Stuathorn

Planning a move to Florida with my USC wife. Please tell me your experiences as a Brit living in the sunshine state.

Thanks.

Noorah101

Welcome to BE. Can you be a bit more specific with your question(s)?

Rene

Stuathorn

Hi, I am interested in the standard of living as compared to the UK- utilities and groceries. I also have been told that the high humidity can be quite oppressive. I have controlled asthma.

AlphaTangoMike

You may want to specify the area that you are planning to move to and also where you are moving from (where in the UK?). FL is quite a large state and the cost and quality of living will vary depending on the area.

Guindalf

When Rene said 'be more specific', she meant a LOT more specific!

Florida, as most states, is quite large. There's a huge difference between living in the panhandle, to being in Mouse Town, to being in South Florida or even the Keys. There's inland, there's coastal, there's quiet, residential areas, there's tourist areas, etc., etc., etc.

Again, compared to where in the UK? London? Manchester? Edinburgh? Belfast? Ottery St. Mary?

What standard of living do you have now to compare it with? Wealthy? comfortable? struggling to make ends meet? What kind of employment would you be looking for? Come to that, what age are you? The humidity depends on if you're outside all day or you're able to be in a climate controlled environment.

If you use the search function, you'll find loads of information on the standard of living all over the US. Florida, along with California, is probably the highest UK-infested states in the States, but we're pretty much in all of them. There's plenty of advice (wanted AND unwanted) to be had, but you must be more specific.

Noorah101

Personally, I hate high humidity and could never live in Florida. I live in Arizona and am quite happy here with the dry climate, even though it gets over 100 in the summer. I'd rather the weather be 100 and dry, than 80 and humid.

I'm also not a fan of all the big huge bugs that come with the humidity.

Can't compare anything to the UK, though, sorry. Not from there.

Rene

jibsymalone

Humidity is pretty rough in Florida (this may well be an understatement!) and this combined with the temperature means that you will boil for at least 6 months out of the year! People (locals) have always told me that you get used to it, and admittedly I have to a point, but I doubt you really ever get fully "used to it".

Groceries and the like will vary a lot depending on where in Florida you actually are. There will be a difference say between the grocery prices in Mousetown (Orlando) and say Jacksonville, with Orlando's prices nearing the higher end of the spectrum. On the whole I find groceries to run high in the US. That being said I haven't been back to the UK in nearly a decade, so the disparity between the two may not be as wide as I believe. The actual supermarket you use can also have a dramatic effect on pricing also.

Electricity bill will be a lot higher than the UK due to the fact you will be running your air conditioning running most of the year, which likes to gobble up those kW's. Mains gas does not seem to be a common utility to have here in Florida, most people will use large propane tanks if they happen to have a gas stove or boiler. Water bills vary a lot also, depending on where you are and the type of accommodation you live in. I personally don't (and a lot don't) actually have a water bill as I have a personal well and septic system. The only cost therefor is the electricity to run my water pump, and the cost of a septic pump out every 3-5 years. Again it is hard to make any further comparisons without more info. If you are moving from a 1 bed flat to a 3000+ Sq Ft house then all your bills are going to be substantially higher than what you pay now.

Duncan Roberts

That might change. People I know who have asthma and have gone to Florida all have issues with flair ups, some minor annoyance and some that required hospitalization.

Noorah101

Is your USC wife from Florida herself?

Rene

Stuathorn

The area of Florida I am looking at is around Orlando or Tampa. The property will be a 3 bedroom bungalow/ranch about 1500sqft. My wife is from the Midwest but used to winters in Florida (vacationed there as a child). Thanks for all the replies so far.

jibsymalone

FIFY!

Jerseygirl

I normally get very mild asthma after a cold...but the first time I went to Florida I had the worst flare up I've ever had. The AC seemed to make it worse.

MMcD

As "a USC wife" I could never (happily) live in "the sunshine state".
It's flatness tips me over.

But obviously - that's subjective... (don't want to sound categoric)

Bob

Massive state, so a pointless question, unless you've got a area in minid.

city-data.com might also be a good start.

Sally Redux

Just trying to think which category Ray fits into.