I hope people continue to move to Florida and bypass SC. Don't need the crowding or increased cost of living.

I think the “no income tax” in FL is a big reason people decide to move there.

I am a disabled veteran whose family lives on five acres of land near Edgefield South Carolina. A very very rural part of the state. Fresh air, sunshine, and no neighbors sticking their noses into your business. Unlike the NE the winters are mild. But we miss our WAWA coffee.

SC will no longer be a hidden gem once it becomes saturated just like Florida.

Very sad what happened to the beautiful Florida I once knew. 😥

Probably people in South Carolina are glad about that! 😊

I've lived in the Upstate of South Carolina for 18 years. Up until 3 years ago, I thought it was wonderful and then the rest of humanity moved here. The decades-old planning never took into account the need for road widening to accommodate the massive increase in traffic in our towns and our once pleasant, relaxed communities are now crowded with people in a hurry to get somewhere. And while I am greatly saddened to see what has happened to our former way of life in South Carolina, I visit with relatives in Florida and my heart goes out to them.

SC is already overcrowded in the coastal areas. I live in Summerville and if you like the smell of car exhaust and enjoy non stop traffic you will enjoy it here. Pretty soon the only trees left standing in this area will be in the National Forest due to all the apartments and subdivisions going up. They will fill in wetlands in a heartbeat if they can get away with it. We need a moratorium on building and some super high impact fees to slow their roll.

I believe Florida is one of few states that don't tax retirement income and has no state income tax in addition.. South Carolina has a state income tax and partially taxes retirement income. Thus tax advantage, coupled with warm weather, is a very real draw for Florida

I’m in the upstate of SC. We’ve definitely seen a lot of growth. I’m fine with more people moving to FL than SC. 😂😂😂

We moved to Amelia Island, Florida from Illinois. We looked at South Carolina, but not nearly as many beaches as Florida. Not even close. Also no state income tax in Florida. South Carolina also has a yearly vehicle tax that Florida does not.

Very Helpful! Real News Real Reporting! Thank You!😀

As a South Carolinian all I can say is thank God. I lived in FL a brief time in the early 90s and there were too many people then, couldn't imagine now, yikes!

I grew up in New England and visited South Carolina, Georgia and Florida before retiring. My husband and I felt that we would always be "Yankees" in SC and GA. We moved to Florida, which seems like a Caribbean island that forgot to break off from the U. S. Our accents don't seem out of place here. Florida isn't as "Southern" or wrapped up in the past.

We moved from So. Fla. in 2021 and never looked back. 40 years ago when I came to Florida it wasn't as crowded and unsafe as it is now. We love SC and I hope it never gets crowded like Florida did but at least it'll take many years to happen.

I relocated to Florida in 2017, and it has been great. Coastal living has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager, and Florida has given me that opportunity. But I must say that Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head are at the top of my list if I ever move again.

I looked a SC to buy a home. I had major sticker shock! High home prices, small lot size and insurance rates even for new homes were high. The more people moving to SC the more cost of living will go up just like Florida.

Here in Myrtle Beach we are exactly half way between Miami and NYC and we do have 🍁 Fall colors and Hills and Mountains in the Carolinas. We have lots of tourists in SC from Florida and one Floridian told me this as far as they can drive in one day. In SC we can go North, South and West to lots of places in an easy day drive.

Love your videos. Thank you.

Another good one, Jerry. Thanks.

I always thought it was because Florida is a vacation destination a tourist attraction and it's also the number one retirement spot and not to mention warm weather all year round.

