Moving from Pennsylvania to Florida: taxes, costs, cities

Is it more expensive to live in PA or Florida?

Housing in Florida costs more; taxes in Florida cost less. Which effect wins depends mostly on how much you earn and whether you carry a mortgage.

Housing and insurance cost more in Florida

The typical Florida home, at $375,470 in August 2026, is $85,069 above Pennsylvania's $290,401 on Zillow's data. Pennsylvania values rose 2.4% over the year while Florida's fell 1.5%. Insurance is the bigger surprise: NAIC data for 2022, published by the Insurance Information Institute, puts the average homeowners premium at $1,120 in Pennsylvania and $2,677 in Florida, the highest in the nation.

Taxes cost less in Florida

Pennsylvania taxes income at a flat 3.07%, about $2,456 on $80,000 of taxable compensation, and municipalities and school districts can add a local earned income tax that employers withhold. The Tax Foundation estimates Pennsylvania's local income taxes average 0.99% of adjusted gross income. Florida has no state or local personal income tax. Using that average, a household with $80,000 of income pays roughly $3,250 a year in combined state and local income tax that it would not owe in Florida.

The owner's bill: a worked comparison

For a typical home bought for cash, property tax plus insurance comes to about $4,779 a year in Pennsylvania ($3,659 tax at 1.26% plus $1,120 insurance) and about $5,606 in Florida ($2,929 at 0.78% plus $2,677). So a cash buyer pays roughly $827 more a year in Florida before the homestead exemption, and gets that back only through income tax savings. For the $80,000 household above, netting the two leaves Florida about $2,400 a year ahead. With 20% down at Freddie Mac's 7.03% average rate, the larger Florida loan adds about $5,450 a year in principal and interest on top.

Pennsylvania vs Florida in one table

	Pennsylvania	Florida
State personal income tax	3.07% flat	None
Local income tax (average share of AGI, 2023)	0.99%	None
Effective property tax rate, 2024	1.26% (12th highest)	0.78% (27th)
Zillow typical home value, Aug 2026	$290,401	$375,470
Annual change in value	+2.4%	-1.5%
Average homeowners premium, 2022	$1,120	$2,677
Weather risk that drives insurance	Winter storms, freezing pipes	Hurricane wind, storm surge, flood

Five-year price trend

Zillow's typical Pennsylvania value rose 22.3% over the five years to August 2026, slightly faster than Florida's 20.3%, so Pennsylvania has gained a little ground. Most of that came in the last year, with Pennsylvania up 2.4% and Florida down 1.5%, which helps sellers moving south.

Reading the table

Every row except home value and insurance favors Florida. The two exceptions are large, though, and they are costs you pay every year. Our Florida cost of living guide and the city cost pages, such as Jacksonville and Tampa, show rent, utilities and insurance at the local level.

Retirement income

How Pennsylvania treats your pension, IRA withdrawals or Social Security affects how much you save by leaving, and we could not confirm the current rules from the Department of Revenue for this guide. Check your last PA-40, or ask a Pennsylvania tax preparer, before you count income tax savings as a reason to move.

Where Pennsylvanians move in Florida

Pennsylvania movers spread out more than those from any other state in this series: no single county took more than 7.2% of them. Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 puts the total at about 31,785 people a year. Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and greater Orlando lead, and Palm Beach comes fifth.

At state level, Florida is the single most common destination for people leaving Pennsylvania. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimates show about 33,530 Pennsylvanians moving to Florida, ahead of New Jersey (25,902) and New York (23,152). Pennsylvania's overall loss to other states was modest by comparison with its neighbors: about 253,989 people left and 235,396 arrived, a net loss of roughly 18,600.

County	From Pennsylvania each year	% of PA movers	Zillow value, Aug 2026	Change
Hillsborough (Tampa)	2,295	7.2%	$377,121	-1.4%
Duval (Jacksonville)	2,232	7.0%	$294,579	-0.7%
Pinellas (St. Petersburg)	2,138	6.7%	$370,534	-0.8%
Orange (Orlando)	2,013	6.3%	$400,602	-1.2%
Palm Beach	1,785	5.6%	$474,416	+1.2%
Lee (Cape Coral, Fort Myers)	1,706	5.4%	$335,409	-4.4%
Seminole (Lake Mary, Sanford)	1,342	4.2%	$400,852	-0.8%
Brevard	1,330	4.2%	$341,942	-0.9%

Tampa

Hillsborough is the top county for Pennsylvania movers. Tampa's typical value is $377,566. Suburbs with their own Bright guides include Temple Terrace, Valrico and Odessa, and the Hillsborough property tax page lists city millage.

