Would you rather live in Florida or California and why?

Would you rather live in Florida or California and why?

ad by Atlassian, Inc.
Do you know the seven remote work sins?
Most of us have been thrust into remote work recently. There are 7 things to avoid at all costs.
Learn More
47 Answers
Tracey Wilson
Tracey Wilson, BACJ, psychology enthusiast, Navy veteran, entrepreneur
Updated Feb 11 2019 · Author has 65 answers and 152.2k answer views

I moved from San Diego to Tampa three years ago. My husbands employer offered him a job in which he could advance and keep his CA salary. We looked at the homes available for what we were paying in San Diego and we could double the sq footage and have a nice yard.

So we moved. We had visited Florida in aviation school while in the navy so we had somewhat of an idea. As we drove from one coast to the other we hit Dallas and that’s when the landscape started to get green. The further east we got the taller the grass and trees. Once in Alabama the bush was thick as well as the air. It was August one of the most humid times of year. San Diego has 20% humidity and the south east is 75% on average. It’s like the air is hugging you. I’ve lived in a desert climate my whole life and I actually don’t mind the moisture. The bugs are annoying as soon as the sun begins to set the mosquitoes come out and every spring kissing bugs swarm. I had never seen lightning bugs before and so many variations of dragon flys. Deer graze near my back yard, bob cats lay near the tree line, bunny’s hop on by, the baby gator watches from the pond and I love every bit of it.

I recently went back home to visit friends. I was having panic attacks because of how much traffic there was, all the people on top of each other and the fires… I don’t miss the fires! I’ll take a hurricane watch any day!

Two things I miss about Cali, food, the Mexican food! Omg there is crap out here called Tex mex and it’s horrible. A few good places but nothing like home. Sushi is behind like 20 years cus every roll has cream cheese, there isn’t much to choose from in fusion or mom and pop places.

The second thing is the culture or lack of it. I miss seeing people from all over the world like in California. Its mostly white here with some from the Caribbean.

Politically it’s a republican state. We drove passed many anti abortion billboards and there’s a church nearby no matter where you are.

They don’t seem to care about the environment. They dump waste into the Lake Okeechobee and it causes horrible red tide that kills tons of sea life. I’ve noticed they can’t have debates in life and it’s complexity outside of the Bible. The entertainment is mostly going out to eat and drink. Fashion is shorts, flops and a tank.

Oh and car insurance is 3x the cost so get quotes ahead of time. Groceries are slightly higher as well since most is shipped from California, Washington and Arizona . I bought a home for what I was paying to rent a town house however the property tax HOA and CDD fees are a bit extreme.

The beach clearwater and south are gorgeous! Some in the pan handle are gorgeous too. Warm waters allow swimming almost year round. If you can swim in the ocean in Cali you can swim year round here. The trips to the Caribbean are so cheap from here as well as Europe.

Lots of info I know. I hope it helps your choice. Would I do it again? Maybe not buying the house, because I don’t necessarily think like a republican. I don’t know if I want to go back to Southern California either. I have a California mentality and I’m accustomed to concerns about health and the environment. Here sweet tea is life along with fried food. Along with pesticides and fertilizers for a lawn growing on beach sand.
103.4k views · View 360 Upvoters · View Sharers
Related Questions
More Answers Below

What are the pros and cons of moving to Florida from California?
Why is Florida talked about as a horrible place? I've never been there as I am from UK, but on TV shows and stuff they always say how horrible...
What would be the best place to live in Florida as of 2020?
Where is it better to live, Florida or California?
Why do some Americans hate Florida?Living in Britain, so Florida, to me, sounds like a great vacation destination. Most Americans I talk to of...

Justin Mark
Justin Mark
Updated Aug 6, 2019 · Upvoted by Ana Southerington, lives in Florida (1984-present)

I’ve lived in San Diego and currently live in St. Petersburg Florida (by way of Austin and Chicago before that… I also live part of the year abroad).

If you are rich and can afford it Southern California is hard to beat. Otherwise, Florida (Tampa/St. Petersburg ) is a better option. If both were cars, California would be a Ferrari, whereas Florida would be something like a Lexus sedan.. both great vehicles, but the Lexus is much cheaper and easy to maintain while still being very nice, where as California is flashy, expensive, and lots of fun if you can easily afford to buy, maintain, and insure it.