The thing that is completely ignored in this video about Florida is Orlando (Disney, Universal, SeaWorld) and all the tourism they bring to the state and city. When Disney moved to Orlando in the 60s followed by the other theme parks in the decades that followed, it not only brought a ton of jobs but it brought in the money from the tourists. That’s what caused Florida to jump in population so quickly as compared to SC. Over 75million tourists came to Orlando alone by June of this year! That’s more than the entire state of SC gets. With the tourism comes money and jobs. Most jobs in Florida start at $15/hr so yes while the cost of living may be higher, the standard of living is higher too. The Florida economy is the best in the nation, Florida has seen more growth in sheer numbers and in % consistently over the past decade than any other state. Big businesses are moving to Florida and it’s got the best economy for small businesses and has seen record numbers of small business startups compared to anywhere else in the US. It is an attractive place to live in spite of the hurricanes because people realize hurricanes don’t hit the whole state, only a part of it; most houses in Florida are built to withstand hurricanes, and flooding and power outages are minimal in Florida compared to other states that get hurricanes. Many elderly, such as myself, prefer the perpetual summer weather in Florida and not having a winter, compared to states north of Florida, because COLD & SNOW are 4-letter words when you have arthritis. It is much preferred to have a mild 3-7 days of 50&60° weather than live anywhere that it gets cold enough to even get a dusting. Additionally, in the 60s, 70s & 80s NASA expanded incredibly in Florida bringing many high tech, high paying jobs to Florida. The Space Coast has one of the highest IQs per person of anywhere in the nation. Additionally Florida has long been a mostly purple state. While most people here have conservative to moderate leanings, they are also very tolerant of others being legal immigrant friendly, LGBT friendly, and racially friendly towards everyone. Part of that is because most Floridians aren’t idiots and realize one never knows who is a tourist and who isn’t, so they treat everyone with respect because they want the tourists to return and spend more money here. In 2018 alone the 6% tourist tax (on things like hotel rooms, souvenirs, Theme park admissions, etc) in Orange County alone was over $8Billion making Orlando & Orange County flush with cash to improve the infrastructure and beautify the city. Orange County also has one of the largest County jails in the country with a zero tolerance for anyone who visits and decides to break the law, thus keeping crime to a minimum compared so cities anywhere close to the same size. Communities in Florida, like the Villages, specifically designed around retirees, are set up to make life safe, convenient, and full of activities being far enough away from the tourists areas yet close enough to visit frequently as a Florida Resident. So whether someone is a retiree, or just starting a family, people realize Florida has so much more to offer than almost any other state. Not to mention more coastline than the rest of the Atlantic coast of the US. Beaches are never more than an hour away.

Very helpful. Thanks!

Happy to stay in Myrtlewood ❤ son lives in Tampa. Nice house etc. He hates it now. I visited last year, i said, son how do you move🤔 so many cars,people and yes the property taxes are awful. Tampa traffic reminded me of the Beltway 😱 yes i moved from Northern Virginia 7years ago never to return. Great video👍

As always Jerry, you effectively deliver the facts (pros and cons). Thank you for this and your many other informative (and entertaining) videos! Your straight forward facts and down to earth presentations are easy to listen to and understand. We purchased an ocean front condo in North Myrtle Beach back in 1999 and still have it to this day. With retirement now only a few months away, we are looking forward to spending more time at the beach and enjoying everything NMB and SC have to offer. After being a condo owner for 24 years + , we can attest to all that you are informing your viewers about to be true and factual. We have a relative and her husband move from NYC to the Pawleys Island area years ago and they have never looked back. The cost of living, real estate taxes, mild climate and low-country lifestyle led them southward to Georgetown County (south of Horry County). Thanks again for your videos and have blessed week !

Moved to Florida from Tennessee in late 90’s. Hated it. Crowds, traffic, bugs, muck fires, prices, crime, heat. Moved to upstate South Carolina 2001 and haven’t looked back. Love the people, seasons, nature, clean fresh air, culture, food, cost of living, slower pace and proximity to mountains, beaches, and larger cities if needed. By all means, do not move to upstate South Carolina!

Very helpful and straight to the point thank you

Great Video Keep Up The Great Work.

One of my best friends moved to Florida about 20 years ago. She loved it. Now she tells me she can't wait to move as soon as she can (when her youngest kid goes to college).

This is exactly why i move away from Myrtle Beach to Columbia. MB is hell to get to to work and back home. 45 min drive in the Morning, and Three Hours to get home, and it doesn't matter what time you leave, 12 noon to 8 pm.

Very helpful. Thank you Jerry 👍🏻

I live in Sarasota. I want to leave Florida due to over crowding and skyrocketing prices on everything. My wife and I are retired. Don’t forget about red tide, flesh eating bacteria, brain eating amoebas. Raw sewage in the water and my favorite, the constant 100+ degree heat. Gotta love it!

I never considered moving to Florida when I retired. I moved to East Tennessee. No income tax, no school taxes on property. Lower cost of living. It's heaven in comparison to Upstate New York. If I need the beach, it's only a six hour drive to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savanah.

I like my 4 seasons. 2 months of extreme heat and humidity in the North East is more than i could handle. I just cant wait for the cool days of Autumn and the cold of Winter to stimulate my 64 year old body. Florida would smother me.

my late maternal grandfather was a snowbird in both at different times going back to the early 90s in Tampa FL granted when him and his 2nd wife lived in South Carolina they lived in Mer beach which is a big tourist place anyway

My family and I have been visiting the Myrtle Beach area for many years. Actually we just returned from a stay in North Myrtle beach this past week. Since we are contemplating a retirement location, the Grand Strand has been tops on our list. During our stay, my wife joined a Myrtle beach facebook page and found many others who were thinking of moving as well. Some current residents were posting to the questions board and offered many suggestions and good information. Some of the suggestions included doing long term rentals before purchasing and also referenced the quality of health care in the area. This person mentioned that many current residents usually experience long waits at local hospitals due to population growth and the lack of doctors. They said that any specialized treatments may need to travel to Charlotte or Charleston. I was hoping to get your thoughts on the health care services offered along the Grand Strand. We really love the area.

