It’s not just snowbirds and retirees: All generations are flocking to Florida for a number of reasons, including no income tax and nice weather.
About 730,000 people moved to Florida between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the latest census data available. The typical mover to Florida is not a baby boomer, but a millennial or a Gen Xer from New York and California, according to Business Insider’s Noah Sheidlower.
Cities in South Florida — like Miami or Fort Lauderdale — are often movers’ top destinations, but Orlando is sneakily gaining popularity, according to real-estate agent Freddie Smith, who moved from Los Angeles to Orlando himself in 2022.
Orlando’s housing market is booming, real-estate agent Freddie Smith said. Shay Walker
Data from moving company Pods shows that Orlando ranked third in long-distance moves in 2023, up from ninth in 2022. According to Census data, between 2017 and 2021 more than 100,000 people moved to Orange County, where Orlando is located, from a different country, state, or county — and 50,000 of those 100,000 people moved from other parts of Florida.
Orlando offers less expensive homes than other Florida cities and is still a short drive away from the beach for tranquility and relaxation, Smith said. It also has entertainment and recreation options, including concerts and sporting events, that you’d expect from a large city, one local told Business Insider.
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“Orlando is a very hot place,” said Smith, who posts about the Orlando market as well as national real-estate trends on TikTok, where he has more than 500,000 followers. “You might only think of Walt Disney World, but Orlandohas expanded so widely in the past three years that you can enjoy the tourism if you’d like, but there are so many pockets.”
Census data shows that the population is steadily growing, from 238,300 in 2010 to 307,573 in 2020. According to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Orlando ranked fifth among Florida cities in population change, with an addition of 19,415 residents from 2020 to 2023.
And while Orlando (where Redfin found the typical home sells for $394,950) might still be more affordable than Miami (where one goes for $500,000) or New York City (where it costs $800,000), its popularity has boosted the housing market.
According to a Zillow report from September, Orlando was one of the top six housing markets that gained the most value since the start of the pandemic. It was valued at $382 billion as of June 2023, up 72.3% since 2019.
South Floridians are heading north to Orlando for affordable starter homes
Orlando’s homes remain cheaper than in other large cities in Florida — which makes it a great place to buy your first house, Smith said.
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“When it comes to people who can’t get a starter home in South Florida, they’re coming to Orlando,” Smith said. “You can still grab one for $375,000-ish, maybe $350,000 if you’re lucky. That’s a huge difference compared to $700,000 in South Florida.”
A housing development in Orlando. jodi jacobson/Getty Images
It’s getting more expensive to live in Florida overall, though, thanks to rising insurance rates across the state due to the increasing risk and cost of damage from climate disasters like hurricanes and flooding. Skyrocketing homeowners insurance premiums make already-pricey cities like Miami even more costly. Insurance is getting more expensive in Central Florida as well, but the lower home prices in Orlando soften the blow.
It’s still tough for retirees and people with more modest incomes, Smith said.
“The thing that’s hurting them is the increasing HOAs, property taxes, and insurance,” he said.
Out-of-state movers are attracted to savings on bigger homes
Smith added that people from states like New York and California are making their way to Orlando to snatch up luxury homes at what they view as discounted prices.
“If you come from a place like Los Angeles, like I did, $1 million is a shoebox,” he said. “But if you move to Orlando, Florida, with $750,000 or $800,000, you’re like, ‘I get a yard? I have a pool, palm trees, and no state tax?’ So affluent neighborhoods are selling so fast here.”
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More than 140,000 of the nearly 739,000 people who moved to Florida between 2021 and 2022 came from California and New York, according to Census data.
A few examples: Native New Yorker Jenna Clark moved to Orlando in 2023 to be closer to Disney World. Mark Kaley, meanwhile, moved from New York to Orlando in 2004 for a bigger house — and found that there’s much more to Orlando than Disney.
An aerial view of Disney World in Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
If it continues on an upward trajectory, Orlando could look very different in the coming years, Smith predicted.
According to Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development data compiled by moving company MoveBuddha, Orlando ranked fourth in new home construction in 2023.
“Orlando is massive. You’ll see an entire city and community, and then you’ll see just acres and acres. There’s so much room to expand here,” Smith said. “Orlando is expanding now because of the affordability and the space to do so.”
Texas A&M vs Miami: College football playoff first round preview
Will Texas A&M’s dominant team or their inconsistent side face Miami in the playoff?
This time last year, Carson Beck had his first College Football Playoff start taken away from him due to a season-ending elbow injury in the SEC Championship game.
Fast forward a year and the veteran quarterback is set to make that long-awaited start against No. 7 Texas A&M at noon ET inside Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
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Only, it isn’t happening with the team he led to the CFP last season.
REQUIRED READING: Who’s in College Football Playoff? 12-team CFP bracket, schedule, more
Instead, it comes with No. 10 Miami, which, just like Beck, is making its debut in college football’s biggest stage.
“It’s honestly unreal to just kind of step back and look at the whole of everything that’s happened,” Beck said in a Dec. 17 interview. “And it’s surreal to get to this point, honestly and to realize everything I’ve been through and realize the adversity that I’ve had to face and overcome.”
Beck has led the Hurricanes to a 10-2 record this season and is looking to lead the program to its first CFP win. Should Miami pull off the upset against Texas A&M, the Hurricanes will advance to the Cotton Bowl CFP quarterfinal against No. 2 Ohio State on New Year’s Eve.