Lets start by saying California and Florida are magnets for insane people. Something about the warm weather just draws them in like moths to a flame, from all parts of the US. But in the end, Florida seems like it has a few more. Or maybe its just that California balances it out with more people I feel are better socially adapted. From this perspective, California wins slightly.

Californians are very open about politics… in fact, you can’t stop them from discussing politics if you try. Floridians just don’t seem to talk about them as much. So if you’re a non political person like me, its nice to escape that. Note: its not that Floridians aren’t political, its just they are pretty much 50/50 on both sides and people generally aim to avoid conflict (in California, its pretty much known where most people stand).

California has earthquakes which can kill you without warning, Florida has hurricanes that can also kill you but comes with a warning of a few days… combine this with water shortages and droughts in California, and the frequent wild fire that seems to kill a dozen or so people each time, and Florida wins this round if self preservation is of concern.

California has more high paying jobs and a great tech industry (I work in tech), but those funds quickly disappear to taxes, housing, and gas costs. Florida doesn’t have as well rounded of an economy as California and is largely based on hospitality, although its becoming more diversified as people/companies from all over the US relocate here.

Florida has nicer sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and warmer year round weather, California has better cliffs that drop in the ocean with amazing views and mountains you can hike, as well as very pleasant weather most of the year along the coast. California is surfing with a wet suit or looking at the cold water from a high end restaurant, Florida is swimming casually with a mojito in hand… both have good sailing, although Florida you can quickly sail to the Caribbean whereas Hawaii is far from California (both close to Mexico). Florida is very humid and green, California is very dry except way up north. There is no clear winner on this one.

In regards to costs, Florida is the clear winner. The median home value in California (per Zillow and other sites) is $549,000 vs Florida’s 299,000, and California has much higher taxes, including sales tax, property taxes and state income tax (of which Florida has none)… as well as higher taxes on common items like energy/gasoline.

Along the same lines from an investment standpoint, these days its Florida since its the first or second fastest growing state (usually between Texas and Florida). Also there is a lot of domestic and recently international investment. But most importantly, its still very cheap. Whereas California is already so expensive, that its tough to squeeze out much upside on real estate investments, even from Chinese investors and REITs. In fact, the California market has recently started to depreciate slightly, whereas Florida (Tampa specifically) is having some of the highest gains in the US.

Let me note here that while California is extremely expensive, and similar to the Ferrari, a luxury item… it doesn’t diminish the fact that if I was ultra wealthy, I’d definitely have a place in La Jolla overlooking the Pacific (and yes, possibly even a Ferrari).

Let me conclude by saying that while I like both places, there is no clear winner. If you can deal with a few extra crazy people hanging around I think Florida is a better bang for the buck overall. But if money is of no issue, California may be the better choice.
72.1k views · View 207 Upvoters · View Sharers

sponsored by Raging Bull, LLC
This man made $2.8 million swing trading stocks from home.
With no prior experience, Kyle Dennis decided to invest in stocks. He owes his success to 1 strategy.
Read More
David Bergerson
David Bergerson, studied Finance at University of Florida
Answered Mar 5, 2019 · Author has 124 answers and 244.1k answer views

There are a lot of answers here and what is interesting is that all of them are incorrect. They all cherry pick.

California is a physically massive state. From a political point of view it is two states and the dividing line is pretty much the I-5. While everyone screams that CA is a liberal state, it may have more liberals, but they are concentrated along the coast. The rural areas, just like the rest of the US is very conservative. From a cost of living aspect, it also follows the coasts. People talk about $1mm houses. Well, where I live, I’d love to find a $1mm house. It would be CHEAP. There is so much demand for living in view of the ocean that you pay for it. I can go 30 minutes to the north and pay 1/2 the price and get twice as much.

