[markhunt]

Originally Posted by Margel

The larger the population, the more crime you are going to have.

I'm pretty sure New York State has a larger population than Florida, but yet Florida is ranked much lower on the list when compared to New York.

Originally Posted by Lakeland Yankee

Here's a link that shows the states in order by the safest to most dangerous and North Carolina is #35 and Florida is #42 . http://os.cqpress.com/Crime%20State%202008_Safest.pdf.

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by Going-2-Florida

We are looking into moving to Florida in the future. After reading several post here it is not clear what people who live in Florida would feel is the single most important question that someone should ask before moving to Florida.

With that said jobs are not an issue as we can both transfer easily and have already checked into this.

So what question should someone looking around the state of Florida should be asking or looking into?

They should be realizing that this state is driven by tourism and it will be a totally different living experience to live here rather than just vacation here...Can you handle that?

[BornInFL]

Originally Posted by markhunt

I'm pretty sure New York State has a larger population than Florida, but yet Florida is ranked much lower on the list when compared to New York.

How can NY have a larger population when they all live down here now? LOL. Florida attracts a lot of criminals from other states. Not sure why.

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by BornInFL

How can NY have a larger population when they all live down here now? LOL. Florida attracts a lot of criminals from other states. Not sure why.

I heard a theory on why Fl attracts criminals and other lost souls. People running from life, the law, whatever start moving south. They just keep gong further and further south until they can't go any further.

This is especially true for Key West. Years ago I worked as a paramedic there. One time in the ER a nurse was flipping through a missing persons booklet with entries from all over the country. Page after page she pointed out people she recognized. It was bizarre.

[BornInFL]

"I heard a theory on why Fl attracts criminals and other lost souls. People running from life, the law, whatever start moving south. They just keep gong further and further south until they can't go any further."


Arent we so lucky to attract all these criminals? It's bad enough we attract all the malcontents and rude ppl but also some criminals! I am anxious to see what places like Orlando (forget Miami, it's already done) are going to look like (and feel like) in another 10 yrs.

[Going-2-Florida]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

No, sorry but I don't.
Florida has crime? Is that the point?
Other places don't? Is THAT the point?
Florida has "weird" crimes? OK, maybe that one.

Instead of cherrypicking what you want to see, I'll go by crime statistics to tell me, in general, what kind of crime goes on in an area, thank you very much.
STATISTICALLY, crime is no worse in most of Florida than most (not all) of the US. Many parts of Florida are a little higher, some lower, some have very little crime, some are on lists for 25 cities with most violent crime (Orlando but not Miami!?).

I don't base my opinions on "headlines" or what some random poster says on some random board or what "everyone" in North Carolina supposedely says or even what happened to me ONE time. I'll stick with crime statisitics to make an educated opinion.

I agree, certain unhappy people seem to fluff up the stats a bit to make there point.

Here is my thoughts.

Florida is no worse then other states I have lived in. Actually better!

Florida does not have more crime then states I have lived in. Actually better! ( You simply cannot count the stats with vactioneers added because I wont be moving into a town like Orlando where a huge percent is not Florida natives )

Florida's economy is no better or no worse then anyone elses.

Florida schools are not better or worse then anyone elses.

There are far better rural towns to choose from in Florida then here in Ohio by a long shot.

Florida is a full year of fun and happiness in a year, looking at cold states such as Wis, Minn, Mich, Ohio, Ind, Ill, etc there are millions of people who are suffering from depression because of the weather. Most of Florida depression comes from people who made poor choices or did not make the right choice in the first place, or did not make a choice to do something about their situation.

For those who live in Florida who post constant negatives, most of you I assume have never lived in other states like I have to see it first hand.

Sure Florida has its problems, but believe me it is no worse then any other state or town I have lived in.

Maybe some of the Florida haters need to move so they can see they were better off right where they were. Jobs are just as hard to find anywhere else across the country unless you want to move to a city that no one else wants to live just because of a job.

[Going-2-Florida]

Originally Posted by Ladywithafan

They should be realizing that this state is driven by tourism and it will be a totally different living experience to live here rather than just vacation here...Can you handle that?

I called a couple of my relatives who live in Florida and asked them to get on this board and read this post.

Yours stood out to the relative who lives in the Tampa area.

She said that you must think everyone is stupid or something.

People do make good choices and see that Florida can be both the ultimate living state with a year around vacation all in one.

She said why not live and be on vacation year around like her, her hubby and kids are?

