfront) is between 900-1000. Unfurnised...no utilities. Utilities in the Tampa area are crazy...Our Electric bill on a small 1200sqft home..$220.
Fairly equal...give or take $100.
As far as food cost.....Not even a consideration....Car registration?? dosent matter....
State income tax is a bit of a hit.
Quality of life is muuuch better in Co. After seeing the crime in the Tampa area..the prostitutes...gangs...drugs and violent crimes, i am done with the area...and, i live in a nice waterfront community.
If it makes financial sense...then do it....or, make more money!!!
I am currently just North of Tampa. Moving to Breckenridge in a couple of months. I find the rents to be fairly equal. In Breck....i can find a ski in/ski out one bedroom for 1200 utilities included....furnished!!
A comparable condo in the Tampa/Stpete area(waterfront) is between 900-1000. Unfurnised...no utilities. Utilities in the Tampa area are crazy...Our Electric bill on a small 1200sqft home..$220.
Fairly equal...give or take $100.
As far as food cost.....Not even a consideration....Car registration?? dosent matter....
State income tax is a bit of a hit.
Quality of life is muuuch better in Co. After seeing the crime in the Tampa area..the prostitutes...gangs...drugs and violent crimes, i am done with the area...and, i live in a nice waterfront community.
If it makes financial sense...then do it....or, make more money!!!
You aren't telling me things I don't already know...
I love Breckenridge -I usually snowboard at least once a year there...nice.
The state income tax in CO is regressive/ a flat tax but hopefully that will be changing and the state won't be as strangled financially. Denver and Boulder have an excellent quality of life level.
I moved from West Palm Beach, FL, in December of 2012, to Colorado Springs.
I bought a 4x4 truck (used) when I got here and the insurance on my "Florida Car" AND my truck, is HALF what I was paying in Florida for just my car. To register the truck was less than $200, my son registered his 1999 Honda Prelude in FL and it cost him $352! (Not really a direct correlation, but in my experience, CO is less expensive.)
I was in WBP a week ago on business and gas prices were $3.52/gallon. In Colorado Springs the current gas price at my local station is $3.36/gallon ($0.16 cheaper)
My rent on a 2200 S.F. 4 bedroom home in Florida was $1800/mo, my rent here in Co. Springs, for a 2640 S.F. home, is only $1300 in a much nicer neighborhood than I was living in down in FL.
A drivers license in FL is $50, Colorado, $21.
The utility bill (Includes Gas, Electric, Water, Sewer) here in Colorado Springs is less than half of what I was pay FPL (Frequent Power Loss!) for just electricity. I looked at my water portion of my CO bill and it is half of what I was paying for water in FL! Making electricity, here in CO, "dirt cheap" as I see it.
My income actually went up almost $40K/year when I accepted my new position here in CO so I now have a ton more disposable income. Even with the higher taxes and state tax, I'm way ahead of the game here.
Groceries seem to me to be slightly less than I was paying the monopolistic Publix stores in FL. Meats are definitely less here!
My kids hated their school in Florida, even though it was one of the best rated schools in South Florida. They love their school here, "more than any other school we've ever been to!" My oldest son, due to moving back and forth between my and my ex's, was behind in his credits that he needed to graduate, and was able to complete 13 credits in a single school year here in CO, which enabled him to graduate as planned, instead of going to summer school in FL, plus another year of H.S.! I cannot say enough good things about the Colorado schools that I have experience with!
People drive much better here, they are definitely more courteous, and because the speed limit most everywhere is 75 MPH, we get places in record time.
Subarus, replete with endless bumper stickers on the back, and Rav4's and 4x4 pickups are probably the most popular vehicles here.
The crime rate here in Colorado Springs is half that of WPB.
People seem to be much more friendly here and nearly everyone is very health conscious and in much better physical condition. Nearly everyone has a bike rack and/or a ski rack on their car. Everyone either runs, bikes, hikes, kayaks, skis or a combination of all, plus a few more. Nearly everyone here lives a very "active" lifestyle.
Also, everyone I have met here is almost fanatical about recycling and environmental issues, as I am. The trash company will even come and knock on my door if I forget to put my can on the curb! Bet that's never even been considered in FL!
Overall, we LOVE COLORADO. We have decided that CO is "THE PLACE" for us and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we have no plans to relocate any where else, EVER! It fits our lifestyle and although we really liked Florida and the ocean and beaches, Colorado just seems better by several orders of magnitude! Even if it were more expensive for us, we would be inclined to stay in Colorado. I'm sure there are a few who would disagree with me, but to those people I say; If you think things would be better in Florida, by all means, pack up and move there. See you when you get back! LOL
Last edited by Mike from back east; 08-19-2013 at 11:20 AM..
Reason: Spacing
I moved from West Palm Beach, FL, in December of 2012, to Colorado Springs.
Wolfskull, very insightful and interesting. I am looking into Denver myself (and I live in Broward County), but all of your information was useful to me.
I read your profile and see that you're involved with polo. I didn't realize there was a polo scene in CO. I have ridden for many years and sadly horses have had to take a backseat because it has become SO expensive here in Broward. I used to own, lease & compete, but it has become impossible here to afford it. How do you find the cost of board, hay and feed in comparison to WPB?
I moved from West Palm Beach, FL, in December of 2012, to Colorado Springs.
I bought a 4x4 truck (used) when I got here and the insurance on my "Florida Car" AND my truck, is HALF what I was paying in Florida for just my car. To register the truck was less than $200, my son registered his 1999 Honda Prelude in FL and it cost him $352! (Not really a direct correlation, but in my experience, CO is less expensive.)