You forgot to mention the obvious which is that Florida has way more number of days per year beach weather when compared to SC. When you are old any only have a short time left, this can be important.

This should be obvious, but the total cost of living should be factored. Let's say you retire and plan to withdraw $60k during your first year (adjusting for inflation thereafter). For simplicity let's also assume all the withdrawals come from your 401k, which is taxed like normal income. In FL a $60k pre-tax withdrawal means you'll net $54032, whereas in SC you'll net $51284. A difference of $2748. That might appear to make FL the clear winner until you factor in homeowners insurance, car insurance, and property taxes. All of which have skyrocketed in that state. Additionally, the cost of living index score for FL is 101.9, whereas for SC it's 96.4 (100 is average). What you save on income tax in FL can easily get dwarfed by other important costs.

Have definitely wondered this before!

very helpful and made up my mind between lake Norman / area ( NC/SC ) and charleston.

I am in a semi-rural area in SC, north of Augusta - and there are some nice people here, and I am in a less-expensive housing area, but the issue is, there is nothing here but the national lab for decently-paid employment, even the medical admnistrative jobs don't pay that great, maybe $18-20 per hour. The rents are overall fairly high here, because of it being a safer, quaint area. I am trying to leave, because I lost my job working from home, and now I am trapped in an area with few viable opportunities. I could see people retiring here, or people in the horse industry or higher paid professions, but not single administrative professionals.

Florida is now full. Keep on looking!

You the man sir. Ty.

Excellent presentation

South Carolina not only has a high income tax, but the personal property tax (auto tax), can be outrageous depending upon the county you live in. Unless you live near a large town the infrastructure and medical care isn't as good either.

I'm a proud, native South Carolinian and I can tell you exactly why more people move to FL. Florida doesn't have income tax, they have more beaches with blue water, and it is hot 365 days a year. Sure, SC is beautiful, but I'd move to FL in a second to have 12 months of summer. SC has 4 seasons and it gets below freezing a couple of times a year. I'm saving my money to move further south.

Before I moved out of NJ, I researched FL and SC. My NJ neighbors were Florida snowbirds for many years. They owned a home in Port St. Lucie. They cancelled their home insurance because it became so unaffordable. This was over a decade ago. I made a trip to the Myrtle Beach area and it felt just right. The community I moved to in Conway, SC has mostly transplants from the northeast. I know I made the right choice.

One thing I’m starting to notice is that areas like Florence in South Carolina is starting to show an increase of northerners and “halfbacks”. The area is not congested like the Grand Strand, only an hour away from Myrtle Beach. Simply not dealing with the stressors of living closer to the coast with higher insurance and traffic.

I worked in South Carolina a long time ago. South Carolina income tax sucks.

I live in Orlando Florida, We have a 3 bedroom 2 bath 1450 sq ft house. Our annual property tax is $485 a year, very reasonable. Home insurance with hurricane and flood just increased to $2050 a year, (even covers volcano lol).

Myrtle Beach seems like it's a real nice place how long are the winters I like to be 30 minutes away from the beach and love the peace of mind that you can have thanks

Just retired and getting ready to move to Ocala, Florida. We looked at SC. Aiken showed a lot of hope, but it turns out there's a plutonium dump there. We really love Beaufort and Bluffton, but it just continues to get more and more expensive.

I’m from New England I was fortunate enough to live in South Carolina on Seabrook Island they have a fabulous Marina and Pro Golf course We later moved to Vero Beach Florida we got tired of the extreme heat in summer So back to New England we went can’t beat the beauty in the Northeast

I lived in SC for a while. Some areas in SC are still stuck in the past. Their educational system is subpar and cost of living is on the high side. Florida has no state tax and a influx of northerners have moved there. Both states are subject to hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters.

People always talk about the folks driving south on 95 to Fla each day but nobody talks about all those driving back home on the other side

I moved to Tx. Bought a home. Very happy

If you keep promoting South Carolina you will make it overcrowded like Florida.

