[wondertimesscoop93644]

Let me start off by saying please don't move this. I'm vision impaired and find it difficult to maneuver around forums.


I have a nephew that lives in Florida a couple of years. But he has not said much what it is like in Florida. He is hard to catch. He keeps taking trips etc. on the go . .

So therefore I would like to ask city data some questions about Florida. I've lived in Calif. Is Florida anything like Calif.? Weather?. . If any of the same .. then what? What makes them different?
I mean they both have sunshine . And same similar fun theme parks Disney universal studios etc. .

Is there a reason to like Florida more than Calif? Such as what?

Me and my roommate are on government checks. Could we afford to live in Florida? Such as where? What counties and and cities could we afford?

Is Florida known more for sunshine, storms or equal? I mean Tampa Bay Lightning hockey makes you think much rain. . What is the mystery?

And when a hurricane arrives do those on the coast only feel that harsh wind and rain? Or do most or the whole state feel these arriving hurricanes at full force? Are there safe places not to feel them over there who try to avoid danger?. .

Please tell us of any affordable areas. What areas are more safe crime wise? And others more safe to be crime and maybe other reasons as well too.

We hope we can get some helpful answers from the Floridians. . Thanks for who is able to answer.

New member wts

[beach43ofus]

You'll hate the humidty, rain, tropical storms, Summer afternoon thunderstorms, lightning, & heat. The "feels like" temps reach 104 every day right now.

Most Californians prefer Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, & Arizona.

Florida is also high in crime. We have 750,000 convicted felons living in the state, and one of the highest crime rates.

The only cheap places to live are inland away from the coasts, where its even hotter.

Then, we have lots of critters you won't like big and small: Alligators lurking in every body of fresh water, sharks in the saltwater, man-o-war jellyfish, snapping turtles, rattle snakes, pythons, scorpions, fire ants, fruit rats, wild pigs, love bugs, red tide, blue-green algae, mosquitos, huge cockroaches & grasshoppers the size of your hand, and the omnipresent lizzards/geckos.

We have rising seas encroaching upon our shorelines, sink holes that can swallow homes, bad tap water, bad drivers, & lots of senior citizens. When Hurricanes hit (see Hurricane map link...scroll down to see all the maps), many are forced to evacuate, and many have generators for when the electricity goes out. Living here in the Summer w/o AC is unbearable.

https://www.news-press.com/story/wea...tury/91597860/

There are so many people moving here, its getting overcrowded near the coasts. During the snowbird season, our population increases by about 1/3rd, and restaurants & stores get very crowded.

The only thing worse than Florida is living up North in the Winter, time which is why so many Northerners are moving here.

[TakingItEasy]

well state, you've covered all the bases perfectly - regarding hurricanes, you never know what path it takes - if you live inland, usually you're safe from surge of the ocean/gulf - you may be asked to evacuate if you're in the direct path ---then there's the tornadoes that accompany the hurricane....no one in the state is guaranteed protection from them, really.....

[Fredesch]

Most of Florida has a lower cost of living than California by far. You should be able to find an affordable place to live in Florida. The coasts are the more expensive areas, in the middle (excluding Orlando) is usually cheaper. The Silver River area may be a place to look.

If you can deal with humidity and heat, Florida is a great place. Everyone loves our winters, it's the heat and humidity of the nearly endless summer some folks don't like.

Hurricanes go where they want. Florida is only 120 miles wide, everywhere can feel something from a hurricane. I live near the beach and our wind zone rating is 135 mph. Everywhere but a narrow strip in the center to northern peninsular Florida is in at least a 100 mph wind zone. You may find that mobile homes are very inexpensive but I would suggest avoiding mobile homes and stick built buildings. Try to find a concrete building, they survive hurricanes better.

If you need to rely on public transportation, you may have to go to more urban areas. In the Daytona Beach area Votran provides bus service which a lot of folks depend on and I haven't heard complaints about it. You should be able to find an affordable, reasonably hurricane safe apartment or condo near public transportation in Daytona Beach area.

Florida has some very good health insurance providers that have great medicare plans. I am not sure how medicaid is administered but my guess is the same providers administer medicaid as well as medicare.

Another thing you should look into is whether you can get discounts at state parks. Disabled vets get a free lifetime pass to the state parks and veterans get 25% annual park passes. You may qualify of a 50% discount on overnight stays in state parks.

Good luck. If you can deal with humidity, Florida could be a great place for you.