I was in WBP a week ago on business and gas prices were $3.52/gallon. In Colorado Springs the current gas price at my local station is $3.36/gallon ($0.16 cheaper)
My rent on a 2200 S.F. 4 bedroom home in Florida was $1800/mo, my rent here in Co. Springs, for a 2640 S.F. home, is only $1300 in a much nicer neighborhood than I was living in down in FL.
A drivers license in FL is $50, Colorado, $21.
The utility bill (Includes Gas, Electric, Water, Sewer) here in Colorado Springs is less than half of what I was pay FPL (Frequent Power Loss!) for just electricity. I looked at my water portion of my CO bill and it is half of what I was paying for water in FL! Making electricity, here in CO, "dirt cheap" as I see it.
My income actually went up almost $40K/year when I accepted my new position here in CO so I now have a ton more disposable income. Even with the higher taxes and state tax, I'm way ahead of the game here.
Groceries seem to me to be slightly less than I was paying the monopolistic Publix stores in FL. Meats are definitely less here!
My kids hated their school in Florida, even though it was one of the best rated schools in South Florida. They love their school here, "more than any other school we've ever been to!" My oldest son, due to moving back and forth between my and my ex's, was behind in his credits that he needed to graduate, and was able to complete 13 credits in a single school year here in CO, which enabled him to graduate as planned, instead of going to summer school in FL, plus another year of H.S.! I cannot say enough good things about the Colorado schools that I have experience with!
People drive much better here, they are definitely more courteous, and because the speed limit most everywhere is 75 MPH, we get places in record time.
Subarus, replete with endless bumper stickers on the back, and Rav4's and 4x4 pickups are probably the most popular vehicles here.
The crime rate here in Colorado Springs is half that of WPB.
People seem to be much more friendly here and nearly everyone is very health conscious and in much better physical condition. Nearly everyone has a bike rack and/or a ski rack on their car. Everyone either runs, bikes, hikes, kayaks, skis or a combination of all, plus a few more. Nearly everyone here lives a very "active" lifestyle.
Also, everyone I have met here is almost fanatical about recycling and environmental issues, as I am. The trash company will even come and knock on my door if I forget to put my can on the curb! Bet that's never even been considered in FL!
Overall, we LOVE COLORADO. We have decided that CO is "THE PLACE" for us and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we have no plans to relocate any where else, EVER! It fits our lifestyle and although we really liked Florida and the ocean and beaches, Colorado just seems better by several orders of magnitude! Even if it were more expensive for us, we would be inclined to stay in Colorado. I'm sure there are a few who would disagree with me, but to those people I say; If you think things would be better in Florida, by all means, pack up and move there. See you when you get back! LOL
Nice post-yes everyone believes Florida is so much cheaper-also food in Florida is more expensive and the produce in the grocery stores stink (I do not want to run around going to produce stands). And I cannot wait to actually see more then Publix as a grocery store-and selection...
I feel your pain (also no more exterminators 4x a year).
I'm glad you love Colorado...I'm moving back next weekend and I cannot wait.
...I didn't realize there was a polo scene in CO. I have ridden for many years and sadly horses have had to take a backseat because it has become SO expensive here in Broward. I used to own, lease & compete, but it has become impossible here to afford it. How do you find the cost of board, hay and feed in comparison to WPB?
I didn't realize there was anything more then "Aspen Snow Polo" here in Colorado, and I know Polo Gear in Wellington has done uniforms for the Denver 20/30's Denver Polo Classic a few times, but until I moved here, and met a few "horse people", I had no idea that the "Club Polo Scene" was as big as it was here either. Being considered somewhat of an "elitist sport", I can sort of understand this. I got more information from the USPA (uspolo.org) website on some local clubs, where I now play, as well. Season's just about over for this year though! (We've been invited to ride a couple of fox hunts though, this fall. Actually, we'll be hunting coyotes! LOL)
Yes, I had to stop playing as well when I lived in Florida because the costs became excessive, but that was when my personal economy was less as well. As far as comparisons go, I was paying upwards of $20+ (I think $24 was the most I ever paid, jeez!) for a bale of hay down there, here, good "horse hay" (25% Alfalfa) run's me $10-12/bale, delivered and stacked. I have a friend here in Co. Springs, who boards all of my horses for me for about A THIRD of what I was paying in FL and he even lets me store my "polo wagon" on his property. Grain usually runs me about $24 a bag, but I only feed the higher performance stuff to my lads and ladies as most of them are re-homed and re-trained thoroughbreds and need a few more calories to keep weight on.
We've recently begun moving everything down to the SLV to our 80 acre ranch though, so even a few of those expenses are going away. Incidentally, we are planning on building our own polo field on the ranch in hopes of promoting even more Colorado Polo! I'd love to have anyone on the forums who want's to play, or want's to learn to play, PM me. No experience needed. Once we get things set up on our ranch, we'll be giving polo lessons and holding clinics as well as club matches and ultimately a few tournaments!
Awesome, Wolfskull. I may have to take you up on that offer one day IF I eventually make it to CO. Polo has always looked like great fun (I ride H-J and would love to try fox/coyote hunting too). Kudos to you for rehoming the OTTBs, I sure hope to do that one day as well.
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(We've been invited to ride a couple of fox hunts though, this fall. Actually, we'll be hunting coyotes! LOL)