Florida is also a physically massive state. The difference is that it is not that wide. But Florida has two time zones! It is shorter to go from Atlanta to New York City than it is to go from Key West to Pensacola. To think that everything is the same in that area is just ludicrous. Florida is three states in one. You have South Florida, which is where I am from, grew up and lived there until 2003 and am a 7th generation Floridian. South Florida is what New York City was in the early 1900s. It is the melting pot of all countries south of Mexico and the Carribean. You have this massive mix of cultures. Then you have the Keys. The Keys are a lot like Texas. They often want to secede from the US and as long as you let them get drunk and fish, they are happy. Then you run into the ‘south.’ The south starts in Orlando and goes north. There are a lot of, “You ain’t from ’round here, is you boy?”

Back to California. There is a difference between people living in San Diego, LA, San Luis Obispo, Monterrey, San Fran, Sacramento, Humboldt and Palm Springs.

So how do you determine what is better? That is purely subjective and for me, given a choice of living in Santa Barbara or anywhere in Florida, I am staying in Santa Barbara. Given a choice of living in Boca Raton or Palm Springs, I will take Boca. I don’t think humans were intended to live in 116 degree weather.

Here are some differences that I have noticed in comparing South Florida to Southern California.

Driving - California has a PhD in traffic. Parts of South Florida are getting there. In Florida you can measure the distance between places in miles. In California, the miles do not matter, it is time. It can take you an hour to go 12 miles in California. In South Florida, not even the Wallmetto is that bad.
Bugs. Those that state there are bugs in Florida are correct. Roaches are common. Termites are common. Lovebugs are common. Mosquitos are common. In 16 years of living here, I have yet to see one roach. I have seen quite a few rats, but that is because I live near the water and mountains. Fortunately, none were carrying a slice of pizza
The people. There is something to be said about East Coast mentality. If someone thinks you are an asshole, they will let you know. You will know directly. Here, it is superficial. However, people tend to care more about people here more than they do in South Florida.
The mix of people. In South Florida, you have whites, blacks, cubans, haitains, columbians, brazilians, venezuelans, chileans, san salvadorans, etc. Each has their positives and negatives and you get some serious diversity. Here in Southern California, it is pretty much white, black, mexican. Yes, there are some pockets of Koreans, Aremenians, Chinese, but it is pockets. In South Florida, you could have a school that has people representing all those I listed. In SoCal, you may get a 70–28–2% breakdown.
The weather. Where I live, I have no AC. I tell that to my Florida friends and they freak out. Their life consists of waking up in an AC house, getting in their AC car going to their AC office. I wake up with open windows, get in my car, maybe with the AC on low just to move air and get to an office that has windows that are open. This is a double-edged sword though. In Florida, ALL of it, the ocean is useful. It is not freezing. In CA going in the ocean means putting on a wetsuit because it is friggin COLD.
Cost of living. I think that people are foolish when they classify the cost of the house that buy as a cost of living. It is NOT. That is financing an asset. The cost of buying a house is HIGHER in most places in CA compared to most places in Florida. If you want to compare the cost of a house in Loxahatchee to Bakersfield, Bakersfield will probably be about 20% more. If you want to compare a house in Key Biscayne to a house in Santa Barbara, it is probably about 50% more expensive in Santa Barbara. However . . . property taxes as a percentage are MUCH cheaper. There are no ‘true’ appraisers here. The purchase price of the house sets the taxes. Because of Prop 13 you basically pay 1.1% of the purchase price. It really doesn’t move up that much year over year. It also stays locked in at the purchase price + permit values until you sell it. In Florida, welcome to having your property re-appraised each year. You will pay about 3% of the value of the house in property taxes. Here is some math for you. In CA, a $1mm house you will pay roughly 10k in property taxes. In Florida, a $1mm house you will pay roughly 30k in property taxes. So a 350k house will have close to 10k in property taxes in FL. Homeowners and car insurance are SIGNIFICANTLY higher in FL. If you look at what homeowners really is, it is a glorified fire insurance and theft policy. In Florida though, there are these things called hurricanes. Hurricanes tend to destroy houses, not just damage them. So those are total loses and that is why premiums are very high. In perspective, when I left Florida my property insurance was 4k a year. In CA, a house that was worth 5 times as much, my property insurance was 900 a year. My car insurance was also about 20% cheaper. Food is a little higher here and gas is about 80 cents a gallon higher here. Ever wonder why so many Prius’ are sold here?
Things to do - this to me is very subjective and there is no right or wrong. In Florida, you have TONS of amusement parks and they are REAL amusement parks. In CA, you have some, but Disneyland is basically in a parking lot. You can surf here, you really can’t surf in Florida. Sorry 2′ waves is not surfing. Here you can go sking. Here you have Tahoe. Here you have Yosemite. Here you can have a LOT of outdoor activities. In Florida, well, not really. Sure, the everglades are interesting and I think John Pennekamp is incredible, but it is nowhere near as majestic as either Tahoe or Yosemite. People often complain that pro football has issues doing well in LA. The reason is there is so many other things to do. You are not constrained to things that require AC places.
Food - sorry to all my Californians but as a Southerner, the food here sucks. There is no good BBQ. There is no good pizza. There is no good Chinese food. Yes, this is VERY subjective and I am VERY biased! Yes, there is incredible Mexican food here. Sorry, I like ribs, not tacos.
Education - as a product of the South Florida educational system and seeing what the CA educational system is like, CA is better, but not drastically. I think higher ed is better here, but it is cheaper in Florida.
Longevity - this is something that I noticed no one mentioned. In Florida, and that means the whole state, once someone hits 70, you can hold up your hand and each digit can represent a day, a week, a month, a year and that is how long that person has left to live. Here in California, you start to do that at 85. I have never met more cognitive, functional 90 year olds in my life than I have in CA. I do not know if it is lithium in the water or what, but people tend to live longer here in a functional state.
Weirdness. Florida wins, hands down. All the weird things in the US tends to happen there. Don’t know why, but it just does.
Smoking. Once you get to California and realize that 99% of the people you will meet do not smoke you will get an idea of what clean air really is! In Florida seeing someone without a cig seems odd. Here it is the opposite.