One thing I am beginning to notice is a migration back up north. I now live in Florida, (Not by choice!!!!! because of a job move) and I find more and more people leaving Florida and moving north. The biggest reason? The increasing heat and the increasing frequency of violent storms. This year I have recorded a couple weeks of over 100 degree days. I live in north central Florida and have been here for 17 years. In that time I have never seen a time where temperatures would exceed 100 degrees for weeks at a time. Florida was lower cost then where I was in Upstate NY and on par with Louisiana. But with the increases in home owner's and car insurance costs as well as property taxes when you factor all costs in Florida it is getting to where it is not much more expensive to live in upstate NY in places like Oswego or Watertown. Yes, you have a winter up there but there are no violent storms and certainly no hurricanes. Also, eventhough the growing season only lasts a few months, the soil is so much more fertile that the yield in upstate NY is as much in one month for tomatoes, peppers as for 6 months in Florida. Florida has become too hot. Period... Expect to see a mass migration out of this state over the next decade. I know I am working on leaving Florida. Even if my cost of living increases a little it will be worth it in the long run to get out of this heat and the constant threat of hurricanes and violent storms.

Retired to SC 10 years ago from Boston and never looked back. Year-round weather for golf and winter is always the middle two weeks of January. I wanted to live in a "regular" house, not a beach house. I seriously considered Florida but the hot humid summers were a turn-off. The bonus in SC was the cost of living and the government is conservatively run with no drama. It works for me but you need to know what you are looking for, so do your research.

Yes very helpful

You forgot to mention that for anyone 65 or older, GA income taxes has a nice retirement income tax deduction, so your state income taxes are likely to be lower in GA, You probably also should have mentioned that NC has relatively high income taxes.

Florida is HUGE! Didn't realize just how big it is until I moved here a couple of years ago. SO MUCH undeveloped land left. Could easily support double the population.

Same with Texas. Austin was rated as the most congested mid-sized city last year. Houston traffic and pollution are a nightmare. Forget Dallas...it's just as bad. Same with San Antonio where traffic is gridlocked even in the far outer loop.

I like living way up North with 5 months of Winter 🥶 lol

Most folks dont do their full research before they move. They hear no state income tax and warm weather in FL. Much like TX with no income tax so they go to TX but boom those high property taxes !!!

Affordability and congestion is all relative. Coming from Maryland, we’re still saving money even with higher insurance. and the traffic isn’t as bad as up north. The key with Florida is where you move there. There’s still chill areas in Florida. Hilton head would definitely be my second choice after florida though

I live in western Orlando, FL. I live in a nice 2800 square foot home with a nice screened in pool. However, my property taxes are $4900 a year. The real killer is homeowners insurance which has sky rocketed. I am now paying $7000 a year and it is killing me. I'm sure it will go up again next year. I am retired and on a fixed income. I can no longer afford to live here, so my time here is coming to a close.

Homeowner insurance premiums could be appreciably reduced, if owners partially self- insure by increasing their deductables. Financial risks of living in hurricane alley needs to be shared more by owners, if they wish to minimize substantial premium increases.

They move to Florida because it’s a “Free State.” One item that’s important is the “Age” of those moving in. Older people want the heat.

Not only does S. Carolina have a state income tax, it has a flat 7% income tax on all income over $16,000. That’s quite a problem. If I’m making $200K/Ann, that’s $14,000 a year. That’s an additional $1,166 I might as well tack on to the top of my monthly house payment.

I live in Myrtle Beach and we are currently growing faster than any FL town. We are no 1 for growth

I have been looking at lake Hartwell as a place to move in couple years however RE prices on the lake have gotten silly . Houses 350k. 3 years ago now 650k . That’s stupid . While I like the tax environment for ssi, interest income etc, they still have car tax which even RI ( a blue state ) got rid of few years ago . If I do go there will be selling my expensive cars for used cheep ones for sure.

I moved to FL in 2019 from Indiana. I don't care for cold winters anymore, South Carolina still gets cold in the winter. I moved to central FL so I can escape most of that. We might get a few nippy days in Jan-Feb and I can deal with that...

You might be thinking too hard. South Carolina has a warmer climate but I think retires from up north want no winter and lots of sun. We have winter and sometimes snow in SC. A better comparison would be FL vs Mississippi or AL.

Is there state tax in South Carolina? South Carolina's general state Sales and Use Tax rate is 6%. In certain counties, local Sales and Use Taxes are imposed in addition to the 6% state rate. The general local Sales and Use Tax collected on behalf of local jurisdictions is for school projects, road improvements, capital projects, and other purposes.

I’m a 52 year old native Floridian and now the northeastern part of the state is exploding. There are too many carpetbaggers down here and I’m ready to leave…it’s very sad.

