Sorry, New York, but your former residents aren't leaving Florida

Bonnie Heatzig
·2 min read
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Bonnie Heatzig
Bonnie Heatzig

The New York Post recently published an article by Steve Cuozzo, titled “Listen up, New York — Florida sucks, and you’ll all be back in five years.”

While it’s old news that New Yorkers of all ages have been leaving the tax-ridden Empire State to move to Florida, what we have seen with certainty is that the multitudes of New Yorkers migrating to Florida since COVID are putting down roots and are here to stay.

Contrary to Cuozzo’s article, the migration to Florida is a permanent relocation, not a short-lived honeymoon. I have witnessed this as a South Florida Realtor over the last 20 years.

Aside from the obvious tax and sunshine reasons, the cost of housing in Florida is notably more affordable to people from New York, even as home prices since the pandemic have reached new highs.

Second, new construction homes are particularly popular among those new to Florida. Florida offers an abundance of new construction housing options with modern finishes and features, which is a welcome change for many who are used to years of supers and the maintenance of older apartment buildings.

Lastly, in generations past, the Florida K-12 public school system was lagging far behind New York. That is no longer the case: Florida has invested millions of dollars and instituted widely effective programs at the state and local levels, to improve the quality of public education and reduce the student to teacher ratio.

Sand castles on the beach of Pelican Landing in Naples. Florida's beaches and warm weather are just two reasons why so many New Yorkers are relocating to Florida - and they aren't likely to move back to New York.
Sand castles on the beach of Pelican Landing in Naples. Florida's beaches and warm weather are just two reasons why so many New Yorkers are relocating to Florida - and they aren't likely to move back to New York.

Florida also offers school choice, which is a huge draw for families: parents can petition or apply to send their child to a school they prefer. Add in Florida’s Bright Futures Scholars program – which rewards students based on academic and standardized test performance with scholarship money or free tuition to attend a public university in Florida – and you have multiple reasons why New Yorkers are full-swing in the Florida lifestyle.

Obviously, we live in a place where everyone enjoys the beaches and warm weather year-round, but there’s so much more to our state and the secret is out. We welcome those new to Florida who are proud to call this state their new, permanent residence.

Bonnie Heatzig is executive director of luxury sales at Douglas Elliman, based in Boca Raton.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Inexpensive housing leads New Yorkers who move to Florida to stay.