So for me, personally, California is much better than Florida. While Florida may be home and will always be, I have no intention of leaving California for it.
20.4k views · View 69 Upvoters · View Sharers
Xavier Gautier
Xavier Gautier, High Profile Interior Designer
Answered Feb 8, 2019 · Author has 246 answers and 463.5k answer views

HERE IS THE TRUTH, SIMPLE!!! BELIEVE ME, I KNOW WHAT I AM SAYINGS.

I have lived in CA( Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Palo Alto, Beverly Hills, La Jolla)

Live in Boca Raton , lived in Highland Beach( a small ocean front town in Boca, and lived in Wnter Park, Orlando.

Salt Lake City and Park City, UT

Kimberly, ID. Seattle, WA, Short Hills and Englewood Cliffs, NJ, also lived in NYC Upper East side and then Greenwich, CT.

Reason why I am mentioning all these cities is for whoever reads my answer to know, I can truly give you the plus and minuses of both Places.

Florida: IF you have money, you go to Florida from November to April. I don't know where these other people have lived in Florida, but, I have never seen a roach or any insects, except for this tiny little things that sting you while at the pool, ( keep in mind, I lived right on the Ocean. The beaches are gorgeous to US Standards, the water super clean and warm all year around. There is really NO Culture in FL!! You can go out to dinner at awesome restaurants, have cocktails at a lot of bars and party. Lots of partying in S FL, now the further North you go, the shittier it gets. ITS HOT AND HUMID!!! UNBEARABLE HEAT!!! Most of the year. You will find all kinds of foods, most people are from Cuba and South America, in Miami, they have built a lot of high rises which are very expensive and small. Most people come to FL for the winter only. The traffic is bad during rush hours, but never even close to CA, NYC or Seattle. In Florida, you are either Rich or poor. Most of the time, I stay indoors, because there is nowhere to go. I am not a beach Person and the Malls are not that nice, so there isn't much to do. The cost of living perhaps cheaper than CA, but, it all depends on the lifestyle you live. South Beach is great for young rich people and Boca Raton is the Beverly Hills of Florida.