They moved from Ohio a few years back to do just this, have a life and feel like they were on vacation at the same time. She said they have lived there for a few years now and feel lucky to be able to work, play, raise their kids and be on vacation every day of the week.

If you have lived in a cold weather state for many years you would understand this.

My kids spend 3-4 months outside a year, they hate the cold. That is just plain miserable for them and us. I can see non sporty people who do not enjoy being outside or who does not like sports like we do sitting in their homes but it is not for us anymore.

We lived in Florida for a short time, then spent another 6 weeks living their with family before moving back to Ohio.

The only reason we moved back was to be with family and let my kids grow up around family. What a huge mistake!!

Why make your kids suffer through winters they do not like just to see family members? You have to decide if your immediate family has to be unhappy just so you can be around family. We have decided as a family that it is not the right choice.

I have called the other 2 family members who live in Florida and asked them to look at this forum, one is already a member and will not post in the Florida forum because she said that most negatives are stretched beyond the truth and that sure they have negatives the same as they did here in Ohio but they moved to a rural town and are just fine and see none of this negativity in their town.

So, talking to them and reading more and more I believe we are going to choose a smaller rural town, schools and crime being a top priority for us as it would be with a move to any city in any state.

Looking at home dot com I found some homes in the Wesley Chapel area that shocked me. I can buy two homes the same size as mine for the price of my home.

All three relatives have told me that the cost of living is cheaper for them in Florida then it was in Ohio once you consider everything on paper.

One did mention having problems finding a family doctor for a while who would take new patients but that was it.

We are going-2-Florida in time and appreciate everyone's responses but I just got to believe that Florida is no more unsafe or miserable then anywhere else.

Like the relative above said, why not have your cake and eat it to and work, play and raise your family and be on vacation all at the same time.

It would be awesome to come home from work and be able to go right outside and enjoy it instead of coming home to sit on a computer or watch TV to pass time because you cannot go outside.

So how about Wesley Chapel? Rural but has plenty of amenities and of course not to far from the beach for us.

[Lakeland Yankee]

Originally Posted by Going-2-Florida

certain unhappy people seem to fluff up the stats a bit to make there point.

The stats don't lie and there's no fluff.

Maybe we are forcing all these different companies to lie about Florida just so we can have it all to ourselves.................. ........or maybe it's just not a good time to relocate and we want to warn people so they don't make a mistake .

Originally Posted by Going-2-Florida

Florida's economy is no better or no worse then anyone elses.

Here's yet another fact based link that you can use to compare different states and cities. Local Area Unemployment Statistics Home Page

[Going-2-Florida]

Originally Posted by Lakeland Yankee

The stats don't lie and there's no fluff.

Maybe we are forcing all these different companies to lie about Florida just so we can have it all to ourselves.................. ........or maybe it's just not a good time to relocate and we want to warn people so they don't make a mistake .



Here's yet another fact based link that you can use to compare different states and cities. Local Area Unemployment Statistics Home Page

What mistake would it be?

Jobs? got them ready when we want to move.

Housing, can buy it for 1/2 the price I paid for mine.

Weather, not even close.

Crime, my city is 100 time worse then any city I have looked at in Florida.
Schools, great schools were I am but there are good schools in Florida if you look around, we got a ton of your students up here at Ohio State and they do just fine in college no matter what everyone says.

Unemployment is not an issue for us.

Looking at your stats look at this.

Mich 8.7
Ohio 7.2
Kentucky 7.1
Ill 6.9
Indiana 6.2

And Florida at 6.6

All of the midwest is at the top of the heap.

I can you that I am not happy here in this miserable weather and I am going to do something about it, I do not spend my time in the Ohio forum trying to convince people not to come to Ohio because I feel if they want to try it they should. I know there are both positives and negatives here in Ohio just like there are in Florida.

[Lakeland Yankee]

Originally Posted by Going-2-Florida

Looking at your stats look at this.

Mich 8.7
Ohio 7.2
Kentucky 7.1
Ill 6.9
Indiana 6.2

And Florida at 6.6

All of the midwest is at the top of the heap.

I know, I'm the one that posted the link. I just post facts, stats, and my opinions; I really don't have anything to gain or lose if people move here or not. I let my links do the talking...........

Originally Posted by Going-2-Florida

I can tell you that I am not happy here in this miserable weather and I am going to do something about it.

You're just trading too cold for too hot and humid. I spend more time indoors in Florida than I did back home in PA. Maybe being a "half-back" is in my future..........name change ~ NC Yankee, TN Yankee............