Southeast
Retirees flocking to Florida as California, New York lose grip on resident seniors, study shows
Retiring Americans are flocking to Florida while California and New York are losing their grip on resident seniors, according to a new study.
HireAHelper, an online marketplace for finding moving services, recently released its third annual retiree migration study, which analyzes Census Bureau data to determine how many retirees moved in the last year, where they moved and why. It found that more than 338,000 Americans moved to retire in 2023, an increase of 44% compared to 2022.
“One of the reasons that 2023 was a big year for retirement moves has to do with the fact that housing markets have been cooling off, so home prices are a little bit lower even with mortgage rates up,” HireAHelper spokesperson and consumer advocate Miranda Marquit told Fox News Digital.
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A study found that 338,000 Americans moved to retire in 2023, an increase of 44% compared to 2022. (iStock)
“The sheer cooling off of these prices make them seem more affordable to folks, and so they’re ready to do that. Inflation has been slowing down,” she continued. “And then on top of that, Social Security benefits have been increasing because those Social Security benefits come with a cost-of-living increase.”
Marquit believes these things combined offer Americans “a little bit more flexibility and leeway to consider” a move during retirement.
Once a retiree decides to move, it’s time to select a destination, and Florida was the top choice for retirees who crossed state lines in 2023, with the Sunshine State attracting 11% of them.
“You have good weather. It’s warm, it’s sunny. During the hot, humid months, you can turn on the AC, so you have that. But then also, Florida is generally considered a lower cost-of-living state when compared to some other states,” Marquit said.
“You don’t have to worry about an income tax. So, your retirement income is not going to be taxed while you’re in retirement. And then the other thing is that Florida is usually seen as one of the states with a lower property tax… even though you’re paying property taxes there, it’s usually lower,” she said. “You’ve got this mixture of things.”
Florida was the top choice for retirees who crossed state lines in 2023, with the Sunshine State attracting 11% of them.
In addition to weather and lower costs, Florida is also thought to be a great state for older Americans to easily find their health needs because the state has been a top destination for retirees for so long.
“You’re going to have access to the health care things that you want,” Marquit said.
While Florida was the most popular destination with 11% of retirees flocking there, other states such as South Carolina also attracted older Americans.
South Carolina ranked No. 2 with 10% of all cross-state retirement moves in 2023. New Jersey and Texas each accounted for roughly 6% of such moves, while Washington ranked fifth with more than 5% of retirement moves that crossed state lines in 2023.
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HireAHelper recently released its third annual retiree migration study, which analyzes Census Bureau data to determine how many retirees moved in the last year, where they moved and why.
When it comes to where retirees fled, California topped the list with 18% of all out-of-state movers ditching the Golden State. New York ranked No. 2, with 11%, meaning nearly 30% of all retires who moved to a new state left either the Empire State or California.
Virginia finished third with 6.5% of migrant retirees ditching the state, followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania at roughly 5% apiece.
When examining which metropolitan areas across the country were most popular, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area of Florida topped the list with over 12% of retirees flocking to Dade and Broward counties.
“Our retirement survey shows that about 23% of all Americans moving to retire early were early retirees aged under 55. So, if I had to take a guess, I think those things have to do with each other. Miami-Fort Lauderdale is considered a top destination for entertainment,” Marquit said. “They want that warm weather. They want the relative low cost of living to where they might have been living before, and they want access to those entertainment options.”
El Paso, Texas ranked No. 2 with 8% of retirees heading there.
“We found those folks who moved to El Paso said they did so because of the cheaper cost of living, so they could still get access to warmer weather with a cheaper cost of living,” Marquit said. “Kansas City, Missouri was also high on the list, and folks who moved to Kansas City also cited a cheaper cost of living.”
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When examining which metropolitan areas across the country were most popular, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area of Florida topped the list. (HireAHelper )
But not every retiree is concerned about finances, and a pair of California metropolitan areas were popular despite the state being unpopular overall.
“Some of the top metro destinations in our survey were, in fact in California. Expensive places in California, San Luis Obispo and Santa Rosa were two top retirement destinations for cross-country moves,” Marquit said.
“One of the things we found when we were digging into this data, and it also applies to Miami, which is one of the more expensive places in Florida… we found that the folks that were moving to these expensive areas were folks who happen to have a higher amount of savings and pensions,” she continued. “So, they had the money to move to these expensive places.”
The study found that 16% of retirees moved to be closer to family, 11% cited health reasons, 8% wanted better housing, 6% wanted a more desirable neighborhood and 6% wanted more affordable housing. While many Americans are ditching blue states for red states, Marquit noted that politics did not come up as a top factor.
“Really what it comes down to is folks are looking at their family, their health and their finances, and they’re saying, ‘Where can I go that’s going to fit my needs in these areas? And that’s where they’re retiring,” she said.
HireAHelper used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and its Annual Social and Economic Supplements for 2023 for the study.
Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’
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An Atlanta-area police department issued a blunt notice to parents after officers claimed a child brought a vodka-based beverage to school — tucked beside Doritos in a packed lunch.
The City of South Fulton Police Department sounded off about the incident in a now-viral Facebook post, warning parents to “CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX.”
“Say Twin… Before you send them babies off to school… CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX. Because why are we getting reports of juice boxes sitting next to… Cutwater margaritas??” the department wrote.