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Here’s a look back at why Beck transferred to Miami:
Where did Carson Beck transfer from?
Beck transferred from Georgia. He spent five seasons with the Bulldogs, with his final years coming as the starting quarterback.
REQUIRED READING: Texas A&M vs Miami predictions: Picks for CFP first-round matchup
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Why did Carson Beck transfer to Miami?
The decision by the ex-Georgia quarterback to enter the portal was a head-scratching one to an extent, largely because he announced on Dec. 28 on his social media he was declaring for the NFL draft.
“I will forever cherish the memories that have been made,” Beck wrote in that initial NFL declaration post. “Thank you Dawg Nation for the time I’ve been here and to those who’ve supported and believed in me, thank you. It’s been an incredible journey and all these moments have ultimately led me to take the next step in my football career.”
He officially announced on Jan. 9 he was entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal. He announced his decision to return home to the state of Florida to play for the Hurricanes on Jan. 10. As noted by USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes, Georgia wanted to keep Beck in Athens. One of the Bulldogs’ SEC rivals, Alabama, also showed an interest in Beck before he committed to Miami.
As for the reason behind Beck’s decision to transfer, that can likely be pointed to his season-ending elbow injury that he sustained during the SEC championship. Since he needed surgery to repair his UCL in his throwing arm, Beck wouldn’t have been able to throw during the heart of the NFL draft workout schedule with teams.
“This is my future, and I think that this decision is one of the better decisions I’ve made,” Beck said at ACC Kickoff in July. “Just trying to develop those relationships and that camaraderie, it’s just reinforced my decision in a positive way.”
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Carson Beck stats
Here’s a look at Beck’s career stats at Georgia and Miami:
2021 (Georgia): 10 of 23 passing (43.5%) for 176 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions
2022 (Georgia): 26 of 35 passing (74.3%) for 310 yards with four touchdowns
2023 (Georgia): 302 of 417 passing (72.4%) for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions; 116 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 60 carries
2024 (Georgia): 290 of 448 passing (64.7%) for 3,485 yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; 71 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 55 carries
2025 (Miami): 263 of 353 passing (74.7%) for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 39 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 38 carries
The Miami Heat will face off against the Boston Celtics, who are ahead of the Heat by half a game in the Eastern Conference standings, on Friday night.
Here are some things they will need to hone in on to end up on the other side of the game with a win:
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Be careful what you wish for: The Heat, for several years now, no matter what defensive scheme they’re deploy, are going to give up a high volume amount of threes. The Celtics, who take the fourth-highest amount of shots from three, will gladly take the Heat up on their offer. Unlike the Brooklyn Nets, who also like to take a ton of threes, the Celtics convert them at a decent clip.
The Heat will have a lot to be wary of in this aspect, as eight or nine of their ten rotation players are either high-volume three-point shooters or threats to ge them up. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Josh Minott, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh combine to shoot around 43 threes per game.
The Celtics take the lowest percentage of shots coming at the rim, with the lowest free throw rate and eighth-lowest percentage of shots coming from the short mid-range, but make them at a high level. Additionally, they take the second-highest amount of long mid-rangers and also convert those at an elite clip.
Time to break the slump: The Heat will need to hit some threes if they want to win this game. On defense, the Celtics, like the Heat, are going to play the gaps and allow opponents to take shots beyond the arc. They give up the eighth-highest percentage of opponent shots coming from three, (Heat sixth-highest).
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Since Dec. 3rd (the first loss in their recently snapped five-game losing streak), the Heat have converted just 29.4 percent of their threes. Although they got away with another stinker from three against the Nets on Thursday, that type of shooting will likely not cut it against a Celtics defense that allows the second-lowest percentage of opponent shots at the rim.
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The Celtics foul at one of the highest rates in the league, and with the Heat’s preference of taking shots in the paint combined with their recent stretch of rough three-point shooting, they will need to hit their free throws in this one. This has been a struggle for the Heat, who rank among the bottom 10 in free throw percentage in the NBA.
Possession Battle: A big part of the Celtics’ somewhat unexpected early-season success has been their ability to consistently win this aspect of the game.
They have the fourth-best offensive rating in the league, and, on top of their high-level shotmaking, they have the best turnover percentage and the fifth-best offensive rebound percentage in the league. They also do a good job of turning teams over.
The Celtics’ weak point in this aspect has been their defensive rebounding, another similarity they share with the Heat, giving up the fourth-highest offensive rebound percentage. The offensive glass is not exactly the Heat’s strong suit, but with Kel’el Ware likely starting again, they will have the opportunity to out-size them and, ideally, get extra opportunities.
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For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Man airlifted after domestic-related shooting in Miami Gardens, police say
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A man was airlifted to a hospital after being shot multiple times during a domestic-related incident in Miami Gardens, authorities said.
Police said the victim, a Latin man, is the stepfather of the suspect’s girlfriend.
Investigators believe the suspect, identified the boyfriend, had been living with the victim and his family until about three days ago.
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According to preliminary information, the suspect returned to the residence to collect personal belongings. Police said the victim attempted to speak with the suspect, and at some point during the interaction, gunfire erupted.
The victim was struck multiple times and was airlifted as a trauma patient to a hospital.
His condition is unknown.
No further information has been released.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Pablo Hernandez
Pablo Hernandez is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Cuba and has lived in Miami, Florida since 2002.
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