FL is now one of the least affordable states in the USA.

As are other taxes thst hit the poor the hardest.

I lived in Florida from 2003-2009, moving there from SW Missouri. I lived in Tallahassee, hardly "vacation Florida." For what I paid for a beautiful two story 1920s duplex in a charming neighborhood in SW Missouri, I got a trashy two bedroom apartment in a terrible area there. Food, utilities, basically everything was markedly more expensive. There were aspects that I liked, like a far more diverse and liberal population, but between the humidity and the cost of living, it was just not worth it to me.

Moving to FL from the SF Bay Area, everything is a lot cheaper in FL.

To buy a house like my FL house, on the water with a boat dock in the back yard, anywhere near San Francisco I would have had to add $2-$3 million to the purchase price. Property taxes & homeowners insurance are much lower. Gas & electric average around $60-$80 a month instead of around $300 for most people. Sales tax is 2.25% lower. And of course instead of paying $4,000+ in state income tax I pay $0.

I guess it's only affordable if you come from one of the most expensive places in the US.