Officials also shared a photo of the alleged lunchbox, containing what appears to be a child’s lunch, Doritos and a Cutwater Lemon Drop Martini.
The police department shared a photo of a Cutwater canned cocktail in a lunchbox. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)
“That is NOT Capri Sun. That is NOT Apple Juice. That is a whole ‘Parent had a long night’ starter pack,” the department wrote. “Now little Johnny done pulled up to 3rd period talking about: ‘Who want fruit snacks?’ knowing good and well he got a Lemon Drop Martini in the zipper pocket.”
Cutwater Lemon Drop Martinis, as found in the lunchbox, are 11% ABV ready-to-drink cocktails made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and natural flavors.
They come in 12-ounce cans, similar in appearance to a soda can.
The City of South Fulton Police Department issued a statement after the apparent mishap. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)
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The department said it understands mornings can be hectic, but issued a stern notice to parents to “TIGHTEN UP.”
“Your child shouldn’t be the only one in the cafeteria with a beverage that requires an ID,” authorities wrote. “If it says 12% ABV… it does NOT belong next to a PB&J.”
Officials also provided a “quick parent checklist,” with items including: “Homework,” “Lunch packed,” and “Alcoholic beverages.”
Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Strawberry Margarita canned cocktails. (Gado/Getty Images)
“Check the lunchbox before the Fulton County Schools Police resource officers gotta do inventory at recess,” the department added.
It is unclear if any parents or students were disciplined in relation to the mix-up.
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Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The City of South Fulton, Georgia, is a rapidly growing municipality located about 20 minutes from Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
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Southeast
Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges
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A federal prosecutor acknowledged Thursday that the decision to charge Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia two years after a routine traffic stop was “extraordinary” while defending the human smuggling case as legally justified.
Abrego Garcia, 31, has become a flash point in the national immigration debate since last March, when he was deported to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order in what Trump administration officials acknowledged was an “administrative error.”
The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration had to work to bring him back to the U.S.
After returning in June, Abrego Garcia was taken into federal custody in Nashville and detained on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee.
He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking dismissal of the charges on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, left, are accompanied by Lydia Walther-Rodriguez, right, of We Are Casa, as they leave the federal courthouse, Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A 2019 court order prevents Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge determined he faced danger from a gang that had threatened his family. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager and has been under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Abrego Garcia was accused in court records of repeated domestic violence against his wife, who alleged multiple incidents of physical abuse in protective order filings. She later withdrew the protective order request and has defended her husband publicly.
The Department of Homeland Security has also said he was living in the U.S. illegally and has alleged ties to MS-13, disputing portrayals of him as simply a “Maryland man.” His attorneys have denied the gang allegations.
Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera footage from when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding shows a calm exchange with officers. While officers discussed suspicions of smuggling among themselves — noting there were nine passengers in the vehicle — Abrego Garcia was issued only a warning.
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A woman holds a sign in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in front of the U.S. District Court in Nashville. (Getty Images )
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified Thursday that his decision to charge Abrego Garcia was based on the evidence.
“I had previously prosecuted several human smuggling cases,” McGuire said, noting that after seeing video of the traffic stop, “I was immediately struck by how similar what was being depicted in the body cam was to those investigations.”
McGuire said Abrego Garcia’s vehicle belonged to someone with “a human smuggling background” and added that the route was “suspicious.”
“It was a large number of individuals traveling in one SUV with a driver who spoke for the group. No one had luggage… the car had Texas plates… the route was suspicious,” McGuire said.
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Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrived at the federal courthouse, Thursday, for a hearing on whether the charges against him should be dismissed. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
During cross-examination, McGuire acknowledged that the timing of the charges, coming so long after the traffic stop, was “extraordinary.”
He said he had not previously been aware of the traffic stop but reiterated that nobody in the Trump administration, including the White House or the Department of Justice, pressured him to seek the indictment.
When asked about whether he might have felt pressure to prosecute the case, McGuire said, “I’m not going to do something that is wrong to keep my job.”
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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, right, and his brother Cesar Abrego Garcia, center, arrive at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
McGuire also said timing factored into charging Abrego Garcia since he was being held in El Salvador, and he did not want the indictment to go public before all senior officials were briefed on the matter.
“I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a controversial matter,” McGuire said.
U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw did not make a ruling Thursday and said he would wait to receive post-hearing briefs from attorneys by March 5 before determining whether another hearing is necessary.
Crenshaw previously found some evidence that the prosecution “may be vindictive” and that prior statements by Trump administration officials “raise cause for concern.”
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Thursday’s court appearance came after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from re-arresting Abrego Garcia into federal immigration custody on Feb. 17.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southeast
GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’
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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill to authorize the death penalty as a potential punishment for the sexual abuse of children.
“We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” Mace said in a statement.
The proposal is aptly called the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act.”
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announces she will run for South Carolina governor during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children,” Mace noted.
“This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children,” Mace added.
The bill would put capital punishment on the table as an option to punish those who sexually abuse children.
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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., attends the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“INTRODUCING: The Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to amend Title 18 to authorize the death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It will also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child,” she said in a post on X.
“We’ve spent months fighting to expose Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful predators. We’ve demanded accountability and pushed for transparency. Now we’re making sure anyone who rapes a child faces the ultimate consequence,” she noted.
Mace has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021.
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