CA: I love CA, the western part of the State. I have never seen all these homeless people they are always talking about. The weather is pretty awesome, especially in Southern California. San Diego is a truly beautiful city with new Skyscrapers right next to the Ocean . Lots of things to do, downtown San Diego and people are VERY friendly. It is quite expensive to live. If you are in the Construction Industry, it is very difficult to compete with the Mexicans that cross the border daily and come to work for $50 a day. So, Americans can't really make a Profit when competing with them. I must say, CA is full of Mexicans working in Construction, restaurants, hotels, etc. But, when you go out, you never see any of them. Indians and Chinese also present a problem if you are in the Computers Field, especially in the South Bay ( San Francisco) the traffic is truly an an attrocity!! When I lived in Beverly Hills the road to enter my neighborhood was always backed up, sometimes, it would take me more than an hour to go 3 miles.

Now, with all these things, I am starting to believe, if you want a nice quiet life, places like Southern Idaho( Twin Falls/Kimberly) and Salt Lake City may be a great alternative!!!! I hate San Francisco, the City is disgusting and filthy and LA ( W Hollywood/ Santa Mónica,) are full of idiots with an attitude. So, for me, it would be La Jolla or somewhere in San Diego.
25.2k views · View 40 Upvoters
Related Questions
More Answers Below

What are the 10 best places to live in Florida (USA) in 2020 - job, family, and retire?
Is life better on Florida than in California?
What is it like to live in Florida?
Why don't more people retire to California rather than Florida?
I'm considering moving to the south. What's it like to live in Florida year round? I hear that the heat is oppressive to the point of never go...

Dallas McKay
Dallas McKay, lived in Florida
Answered Mar 17, 2018 · Author has 3.6k answers and 8.6m answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

Georgia.

I've spent plenty of time in both places. Neither is really that great.

Florida is hot, humid, over run by weird (not cute weird, crazy weird) people, extreme economic stratification, infested by prehistoric bugs and reptiles that can kill you and tourists. There's no income tax, and that has its pluses and minuses. It's exceptionally flat.

California is hot, dry, over run by poor people, extreme economic stratification, the Earth may shake you into oblivion, it's usually on fire, traffic that has been backed up since the late 50s, and over population within anywhere 20 miles from the coast. Most of California is an uninhabitable waste land.

Both have Disney and citrus.

Georgia has everything good that the other states have. It has excellent beaches, mountains, vast natural resources and a sound tourist industry.

It also has a reasonable climate with 3.5 seasons. And winter is only a few hours away! It has a solid economy, reasonable taxes, a moderate conservative government, better traffic (except Atlanta, but compared to LA and Miami…). It's a transportation hub, has a growing tech sector, and you can get to Florida easily.

And, Georgia has one of the most diverse populations in America, nowhere near as much economic stratification, and a nice rural/urban balance that keeps city folk appreciative of the back woods and country folk have access to all the wonders of the city. Our history is deeper and more interesting.

Finally, our food and drink is better.
19.7k views · View 53 Upvoters
Rob Schark
Rob Schark, Children's author, book nerd, man of colors. (2008-present)
Answered Jan 31, 2020 · Author has 302 answers and 1.7m answer views

i moved to Satellite Beach some years ago from Chicago, and i never regretted it.

i’ve been to CA so many times, and i’ve never once wanted to live there. in fact, each trip i take to the West Coast further convinces me i’d never want to stay there permanently.

CA:

undoubtedly beautiful nature. truly like paradise. unlike any place i’ve ever seen, and i’ve traveled all over the world. still breathtaking no matter how many times i go there. i could look at the hills near the beach, with all the little houses lit up in the evening and the sunset in the background, every night for the rest of my life.
the vastness of it is impressive. it makes me feel like i’m “part of something” huge and grand. it’s also so very American, with cities like LA and SF, and places like Yosemite and Sequoia and Joshua Tree—places of real heritage and importance.
you meet a huge cross-section of people. ever hung out with an Australian-Korean Buddhist banjo player who’s also into hot yoga, cool jazz, and performing naked Shakespeare? welcome to southern CA. it’s an encyclopedia of people. some people call it “weird”, and it is, but i don’t think of it like that. i’m not big into the traditionalist lifestyle, so being the type of person who believes in “live and live let” goes far in southern CA.
food. need more be said? the food kicks ass. it’s undeniable.
progressive ideas. yeah, i’m not much of a left-winger, but i’m more comfortable around people who are a little too permissive than people who are a little too suppressive. sometimes it backfires, but generally, i prefer an oddball progressive thinker to a traditional conservative who’s gonna quote the Bible at me.
weather. i agree with most people that CA’s weather is way better. when it’s 90 in southern CA, it feels like 80, and the near-constant sunshine is very uplifting and energizing. you can pretty much count on a “nice day” whenever you want to do something outdoors, except during some times in winter when it’s foggy and overcast and chilly. CA gets a bit cold at night, sometimes getting down to the 50s even during summer, but some people prefer that.

