Is it worth moving from New York to Florida?
For many households the numbers favor Florida, but not by as much as the income tax headline suggests. You stop paying New York State income tax (and New York City tax if you lived in the five boroughs), Florida's effective property tax rate is lower, and the typical home costs less. Against that, the average Florida homeowners premium was the highest in the country in the latest state comparison, you will almost certainly need a car, and New York will keep taxing you as a resident until you can prove you left.
Home prices are also moving in opposite directions. Zillow's typical New York home value rose 5.6% in the year to August 2026, while Florida's fell 1.5%. That gap matters if you sell in New York and buy in Florida in the same season: you sell into a rising market and buy into a softer one.
New York vs Florida: taxes, home values and insurance
| Measure | New York | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax (2026) | 3.9% to 10.9% (top rate over $25 million) | None |
| Local income tax | NYC residents add 3.078% to 3.876% | None |
| Effective property tax rate (2024) | 1.30% (11th highest) | 0.78% (27th) |
| Zillow typical home value (Aug 2026) | $526,714 | $375,470 |
| 1-year change in typical value | +5.6% | -1.5% |
| Average homeowners premium (NAIC, 2022) | $1,628 | $2,677 (highest in the US) |
State and city income tax
New York's 2025 rate schedule starts at 4% and climbs to 9.65% above $1,077,550 of taxable income for a single filer, 10.3% above $5 million and 10.9% above $25 million. The Tax Foundation's 2026 table shows the bottom rate cut to 3.9%. New York City residents pay a separate city tax on top, from 3.078% to 3.876% in the 2025 schedule. Florida has no personal income tax at all, so for a single filer with $150,000 of New York taxable income the saving is the whole state bill, and the city bill as well if you lived in the city.
Property tax
The Tax Foundation puts New York's effective rate on owner-occupied homes at 1.30% for 2024 against 0.78% in Florida. On a $400,000 home that is roughly $5,200 a year at New York's average rate and $3,120 at Florida's, before any exemption. Florida's actual bill depends on the county and city millage, which you can compare on our Florida property tax guide. Once you own and live in the home on January 1, the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap cut the Florida figure further.
Home values
Zillow's statewide typical value is $526,714 in New York and $375,470 in Florida for August 2026. Statewide New York figures blend Manhattan with upstate towns, so compare your own sale price with the county you are moving to. The counties New Yorkers pick most often, listed below, range from $335,409 in Lee County to $521,012 in Miami-Dade.
Homeowners insurance
This is where the savings shrink. National Association of Insurance Commissioners data for 2022, the latest year the Insurance Information Institute publishes by state, shows an average homeowners premium of $2,677 in Florida against $1,628 in New York. Florida's figure does not include flood insurance, which is a separate policy. Get quotes on a specific address before you commit, and ask about wind mitigation credits. Our Florida homeowners insurance guide covers how premiums are set.
Sales tax
Florida's state sales tax is 6%, and many counties add a discretionary surtax on top, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. Check the county rate where you plan to shop and register a car.
What part of Florida do New Yorkers move to?
Southeast Florida first, then Orlando and Tampa. Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 puts the yearly flow from New York into Florida at about 61,299 people, and more than a quarter of them went to the three southeast counties of Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward. These are survey estimates with margins of error, so treat small differences between counties as noise.
| Florida county | Movers from New York per year (2016-2020) | Share of New York movers | Zillow typical value (Aug 2026) | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach | 7,603 | 12.4% | $474,416 | +1.2% |
| Miami-Dade | 5,157 | 8.4% | $521,012 | 0.0% |
| Broward | 5,115 | 8.3% | $423,492 | -2.1% |
| Orange | 4,477 | 7.3% | $400,602 | -1.2% |
| Hillsborough | 4,473 | 7.3% | $377,121 | -1.4% |
| Osceola | 2,991 | 4.9% | $359,490 | -3.2% |
| Lee | 2,927 | 4.8% | $335,409 | -4.4% |
| Pinellas | 2,527 | 4.1% | $370,534 | -0.8% |
Palm Beach County and Boca Raton
Palm Beach County drew more New York movers than any other Florida county, and it is the only county on this list where Zillow's typical value rose over the year (+1.2%). In Boca Raton the typical value is $576,824, up 3.7%, which is closer to New York suburban pricing than most of Florida. If you are coming from a co-op or condo, the Boca Raton condo guide covers association fees and inspections, and the Palm Beach County property tax page shows the millage.
Miami-Dade and Broward
Together these two counties took about 16.7% of New York movers. They are the most urban part of the state and typical values are high: $521,012 in Miami-Dade and $423,492 in Broward. Bright Florida Homes does not yet have city guides here, so use county property appraiser sites for tax and flood data.
