(IntegrityTimes.com) – Florida’s pandemic-induced flood of 700,000 residents has quickly dwindled by over 70 percent in less than two years. Many chose to relocate to the Sunshine State after blue states implemented authoritarian policies and kept kids out of school. The appeal of paying zero income taxes and a lower cost of living attracted 90,000 people from New York alone, according to NBC News. However, the majority gave up on the southern life for various reasons, including massive homeowner’s association fees and a skyrocket in the cost of living.
Louis Rotkowitz, a physician who moved to Florida from New York, said that most people from his home state aspire to move to Florida later in life. He and his wife purchased a home near West Palm Beach and obtained full-time employment in hopes of life being more affordable and peaceful. Rotkowitz said that even though his salary was good, they “were barely making ends meet.” He said that commuting to work was dreadful, and they were barely able to pay their bills after fees from their homeowner’s association doubled. He also took issue with Florida’s lax gun laws. The couple decided to relocate again, this time to North Carolina.
Former Connecticut resident Jodi Cummins moved near Palm Beach in 2021, hoping for a warmer climate and a laid-back lifestyle. She was shocked that temperatures could stay at 100 degrees during the night and disappointed at how expensive it was to live. In 2023, home insurance rates surged by 42 percent, reaching an average of $6,000 per year. Car insurance rates are over 50 percent more than the national average. Home prices have also increased by 60 percent since the pandemic began. Barb Carter decided to move back to Kansas after living in Florida for a year. She said that she gave up on Florida when armadillos caused $9,000 in damage to her property. Additionally, Hurricane Ian completely ruined the roof of her home, which she sold at a $40,000 loss.
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