I lived in Florida many years ago. I almost purchased a condo in Florida about 2 years ago. Now, I am sooo happy that I didn't. Crazy prices on home owner insurance ( if you can get it), flood insurance, high condo fees, etc. Now, I am checking out North & South Carolina as a place to retire too.

Florida is much hotter and humid than the Carolinas during summer. That is why there were and are so many snowbirds that live in Northern states in the summer and have places in Florida that they go to in the winter.

When considering moving to Florida narrows the scope, as it should not, to consider surrounding areas.

within South Carolina,which is better to live in ? Charleston ? Myrtle Beach ? Columbia ? or Greenville ?

Born and raised in florida but looking to get the hell out and not to sc either lol

Florida has 10 times the beaches as South Carolina. I think that pretty much explains most of the difference in population. In addition, Florida has Disney and Cape Canaveral whereas South Carolina has no equivalent. South Carolina also has very few large companies. I'm gonna guess Florida has about a dozen + fortune 500 companies based there in comparison to South Carolina's maybe 2 or 3.

I was born in Camden, SC Moved to Fla as a child and lived in Fort Lauderdale for 56 years. Moved to Greenville, SC 5 years ago and wish I had moved much sooner. Would never go back to Florida to live. Only to visit my sweet granddaughter.

Thanks you ❤❤❤❤

We moved From Boston- MA in 2016, to tarpon Springs-FL, a little paradise 40min NW From Tampa, it was the best decision we ever made. Foward 2023, We are looking to get out asap. the insurance mandates is destroying our bottom line, From 800$ to $3500 due to the Flood Ins. mandate _Property Taxes From 1200$ yearly to close to 4000$ now, it is an absurd increase that people don't Realize until they Feel it. East Tennessee is our goal

Moved to SC in 2022 from Laguna Beach, CA. LOVE the culture, history, food, all of it in the south! The Bluffton area is wonderful. Close to HHIsland, Savannah, Beaufort, and more! Charleston is an hour's drive, too. Lots of hiking and fantastic woods to explore. I have found great health care/doctors which I prefer to keep away from anyway. Dentists and eye doctors are excellent, too! Taxes are a tad high on auto, but we're saving a lot on income taxes and more just having left CA. Oh, I forgot to mention that we found a fantastic property adjacent to woods/stream, with great neighbors and it was well-priced. The home is top quality, I might add!

I think it's largely cultural and political. Most New Yorkers leaving from downstate are democrats and move to places like Palm Beach County. They want to live in a democrat stronghold. Most of them would go to North Carolina before considering South Carolina.

SE Florida is warmer in the winter, more cosmopolitan and more diverse. Charleston is great, but doesn't offer what Miami does.

Florida has no state or capital gains tax - this is critical for those that are high income or living off of investment income.

I am bred and born in South Carolina ,keep moving to Florida 🎉

thank you

I wish all my college professors taught in your format. Keep doing a good job for all of us viewers.

Florida population is not Americans it's mostly Immigrants and New Yorkers. 5 and 6 people in 1 house 🏠. Florida was nice years ago now Miami is so crazzzy only about 20% of the population are Americans

When so many people move here its really hard to enjoy South Florida. Please no more people

Next to Jerry, the best information resource on Florida is the musical artist Flo-rida.

Since South Carolina is booming does that mean that that they are growing more reasonably with better density or are they sprawling with expensive (for the state) to maintain single family homes?

I lived in a high-growth area. After a few years, it lost some of it's charm, especially with heavier traffic and higher property prices. It would be nice if NC could avoid that.

I've been to SC and I like it too and I'm now a halfback to TN actually but still also live in FL. I must say though that growing up in NJ if you went away in the summertime, good chance you'll just go to the Jersey shore, some place close. If its the winter and you want to escape winter, well, SC really isn't far enough, but FL is, right? On top of which if you are going to move, moving to FL is 'NY South' and SC is still the South and when I was growing up that difference was more marked, Northerners were much more reluctant to move to the South, likely much more so than today. And then of course FL has an entire west coast and even to this day MI, OH, IL they come to FL down 75 and they have some tendency to do Sarasota, Tampa, etc on 75, a NYer will pass through SC on 95 and when you get off in places like Fayetteville, Florence or Santee, they're perfectly reasonable places, but nothing about those places screams 'retire here' so right there many reasons why the weight of numbers just gravitated to FL.

Better check the crime rate in some of these places before you move. I live across the border in NC and some areas in southern NC and parts of SC have a high violent crime rate.

Good point.