Moving from California to Florida: taxes, costs, cities

Is it cheaper to live in Florida or California?

Florida is cheaper on the two biggest lines for most households, housing and income tax. It is more expensive on homeowners insurance, and slightly more expensive on property tax per dollar of home value. Because Florida homes cost about half as much, the property tax bill on a typical home still usually comes out lower in dollars.

Price direction differs too. California's typical value edged up 0.4% in the year to August 2026 while Florida's slipped 1.5%, so equity you pull out of a California sale buys more in Florida than it did a year earlier.

California vs Florida at a glance

Measure	California	Florida
State income tax (2025 and 2026)	1% to 12.3%, plus 1% on taxable income over $1 million	None
Effective property tax rate (2024)	0.70% (32nd)	0.78% (27th)
Zillow typical home value (Aug 2026)	$764,158	$375,470
Home value change, 12 months	+0.4%	-1.5%
Average homeowners premium (NAIC, 2022)	$1,492	$2,677
Main natural hazard to insure	Earthquake and wildfire	Hurricane wind and flood

Income tax: the biggest saving

California's 2025 schedule for single filers runs from 1% up to 9.3% above $72,724, 10.3% above $371,479, 11.3% above $445,771 and 12.3% above $742,953. Taxable income over $1 million also owes the 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax, which is why the Tax Foundation lists California's top rate as 13.3%. Florida levies no personal income tax, so moving your tax home ends all of that for income earned after you become a Florida resident.

A worked example

Take a single filer with $150,000 of California taxable income in 2025. The rate schedule gives $3,201.97 on the first $72,724 plus 9.3% of the $77,276 above it, about $10,389 before credits. At $100,000 of taxable income the figure is about $5,739. In Florida the state income tax line is zero at any income, so those amounts are the annual saving once you are a Florida resident for the full year.

Property tax: not a saving on rate

This surprises many Californians. The Tax Foundation's 2024 figures put California's effective rate at 0.70% and Florida's at 0.78%. Where you save is on value: 0.78% of Florida's $375,470 typical home is about $2,929 a year, against about $5,349 at 0.70% of California's $764,158. Florida's rules also cap increases on a homesteaded home, much as long-time California owners are used to, but a new purchase is assessed at market value. Our Florida property tax guide shows county millage rates.

Home prices

Florida's typical home, at $375,470, is about 49% of California's $764,158. Even the dearest large Florida county on the list below, Miami-Dade at $521,012, sits well under the California statewide figure.

Five-year trend

California prices have been the slower mover lately. Zillow's typical California value rose 13.9% over the five years to August 2026, while Florida's rose 20.3%, even after Florida's 1.5% dip in the past year. Working back from those changes, the typical Florida home was about 47% of the California price five years ago and is about 49% now, although the dollar gap has grown with California's higher base.

Insurance: a different risk, a higher bill

NAIC data for 2022 shows an average homeowners premium of $1,492 in California and $2,677 in Florida, the highest of any state. Florida policies price in hurricane wind, and flood cover is a separate policy, much as earthquake cover is separate in California. Quote a specific address before you make an offer, and read our Florida homeowners insurance guide and flood zone guide.

Sales tax and everyday costs

Florida's general sales tax rate is 6%, with county surtaxes on top in many counties. Electricity is taxed at 6.95%, according to the Florida Department of Revenue, and air conditioning runs most of the year, so check a home's recent power bills.

Where Californians settle in Florida

Californians spread across Florida more evenly than New Yorkers do, and North Florida features far more. Census county-to-county estimates for 2016 to 2020 show about 29,305 people a year moving from California to Florida. The top eight counties are below with Zillow's August 2026 values.