Orlando and Osceola County
Orange and Osceola counties together drew about 12.2% of New York movers. Orlando's typical value is $371,120. West of the city, Winter Garden runs higher at $566,535, and many newer communities there carry CDD or HOA fees to check.
Tampa Bay
Hillsborough and Pinellas took about 11.4%. Tampa's typical value is $377,566, almost exactly the statewide figure, and the Tampa neighborhoods guide compares areas from South Tampa to New Tampa.
Southwest Florida
Lee County is the value end of the list at $335,409, down 4.4% over the year. In Cape Coral, where the typical value is $335,825, canals make flood zones part of the price check, so read the Cape Coral flood zone guide before you price insurance.
If you move to Florida, will you still pay New York taxes?
Possibly, for years, if New York decides you never really left. New York treats you as a resident for income tax in either of two ways, and moving your furniture does not end either one automatically.
Domicile: the test you have to break
New York defines domicile as your permanent and primary home, the place you intend to return to. The Department of Taxation and Finance says your New York domicile does not change until you show with clear and convincing evidence that you abandoned it and set up a new one elsewhere. It also says plainly that filing a certificate of domicile or registering to vote in the new state is not enough on its own. You have to shift the focus of your life to Florida.
Statutory residency: the 184-day trap
Even with a Florida domicile, you are taxed as a New York resident if you keep a permanent place of abode in New York for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more in the state. Any part of a day counts as a day, and you do not have to sleep at the New York home for the day to count. If you keep an apartment in the city or a house upstate, keep a day-by-day log with evidence such as card statements and travel records.
What New York auditors look at
New York's Nonresident Audit Guidelines (December 2021) weigh five primary factors: your home, active business involvement, time spent in each place, items that are "near and dear" (family heirlooms, art, collections, pets), and family connections. Paperwork such as voter registration counts for less than these five factors. In practice that means moving the things you care about, selling or renting out the New York home, and not running your business day to day from New York.
Income New York can still tax
As a nonresident, New York can still tax income from New York sources, such as rent from a property you keep there or wages for days you work in the state. You file a part-year resident return for the year you move. A tax adviser who handles New York residency cases is worth paying for if your income or New York ties are large.
How to establish Florida domicile
Florida's side is simpler than New York's, and doing it promptly builds the paper trail New York will ask for.
Declaration of Domicile
Under section 222.17 of the Florida Statutes you can file a sworn Declaration of Domicile with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you live. It states your Florida address, the city, county and state where you formerly lived, and that you are a bona fide Florida resident. The clerk charges a service fee. It is useful evidence, but as New York's own guidance says, it does not settle your domicile by itself.
Driver's license, tag and voter registration
Florida law requires a Florida driver's license within 30 days of starting work or enrolling children in a Florida public school (s. 322.031) and Florida registration for your car within 10 days (s. 320.38). Titling a car from out of state needs a VIN inspection (s. 319.23), and a $225 fee applies to many first-time Florida registrations (s. 320.072). Florida car insurance must include $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability. Once you have a Florida license number you can register to vote online, and books close 29 days before each election.
Homestead exemption
If you own the home and make it your permanent residence on January 1, apply to the county property appraiser by March 1. The exemption can take up to $51,411 off the assessed value for 2026, and after the first year the Save Our Homes cap limits assessment increases to the lower of 3% or inflation (2.7% for 2026). Claiming homestead in Florida while keeping a primary-residence tax benefit on a New York home sends conflicting signals, so cancel the New York one. Details are in the Florida homestead exemption guide.
What it costs to move from New York to Florida
Movers, containers and trucks
moveBuddha's 2026 route data, based on 960 quotes over an average 1,150 miles, puts a 2 to 3 bedroom move at $2,450 to $5,780 with full-service movers, $1,670 to $3,390 with a moving container, and $880 to $1,780 for a rental truck before fuel and hotels. Studios and one-bedrooms start at $1,170 with full-service movers. Before you book, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration advises checking that the mover is registered and has a USDOT number, and getting its booklet, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.
First-year Florida costs to budget
Budget for a full year of homeowners insurance at closing, flood insurance if the lender or your zone calls for it, a car if you are leaving a transit-based life, and HOA, condo or CDD fees in newer communities. Our Florida closing costs guide lists what buyers pay at the table.
A New York to Florida moving timeline
Three months out
Decide what happens to the New York home. Selling makes the cleanest break for residency; renting it out keeps New York-source income on your return. Start insurance quotes on the Florida addresses you are considering, since cost and availability can change a budget.