[cfenn006]

Florida Weather is absolute misery in the Summer. Pure heat and humidity. Winter if you is livable, depending on how far north you live can become somewhat comfortable. Rain happens spring and summer almost like clockwork, but does not help you cool off, just turns the Sauna into a Steam Room. If you like the changes in season we don't really have it. We have Spring, Summer, and Atomic Summer. Cali weather is far more comfortable. Only thing Florida has over Cali temperature wise is Ocean temp. I go diving and surfing all year round and never needed a wetsuit, even during the cold snaps, it doesn't come close to Pacific temperatures.


If you don't work for a living, and need government aid to survive you probably can't live here. You'll need a pretty good federal aid package because the state takes a very hostile stance to welfare recipient. Rent in almost all metros is between 1000-1500 a month. Smaller towns you can probably find cheaper, but that varies wildly... you could Craigslist your way into a $400 a month room rental, but as most Craigslist ventures in Florida you will have a front line seat to the Florida Man Show. Arrange your finances before you make the move, because living on your budget may not be possible.



Hurricanes are a part of life down here, just stay inside away from the windows when they hit. People on the Keys and Coastal Islands are often evacuated, mainly because flooding and emergency aid cannot be guaranteed and looting happens if left unchecked. I'll take a Hurricane over an Earthquake any day, just my Opinion.



Crime exists here as bad as Cali. You'll find some patches surrounding the Metros REAL BAD. I lived in both Central and South Florida and life in Kissimmee and Opa Locka feels more like doing time than living. You really shouldn't ask people advice on crime in Florida because the tends to migrate, crime is a game of zip codes in many cities here. I have driven through areas that remind me of Camden NJ or possibly Compton for your comparison (I'm guessing, never had the pleasure, but heard stories), but drive past 3 traffic lights and you are in nice $400k Plus Communities. You have to physically be down here and explore region. NEVER SIGN A LEASE without driving around the neighborhood extensively.

[Florida2014]

The humidity thing is overblown. Much like anything, you learn to adjust and live with it. In fact, after living here for just under a decade now I have actually learned to love the warmth and humid air. On a recent trip back to Colorado, I found the dry air to really bother me when trying to breathe and sleep.

Welcome!

[Ghaati]

Cost of living - significantly lower than the same in California. As someone mentioned - rents in metro areas tend to be around $1000-1500. But you can BUY a house outside the metro areas for under $80,000, and end up paying around $500/month in mortgage. Gas is cheaper. Groceries are somewhat less expensive but not significantly. Area attractions are definitely less expensive, but they are also not nearly as luxurious or plentiful.

You don't mention what kind of "government check" you're getting - is it welfare, or government pension, or disability...so no indication of whether you can work, or if you're retired, or even what you can afford.

"Affordability" is 100% subjective. What's affordable to me might not be affordable to you (and vice versa).

Climate is horrible. The summers are swamp-like. As someone else said there's Spring, Summer, and Atomic Summer. Although in the northernmost sections of the state is can occasionally snow, and in north central Florida the "winter" can actually get to freezing, at night for a few days. Daytime temps in the "winter" at around 50 aren't all that rare. But that only lasts a couple of weeks.

The upside is - no earthquakes and no forest fires.

As for crime, yes Florida has a lot of criminals. It's also home to 4 federal penitentiaries. So a lot of those criminals aren't native - they're just locked up here til they finish out their sentences. And then, they become EX-convicts.

Also, Florida is more likely to actually convict people than not. So where some states wouldn't convict them (and therefore not be counted among the category of "convicts"), Florida is generous with handing out that label. By extension, yes there are more convicts. That doesn't mean there are more criminals. I'm thinking it's not much different from any other coastal state in this country. The difference is what the states DO with the criminals, not whether or not there are more of them.

[EscAlaMike]

LOL @ this thread.

Y'all are mean.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

The humidity thing is overblown. Much like anything, you learn to adjust and live with it. In fact, after living here for just under a decade now I have actually learned to love the warmth and humid air. On a recent trip back to Colorado, I found the dry air to really bother me when trying to breathe and sleep.

Welcome!

If you say so. I've been near the gulf coast all of my 41 years, and I still hate the heat and humidity.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

*shortened*
You'll hate the humidty, rain, tropical storms, Summer afternoon thunderstorms, lightning, & heat.
The "feels like" temps reach 104 every day right now.

Most Californians prefer Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, & Arizona.

This entire post was excellent, imo.

You do acclimate to the heat, sun and humidity, tho...there are learned tricks to adapt, also.
Takes a year, at least.