Florida:

pretty beautiful, but not “breathtaking” like CA is. gorgeous beaches, though i think the Jersey Shore has the East Coast’s most beautiful beaches. it’s nice that the water is warm and the beaches are more sand than rocks.
it tends to have a smallness vs. impressive bigness. of course, if you’re into coziness instead of huge open spaces, Fla is right up your alley. you can drive from coast-to-coast in about 3 hours (west-east), and all of the beaches on each coast have one main road that run north and south, so the state has a sort of compact feeling to it.
you meet a decent cross-section of people in the major city areas, but absolutely nothing like southern CA. it’s because way more people head to CA than to Fla—often people seeking refuge from suppressive communities or families, often in the Bible Belt or conservative East. you definitely get some characters in Fla, but they tend to be creepy characters vs. “hmm, this person is strange but also interesting” like you get in CA. like, this guy acts weird but he owns a tech startup, vs this guy is talking to me through my car window trying to sell me knee socks at a stoplight.
CA’s food blows away Fla’s food by a mile. Fla has some decent seafood spots, but CA wins hands-down in every category.
not so many progressive-minded people in Fla as there are “i no longer give a shit” people—like me. i get the impression people go to CA to change the world, while we move to Fla to forget about the world. it’s a perfect place to be lazy, slow down your life, lie around by the pool or the beach, and just take life easy. CA has a very frenetic, go-go hyper feeling to it. people are abuzz with ideas and concepts, while people in Fla fan themselves, drink Gatorade or ice water, and say “god damn, it’s too hot to talk about <blank> today, man.” Fla is neatly divided left/right (left in the south, right in the north), so it’s pretty certain you’ll know what you’re getting into depending on which area you’re gonna live in.
Fla has two types of weather: hot and sticky, and chilly and dank. honestly, neither type is ideal. in CA, it’s rarely bone-chilling and dank, or oppressively hot (at least in the cities). in Fla, winter weather can be weirdly chill and make your joints ache. it’s that deep, gnawing, cold-humid dankness that creeps in through your sweatshirt sleeves and makes you shiver. honestly, i don’t really like jan-feb evenings for that reason, though the daytime 70s temps are AWESOME. you get used to the heat and humidity by planning your day around AC locations, and by getting into the habit of ALWAYS airing out your car before getting into it (it’s literally like a furnace in there).

so which do i prefer?

Fla. it’s no contest.

for me, CA is way too hyper, too fast-moving, too…superficial. it kinda feels like a really sexy woman with a perfect body, but who lacks those cute and endearing little quirks (like she snores, or she’s weirdly afraid of mirrors, or something) that make her seem human. in other words: nice to have a casual sex fling with, but you wouldn’t wanna marry her.

for me anyway, Fla was the perfect place to take my lazy-ass self, get a house near the beach, and pretty much forget the “outside world” ever existed. my wife and i both work remotely, and we got a nice setup in Satellite Beach, about 15 mins from the ocean. we love traveling to Central America, and the nearby airport has direct flights to there and the Caribbean. we never shovel snow or worry about slipping on icy steps.

there’s a lot to it, but basically, i’ve found that CA/Fla is kind of like an opposites trinket. do you want to jump into the thick of things, right where the action is happening on the front lines, where things are buzzing with activity and new ideas? or do you wanna be a lazy hippie and take life slow, lie around on the beach with a 6-pack all saturday, and be around lots of people who typically don’t have that strong of feelings about things like politics, gender identity, new technology, etc?