County	California movers a year	Share	Typical value	12-month change
Miami-Dade	2,831	9.7%	$521,012	0.0%
Broward	2,566	8.8%	$423,492	-2.1%
Duval (Jacksonville)	2,078	7.1%	$294,579	-0.7%
Palm Beach	1,886	6.4%	$474,416	+1.2%
Hillsborough (Tampa)	1,848	6.3%	$377,121	-1.4%
Orange (Orlando)	1,844	6.3%	$400,602	-1.2%
Brevard	1,554	5.3%	$341,942	-0.9%
Escambia (Pensacola)	1,242	4.2%	$281,804	+1.4%

Jacksonville and North Florida

Duval County ranks third for California movers, and Escambia County in the far west of the Panhandle makes the top eight, which neither does for New York movers. Jacksonville has a typical value of $285,103, less than 40% of the California figure. The Jacksonville neighborhoods guide covers the beaches, Riverside and newer areas such as Nocatee, and the Duval County property tax page shows the millage.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach

The southeast counties took about 25% of California movers combined. They are the priciest part of the state, and Palm Beach is the only one where values rose over the year. In Boca Raton the typical value is $576,824.

Tampa and Orlando

Hillsborough and Orange counties drew almost identical numbers. Tampa's typical value is $377,566 and Orlando's is $371,120, both close to the state figure. If you work in tech or healthcare, compare commutes on the Tampa and Orlando good-place-to-live pages.

The Space Coast

Brevard County, on the Atlantic coast east of Orlando, took 5.3% of California movers at a typical value of $341,942. Bright Florida Homes does not cover Brevard cities yet.

Leaving California residency without a dispute

California taxes residents on income from every source, so the date you stop being a resident matters. The Franchise Tax Board's Publication 1031 sets out how it decides.

The nine-month presumption

You are presumed to be a California resident for any tax year in which you spend more than nine months in the state. Spending less than that does not make you a nonresident on its own; it just removes the presumption.

Closest connections

The FTB says your state of residence is generally where you have your closest connections, and it compares ties in each state. Factors it lists include where your spouse or registered domestic partner and children live, the location of your principal residence, the state that issued your driver's license, where your vehicles are registered and where you hold professional licenses. Moving each of those to Florida in the same year makes the break easier to show.

Income California keeps taxing

As a nonresident you still owe California tax on California-source income, such as wages for work done in California or rent from a California property you keep. If you sell California real estate after you leave, expect withholding under the FTB's Form 593 rules. You file Form 540NR for the year you move.

Remote work for a California employer

If you keep a California job and work from Florida, keep records of where you work each day. Wages for days worked in California are California-source income, while days worked from your Florida home generally are not.

Keeping a California home after you move

Plenty of people moving east want to keep a foothold in California, at least for a while. It can be done, but every tie you keep is one the Franchise Tax Board can weigh against you.

If you rent it out

Rent from California property is California-source income, so you keep filing a California nonresident return for as long as you own it. The property itself is not proof of residency, but it is one more connection on the California side of the ledger, so the other factors (license, cars, spouse and children, professional licenses) need to point clearly at Florida.

If you keep it as a second home

A California house you still use is harder to square with a claim that your principal residence is in Florida. Keep your California days well under the nine-month presumption, log them, and make sure the Florida home is the one you homestead and actually live in.

If you sell after leaving

A sale after you become a Florida resident is still taxed by California as California-source income, and the escrow company will handle Form 593 withholding. Selling before you move keeps the sale on a resident-year return. A California tax adviser can tell you which timing costs less in your case.

Becoming a Florida resident: the paperwork

Florida license and car registration

Once you take a job in Florida or enroll a child in a Florida public school, you have 30 days to get a Florida driver's license (s. 322.031) and 10 days to register your vehicles (s. 320.38). An out-of-state car needs a VIN check to be titled (s. 319.23), and many first registrations carry a $225 fee (s. 320.072). Florida requires $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability, which is a different structure from a California auto policy.

Declaration of Domicile

Section 222.17 lets you swear a Declaration of Domicile before the clerk of the circuit court in your new county, naming your Florida address and the California city and county you left. It is inexpensive evidence for the closest-connections file.

Voter registration

Homestead

Own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, then file with the county property appraiser by March 1. For 2026 the exemption can take up to $51,411 off assessed value, and Save Our Homes then caps yearly assessment growth at 3% or inflation, whichever is lower (2.7% for 2026). See the Florida homestead exemption guide.

Cost and timing of a cross-country move

What movers charge on this route

This is the longest route covered in our moving guides. moveBuddha's 2026 data, from 586 quotes averaging 2,699 miles, puts a 2 to 3 bedroom home at $4,080 to $8,490 with full-service movers and a 4+ bedroom home at $7,740 to $12,900. A container runs $2,560 to $5,240 for 2 to 3 bedrooms, and a rental truck $1,610 to $3,430 before fuel and several nights of lodging. Check the mover's FMCSA registration and USDOT number before you pay a deposit.

