For a host of reasons, it became convenient for progressives to suggest that large numbers were fleeing Florida in search of a better life.
When Florida governor Ron DeSantis was a GOP presidential frontrunner, liberal Democrats dug up every scrap of information suggesting he was an ineffective governor, noting that thousands were fleeing his state as a result of his supposedly poor governance. When Trump became the GOP nominee, the attack on Trump’s adopted home state continued. Hundreds if not thousands of articles were generated implying that Trump’s adopted home state was such a disaster that there was a mass exodus. The reality is just the opposite.
To begin, the idea that Florida is losing residents is simply not true. Of course, some residents are always leaving, and others are migrating into the state, but the net result is that Florida gained 2.7 million residents (14.7%) from 2010 to 2020 — more in numeric terms than any other state except Texas. From 2019 to 2024, it is estimated that Florida’s population grew by 1.5% annually, or 7.5% altogether, and there is no indication that its population will stop growing.
Florida is well run by its respected governor. It does not impose personal income taxes (or taxes on pharmaceutical items); it offers a $50,000 homestead exemption for homeowners residing in their homes as primary residences; it has spectacular weather from October to May (and livable conditions from June through September); it is an increasingly conservative state, where personal freedom is respected; and it is very safe outside some areas within its larger cities.
If there is a mass exodus taking place, it is from California, New York, and Illinois. These states have become less attractive because of the high cost of living, crime, high taxes, regulation, and government intrusion into the lives of their citizens. The numbers do not lie: since 2020, California has lost population (200,000 from 2020 to 2022), New York has lost 1.4 million over the past decade (more than any other state), and Illinois lost 853,000 residents from 2010 to 2019 and continues to lose them.
The contrast between Florida and California is especially revealing. San Francisco and Los Angeles have become plagued with homelessness, violent crime, shoplifting, a lack of affordable housing, failing public education, a high cost of living, and intrusive governance — and these conditions are not being addressed. Rules in place to eliminate the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 will only make life in California more expensive and less free. Gov. Newsom’s talk of defying Trump’s reforms on immigration and crime won’t make things better. Despite the passage of Proposition 36 with 70% of the vote, a measure aimed at reducing crime and shoplifting, California won’t get better unless its governor and legislature enforce that proposition. In addition, Prop. 36 itself requires two previous convictions for theft before a theft under $900 is classified as a felony. Why not once and you’re out?
Furthermore, Prop. 36 treats serious drug offenses with a slap on the wrist: offenders are given the choice of “mandated treatment,” under which they receive housing, training, and psychological support, after which they will see their charges dismissed. This is not punishment; it is a cruise.
By contrast, Florida is a place of freedom and opportunity because of the fact that laws are enforced and criminals sentenced to actual punishment. Freedom and opportunity exist only when they are supported by strong protections against those criminals who would victimize the weak. Without its effective policing and protections for gun-owners, including permitless concealed carry, Florida would face even more crime than other states because its elderly population would be left at the mercy of theft or worse.
Florida boasts high employment and a low cost of living. Its public education system is rated at 25th in the U.S. for quality (despite spending close to the least) compared to California, which is ranked at number 38. Certainly, Florida’s public education system needs improvement, but it is far above that of California.
In addition, at least outside coastal areas, Florida still offers affordable housing and a relatively low cost of living, especially when one includes tax savings. The median price of a new home in San Francisco is $1.35 million. The median price of a new home in Orlando is $399,000.
For the 3.625 million retirees in the state, Florida may not be paradise, but it is better than New York, Illinois, or California. The proof of this is simply that retirees continue moving to Florida, not to more expensive, dangerous, and snowy states. Most retirees appreciate the warm year-round climate. In some parts of the state it is possible for retirees to live only on their Social Security payments. Property taxes can be quite low on a modest home. (Insurance is another matter, but insurance costs have been rising everywhere.) For those who live in gated retirement communities, life is especially safe. (The large community of 20,000 residents where I live has had one murder in the last 45 years.)
Florida also has some of the strongest laws in the country in place to protect homes and retirement income against liability lawsuits. These laws protect all Floridians, but they are especially important for retirees. Under Florida’s Homestead Exemption law, homeowners cannot lose their home in a liability lawsuit even when they are at fault in an accident. Also, under Florida law, IRAs and SEP-IRAs are protected from civil judgments. Under Florida law, “any money or other assets payable to a participant or beneficiary in a qualified retirement or profit sharing plan is exempt from creditor claims.”
Of course, there are hurricanes, and there are long, humid summers, but the damage of hurricanes is localized, mostly on the coasts, and those long, hot summers are the price we pay for spectacular winter weather. Not very long ago, a “bomb cyclone” struck the West Coast, and a major winter storm moved across the northern U.S. toward New York and New England. In Florida, so far the entire month of November has been dry, with highs in the 80s and no significant storm damage. On balance, the weather in Florida is appealing.
Despite media efforts to portray Florida as a failed state from which tens of thousands are fleeing, Florida remains a magnet for families seeking opportunity and for retirees seeking a warm, safe, affordable place to live.
The liberal media will continue to try to discredit the quality of life in Florida in an effort to undermine Trump, DeSantis, and conservatism more generally, but the reality is quite different. The fact is that Florida remains a well governed state with a booming economy and opportunity for all. That is why Florida continues to see a net inflow of population regardless of how the state is portrayed in the liberal media.
Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture.
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