that’s really what you should ask yourself: do i want to be in the front lines of life, or do i want a comfortable couch?
3k views · View 11 Upvoters
David Herbert
David Herbert, Architect at RSP Architects Planners & Engineers
Updated Mar 23, 2020 · Author has 322 answers and 35.7k answer views

I would pick Florida but it’s almost a tie! They have some similarities but are totally different experiences! I love CA and the West and I could live in either state. I am writing from the perspective of South Florida because I have only lived in this part (I live in Fort Lauderdale and work in Miami) after growing up in Illinois. I went to college out west and had the opportunity to visit and experience most of CA, North and South, on many occasions but have not lived there. After college I intended to move to Southern CA but got the big job offer in Fort Lauderdale first. Also, I should mention that South Florida has gone through a rapid renaissance in the last 15–20 years and I would pick CA if I was answering this back then. Miami (and to a lesser extent Fort Lauderdale) is an incredible phenomenon of growth and progress and is now the third tallest city in the US behind NY and Chicago. It’s nickname is the “Magic City” because it magically grew in such a short period of time’ The aqua blue water, South Beach and many exciting and trendy districts that have emerged all contribute to my decision of Florida.

Besides how Miami has rapidly evolved in to an incredible destination, it mainly comes down to the weather, topography and cost of living. CA does have much better summer weather and topography but Florida has a lower cost of living, no state income tax (you can buy a nice home for much less than CA) and the winter weather in Florida is second to none. Since I was writing this comparison I decided to listen (for about 3–4 weeks) to the Sirius weather channel for LA and let me tell you the Jan/Feb weather out there sounds terrible……., gusty, rainy and if that is the norm forget it! South Florida is tropical (with a rainy season) and more flowery and green whereas California is more arid. Hurricanes are a better alternative to Earthquakes after experiencing both. South Florida is very nice and the humidity thing is way overblown in what I have read here on Quora. My cousin visited from Palo Alto last April and during dinner in South beach all he could mention was how nice the weather was and how he thought it would be so humid based on what he had heard. We hit 39 degrees here in Fort Lauderdale last year and sometimes in the Winter our humidity levels are actually the same as parts of Arizona (30 percent on weather

It gets dry here and November through March/April are near perfect weather. As I am writing this it is 67 degrees with a low of 55 tonight. In October we generally have a cold snap and May is usually nice.

Ok, Florida can get really hot in the Summer, although South Florida and the east coast have breezes that places like Orlando and the gulf coast do not experience. The tough months with high humidity are June, July, August and September, They are still very tolerable and some seasons can be more mild like it was last year. Florida is also flat which is not necessarily ugly, like I have heard some say, but is a strike against it when comparing to CA. The sunsets and sunrises can be spectacular though. Florida is also geographically isolated, especially if you live in the Southern part like we do. The drive out is a long way and you are only in Georgia (not a big deal but worth mentioning). So those are the negatives I have experienced from being a resident of South Florida, but are not enough to sway me to pick CA with its high cost of living and earthquakes as big negatives.
4.2k views · View 3 Upvoters
Mat Delano
Mat Delano, lifelong iconoclast
Updated Oct 6, 2018 · Author has 3.4k answers and 413.2k answer views

Have lived in both, and IMHO, there’s no comparison. For starters, unlike CA, most of FL is flat as a board for hundreds of miles, and the only change in elevation is usually a freeway overpass. Also humid as hell for most of the year, so they have bugs and other nasty critters aplenty, including flying cockroaches the size of a Kia, as well as poisonous frogs and opportunistic ‘gators, which both take an annual toll on hapless pets, and even the occasional human. As for crime… well just remember that ‘Miami Vice’ wasn’t set in Hollywood!

Speaking of crime, used to ride my motorcycle in FL alot, and whenever stopped at a light, often sitting higher than the car stopped next to me, was always amazed how many drivers had a handgun laying next to ’em on the passenger seat… always at the ready?!