First-year Florida costs

Beyond the move itself, budget for a year of homeowners insurance paid at closing, flood insurance if the home is in a special flood hazard area or your lender asks for it, and association fees. Many newer Florida communities also carry a CDD assessment on the property tax bill, explained in our Florida CDD fees guide. Buyers' closing costs are covered in the Florida closing costs guide.

A realistic sequence

Sell or lease the California home and set your move date. Close on the Florida home before January 1 if you want homestead that year. In the first month, handle license, tag, Declaration of Domicile and voter registration, and move bank accounts and doctors. Our how to buy a house in Florida guide covers the purchase steps, and the inspection checklist covers roof, wind mitigation and four-point reports insurers ask for.

What feels different after California

Climate

Coastal California is dry with mild summers; Florida is humid, with frequent summer thunderstorms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Plan for shutters or impact windows, a generator decision and an evacuation zone lookup.

Time zone and travel

Florida is three hours ahead of California, so West Coast family calls and remote meetings shift. Most of Florida is on Eastern time, apart from the western Panhandle, including Pensacola, which is on Central time.

Wildfire and earthquake off the list

You trade wildfire smoke and earthquake retrofits for wind and water. Elevation, roof age and flood zone replace fire zone and soil type as the things to check on every address.

Before you commit: a California-to-Florida checklist

Run last year's California return through the numbers: that is your income tax saving.
Get homeowners and flood quotes on two or three real Florida addresses before you set a budget.
Compare the property tax bill on a Florida purchase with your current California bill, not just the rates.
List every California tie (home, license, cars, accounts, professional licenses, doctors) and a date to move each one.
Spend a week in Florida in July or August.
Check the time difference against your work and family schedule.

Is it smart to move to Florida right now?

We don't forecast prices, but the current data gives buyers from California more room than in recent years. Zillow's statewide Florida value fell 1.5% over the year to August 2026, and most of the counties Californians favor are flat or down, from 0.0% in Miami-Dade to -2.1% in Broward. Insurance is the cost to pin down first. If you would like a local agent in one of these areas, we can introduce you.

Common questions

Is it cheaper to live in FL or CA?+

Florida is cheaper for housing and income tax. Zillow's typical Florida home value is $375,470 against $764,158 in California, and Florida has no personal income tax against California's 1% to 12.3%. Florida is more expensive for homeowners insurance, with a 2022 average premium of $2,677 against $1,492, and its effective property tax rate is slightly higher at 0.78% against 0.70%.

What is the #1 state people are moving out of?+

California. Adding up the Census Bureau's 2024 state-to-state estimates, about 662,000 people left California for another state that year, more than any other state, and it had the largest net loss, roughly 256,000 once arrivals are subtracted. Texas, Nevada and Arizona were the top destinations; about 36,194 Californians moved to Florida.

Are people happier in Florida or California?+

There is no official measure that settles it, and it depends on what you value. The clear differences are cost, where Florida's typical home is about half the California price, taxes, where Florida has no income tax, and climate, where Florida trades California's dry summers for humidity and hurricane season. Visiting in summer is the best test.

Do I still owe California tax after moving to Florida?+

On income from California sources, yes. That includes wages for work done in California and rent from California property. You also stay a California resident if your closest connections remain there, and you are presumed a resident in any year you spend more than nine months in the state. You file Form 540NR for the year you move.

How much does it cost to move from California to Florida?+

moveBuddha's 2026 quote data puts a 2 to 3 bedroom move at $4,080 to $8,490 with full-service movers, $2,560 to $5,240 with a moving container, and $1,610 to $3,430 for a rental truck before fuel and lodging. The average quoted distance was 2,699 miles, so expect delivery to take longer than a shorter East Coast move.

Where do Californians move in Florida?+

Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 shows Miami-Dade (9.7% of California movers), Broward (8.8%) and Duval, home to Jacksonville (7.1%), at the top, followed by Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Orange counties. Brevard on the Space Coast and Escambia around Pensacola also make the top eight.

Moving from California to Florida: costs, taxes and where to live

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