Moving month
Book movers several weeks ahead and get a written binding or non-binding estimate. Move your near-and-dear items with you rather than leaving them in storage in New York.
First 30 days in Florida
Get the Florida license and tag, file the Declaration of Domicile, register to vote, move bank, doctor and professional ties, and update your address with the IRS and Social Security.
By January 1 and March 1
Be living in the home on January 1, then file for homestead by March 1. File your New York part-year return the following spring.
What changes day to day
The big shifts are weather and transport. Florida summers are long, hot and humid, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so you will want a storm plan and shutters or impact windows. Outside Miami and parts of Broward and Palm Beach, daily life means driving. On the upside, you lose snow shovelling, heating bills and, for city movers, alternate-side parking.
Should you move from New York to Florida?
- Work out your real New York State and city tax saving on last year's return.
- Get insurance quotes on actual Florida addresses, including flood.
- Compare your New York sale price with the typical value in your target county.
- Decide whether you can keep New York days under 184 if you keep a home there.
- Visit in August, not just February.
- Ask us to introduce you to a local agent in the county you choose.
Common questions
Is it worth moving from NY to Florida?+
Financially it often is: you drop New York's 3.9% to 10.9% state income tax and any New York City tax, Florida's effective property tax rate is 0.78% against New York's 1.30%, and Zillow's typical Florida home value is $151,244 lower. The offsets are homeowners insurance, which averaged $2,677 in Florida in 2022 against $1,628 in New York, hurricane risk and car dependence.
If I move to Florida, will I still have to pay NY taxes?+
Only if New York still treats you as a resident or you have New York-source income. You stay a resident if you keep your New York domicile, or if you keep a permanent place of abode there and spend 184 or more days in the state. Rent from New York property and wages for days worked in New York stay taxable after you leave.
What part of Florida do New Yorkers move to?+
Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 shows Palm Beach County as the top destination, with about 12.4% of New York movers, followed by Miami-Dade (8.4%), Broward (8.3%), Orange (7.3%) and Hillsborough (7.3%). Osceola, Lee and Pinellas counties round out the top eight.
Are New Yorkers still moving to Florida?+
Yes. The Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimates that about 50,661 people moved from New York to Florida that year, more than from any other state, while about 28,080 moved the other way. Florida was the second most common destination for people leaving New York, behind New Jersey.
Does a Florida Declaration of Domicile stop New York taxing me?+
No, not on its own. New York's tax department says filing a certificate of domicile or registering to vote in a new state is not enough. It looks at your home, business activity, time, near-and-dear items and family ties. The declaration helps as evidence, alongside actually selling or leaving your New York home and moving your life to Florida.
How much does it cost to move from New York to Florida?+
moveBuddha's 2026 quote data puts a 2 to 3 bedroom move at $2,450 to $5,780 with full-service movers, $1,670 to $3,390 with a moving container and $880 to $1,780 for a rental truck, over an average distance of 1,150 miles. Fuel, lodging, packing and storage add to the truck and container figures.
Sources
- Zillow Research: Home Value Index (ZHVI), August 2026
- Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: 2025 IT-201 instructions, tax rate schedules
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: Nonresident and part-year resident FAQs
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: Nonresident Audit Guidelines (December 2021)
- Tax Foundation: Property Taxes by State and County, 2026 (2024 effective rates)
- Insurance Information Institute: Facts + Statistics, Homeowners and Renters Insurance (NAIC 2022 premiums)
- U.S. Census Bureau: State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024 ACS 1-year
- U.S. Census Bureau: County-to-County Migration Flows, 2016-2020 ACS
- Florida Statutes s. 222.17: Manifesting and evidencing domicile in Florida
- Florida Statutes s. 322.031: Nonresident; when license required
- Florida Statutes s. 320.38: When nonresident exemption not allowed
- Florida Statutes s. 319.23: Application for certificate of title (VIN check)
- Florida Statutes s. 320.072: Additional fee on initial registration
- Florida Statutes s. 324.022: Minimum property damage liability
- Florida Statutes s. 627.736: Personal injury protection benefits
- Florida Statutes s. 97.055: Registration books; when closed for an election
- Florida Statutes s. 97.0525: Online voter registration
- Florida Statutes s. 196.031: Exemption of homesteads
- Florida Statutes s. 196.011: Annual application required for exemption
- Florida Department of Revenue: Property tax exemptions for homeowners
- Florida Department of Revenue: Additional homestead exemption annual increase (rev. Jan 2026)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Save Our Homes annual increase
- Florida Department of Revenue: Sales and use tax
- NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
- moveBuddha: Moving from New York to Florida (2026 cost data)
- FMCSA Protect Your Move: Moving checklist (archived May 2026)