Jacksonville

Duval County is a close second, and it is the one big metro where Florida prices sit near Pennsylvania's: Jacksonville's typical value is $285,103, slightly below the Pennsylvania statewide figure. Neighborhoods range from San Marco and Riverside and Avondale near downtown to Mandarin in the south. Nearby Fleming Island is in Clay County.

Orlando and Seminole County

Orange and Seminole counties together took 10.5% of Pennsylvania movers, a larger combined share than any single county. Orlando's typical value is $371,120. In Seminole County, Lake Mary has its own guide.

Pinellas and the Gulf beaches

Pinellas County, with St. Petersburg and Clearwater, took 6.7%. Typical value is $370,534. Bright Florida Homes doesn't cover Pinellas cities yet, so use the Pinellas County property appraiser for flood and tax data on any address.

Palm Beach and Lee

Palm Beach and Lee counties took about 11% combined. Boca Raton's typical value is $576,824, the priciest option here; Cape Coral's is $335,825, after a 3.9% drop over the year.

The Space Coast

Brevard County, on the Atlantic coast east of Orlando, rounds out the top eight with 4.2% of Pennsylvania movers. Its typical value is $341,942, below the statewide figure. Bright Florida Homes has no Brevard city guides yet, so check flood zones and evacuation zones through the county's own tools.

Renting first

Because Pennsylvania movers split across so many metros, a lease can settle the choice before you buy. Zillow's typical rent in August 2026 was $1,601 in Jacksonville, $1,896 in Orlando, $1,949 in Cape Coral, $1,957 in Tampa and $2,949 in Boca Raton. You can get a Florida license and file a Declaration of Domicile as a renter; homestead has to wait until you own the home you live in on January 1.

Leaving Pennsylvania: taxes in the year you move

State return

You file a Pennsylvania PA-40 for the move year covering the part of the year you were a resident, and Pennsylvania still taxes Pennsylvania-source income after you leave, such as rent from a property you keep. Keep proof of your move date, such as the closing statement, lease and mover's bill of lading.

Local earned income tax

Under Act 32, employers with Pennsylvania worksites must withhold local earned income tax and the local services tax for employees working in the state. When you stop living and working in Pennsylvania, make sure your employer updates your address so withholding stops, and file a final local return with your tax collection district if one is required.

If you keep a Pennsylvania house

A house you keep and rent out produces Pennsylvania-source income, so you will keep filing a nonresident PA-40. A house you keep for your own use makes it harder to show your permanent home is in Florida, and Florida's homestead requires that the Florida home be your permanent residence. Decide which home is the real one, and let the paperwork follow.

If you keep working for a Pennsylvania employer

Remote workers should tell payroll the date they became Florida residents and where they physically work. Days worked at a Pennsylvania worksite can still be Pennsylvania-source wages.

What to do in Florida after you arrive

Driver's license first

Florida law gives new residents 30 days after starting work or enrolling a child in public school to get a Florida driver's license (s. 322.031). Get it early; the license number is needed for voter registration and is evidence of residence.

Title and register your car

Vehicles must be registered within 10 days in the same situations (s. 320.38). Titling an out-of-state car requires a VIN verification (s. 319.23), and a $225 fee applies to many initial Florida registrations (s. 320.072). Buy Florida auto insurance with at least $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage liability before you register.

Declaration of Domicile and voter registration

A Declaration of Domicile under s. 222.17 is a sworn statement filed with the clerk of the circuit court. It lists your Florida address and the Pennsylvania city and county you left. Then register to vote online; Florida closes registration 29 days before each election.

Homestead by March 1

If you own the home and it is your permanent residence on January 1, apply to the county property appraiser by March 1. The 2026 exemption can remove up to $51,411 of assessed value, and Save Our Homes limits future increases to 3% or the CPI change, 2.7% for 2026. Details: Florida homestead exemption.

How much would it cost to move from PA to Florida?

moveBuddha route data

moveBuddha's 2026 cost data for the 1,139-mile Pennsylvania to Florida route, from 989 quotes, puts a 2 to 3 bedroom home at $2,620 to $6,330 with full-service movers, $1,660 to $3,260 by moving container and $860 to $1,680 by rental truck. A studio or one-bedroom runs $1,230 to $4,980 with movers and a 4+ bedroom home $4,530 to $8,210. Rental trucks ran about 75% below full-service movers.

Protecting yourself

The FMCSA recommends confirming the mover is registered and has a USDOT number, checking the Better Business Bureau, asking about a dispute settlement program and noting damaged or missing items on the inventory before you sign at delivery.

Pennsylvania to Florida: a month-by-month plan

90 days out

Pick two or three candidate counties from the table above and get insurance and flood quotes on real listings in each. Get your Pennsylvania home appraised or priced by a local agent so you know what you are working with.

60 days out

Collect written estimates from movers or container companies and confirm their USDOT numbers. If you are buying, schedule the Florida inspection, including the four-point and wind mitigation reports insurers often ask for; our Florida inspection checklist explains them.

Moving week

Tell your Pennsylvania employer and local tax collector the date you stop living there. Carry records, valuables and anything irreplaceable with you rather than in the truck.

First 30 days in Florida

Driver's license, car title and registration, Declaration of Domicile and voter registration. Move your bank and doctors, and update your address with the IRS and Social Security.

January to April

Homestead application by March 1, then your part-year PA-40 and any final local return by the spring deadline.

Life after Pennsylvania: what changes

Seasons

No snow, no leaf season, and summers that start in May and run into October. Air conditioning is a year-round cost, and Florida taxes electricity at 6.95%, above its 6% general sales tax rate, so ask sellers or landlords for a year of utility bills.

Storm preparation

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Find out whether the home has impact windows or shutters, how old the roof is, and which evacuation zone it sits in. The Florida flood zones guide explains flood maps and insurance.

Communities with fees

Much new Florida housing is in planned communities with HOA dues and, often, a CDD assessment on the tax bill. Read the Florida CDD fees guide and ask for the exact figures before you sign.

Which state is better to live in, Florida or Pennsylvania?

Neither wins across the board, so decide on the lines that matter to you. Florida is better for income tax, property tax rates and winter weather. Pennsylvania is better for home prices, insurance cost and four distinct seasons. Florida's Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and summers are hot and humid for months.

It is also worth knowing that the flow runs both ways. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimates show about 33,530 people moving from Pennsylvania to Florida and about 25,048 moving from Florida to Pennsylvania, though the second figure has a wide margin of error (plus or minus 7,963).

Is it smart to move to Florida right now?

We don't predict prices. Zillow's data shows Florida values down 1.5% over the year and Pennsylvania values up 2.4%, which gives Pennsylvania sellers a slightly better exchange rate than a year ago. The deciding numbers are usually the insurance quote and the property tax bill on the specific Florida home.

Price insurance and flood cover before choosing a county.
Add up your Pennsylvania state and local income tax from last year's returns.
Compare your likely Florida purchase price with your Pennsylvania sale.
Spend time in Florida in July or August.

Common questions

Which state is better to live in, Florida or Pennsylvania?+

It depends on your priorities. Florida has no income tax and a lower effective property tax rate (0.78% against 1.26%), plus mild winters. Pennsylvania has cheaper homes (Zillow typical value $290,401 against $375,470), much cheaper homeowners insurance ($1,120 against $2,677 on 2022 averages) and no hurricane season. Visit Florida in summer before deciding.

How much would it cost to move from PA to Florida?+

moveBuddha's 2026 data for the 1,139-mile route puts a 2 to 3 bedroom home at $2,620 to $6,330 with full-service movers, $1,660 to $3,260 with a moving container and $860 to $1,680 with a rental truck. Fuel, lodging, packing materials and storage are extra on the self-move options.

Is it smart to move to Florida right now?+

We don't forecast the market. Zillow shows Florida's typical value down 1.5% in the year to August 2026 and Pennsylvania's up 2.4%, so selling in Pennsylvania and buying in Florida is a little more favorable than a year ago. Get insurance quotes on specific homes first, since insurance is the cost that most often changes the budget.

Is it more expensive to live in PA or FL?+

Housing is more expensive in Florida and taxes are cheaper. A typical Florida home costs $85,069 more on Zillow's data and insurance averaged more than twice as much in 2022, while Florida has no income tax against Pennsylvania's 3.07% plus local earned income taxes. For a cash buyer, property tax plus insurance runs about $827 a year higher in Florida on state averages.

Where do people from Pennsylvania move in Florida?+

Census county-to-county data for 2016 to 2020 shows Hillsborough County (Tampa) first with 7.2% of Pennsylvania movers, then Duval (Jacksonville) with 7.0%, Pinellas with 6.7% and Orange (Orlando) with 6.3%. Palm Beach, Lee, Seminole and Brevard counties complete the top eight.

Do I still pay Pennsylvania local earned income tax after moving to Florida?+

Not on income earned while you live and work in Florida. Pennsylvania employers withhold local earned income tax for employees working at Pennsylvania worksites, so update your address and work location with payroll when you move, and file any final local return your tax collection district requires.

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

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