So despite whatever the ‘wingers say, I’ll take ‘Kalifornia’ any day!
23.3k views · View 123 Upvoters · View Sharers
Daren Scot Wilson
Daren Scot Wilson, studied at Colorado State University
Answered Apr 5, 2018 · Author has 375 answers and 693.9k answer views

California, definitely, with certain exceptions. Weather is nice, plenty of sun, some rain, wind. I lived in the Bay Area for one year, back when it wasn’t expensive, and north San Diego County recently for four (?) years. Sometimes it’s too hot, but I can tolerate it. Sometimes it’s hot and humid, and I joke “might as well be in Florida, ha ha” and then ignore the heat because it’ll go away soon.

Lots of science, high tech, medical devices, 3D graphics and photography and video, and entrepreneurs, and there’s NASA’s JPL in Pasadena. California Center for the Arts in Escondido. Also a great old cars show every Friday night in Escondido. (I lived in Escondido!) Lots of great universities in southern and central California. Easy to find the kinds of people I like to work with and hang out with: smart creative artists, clever engineers meeting high standards, scientists exploring the edges of knowledge. Good beer, too!

Florida is very different. I lived in central Florida about two years, near UCF. The biggest surprise for me was that it wasn’t hot. Just warm, warm, warm, very warm, all the time, warm on top of warm. In the back of my mind I’m thinking it’ll cool off to normal, but it doesn’t, and I think, well tonight will be a warm night, but then so is the next night and the next and so on forever. It was like getting out of the shower, very humid and warm, except it stays that way forever. You wear a suit of sweat 24x7.

Florida has six seasons: Summer, More Summer, Hot Summer, Egads is it Still Summer, two weeks of hybrid early fall/ late spring (deciduous trees turn colors!), and Early Summer.

UCF, of course, has smart professors, creatives, is involved in space research and all that, but off campus, everything looked cardboardy. Many buildings have thick white trim, what I call “birthday cake architecture”. Lots of chain stores, generic American commercial culture everywhere. No good local beers. Still I met interesting people and places to work.

On the other hand, I loved the tropical plants, palm trees, beaches - water that isn’t cold when I step into it! I had a great time taking photographs, watching rocket launches which are impressive even twenty miles away, and seeing tropical scenery, dolphins, manatees.

Oh yeah, surfing! I haven’t done it yet, but came close several times. My judgement therefore isn’t worth much, but the waves did look better in Southern California.

Not asked for, but worth mentioning anyway in relation to Florida is New Mexico: With so much humidity and heat in Orlando, I couldn’t think straight to do my physics and graphics work, or get much sleep. I moved to New Mexico. The temperature was actually higher - highs of near and over 100 deg F (around 40 C and over for you in the sane part of the world) but it felt great! The low humidity meant that sweat evaporates! It was wonderful! And cool at night. I was near New Mexico Tech, so still surrounded by scientists, creatives etc. I happen to like deserts, big open spaces, dark sky full of stars at night, so for me, NM beats even California.
11.6k views · View 39 Upvoters · View Sharers
Roy Stein
Roy Stein, worked at Texas Instruments (1986-2019)
Updated May 23, 2020 · Author has 204 answers and 45.7k answer views

I lived in CA for 33 years (Marin, OC and San Diego) and moved to Miami (Brickell) by choice 2.5 years ago with no regrets. Much better Quality of Living and bang for the buck with successful, clean cut professionals as my neighbors.

I prefer the Miami weather. I get 2 hotter summer months in exchange for 4 warmer winter months. Brickell gets breezes from the bay and the tall buildings offer shade making it comfortable throughout the year, including summer.

Very clean with modern buildings/architecture—not dated ones like many in CA. Portions of SoCal look dated with brown, dried out topography, complimented by weeds that grow freely and are left unattended along the side of highways and highway dividers with antiquated Koll office complexes from the 1970’s to match.

HUGE homeless problem in CA (6 of the top 8 US cities, hepatitis breakout in San Diego in 2016), much less of an issue in FL.

Ocean is better in FL—-you do not need a wetsuit 8 months of the year to go in like CA. Food and beverage/waiter service an option ON Miami Beach, as in the actual beach.

Closer to where I vacation—NYC, Latin America and Europe.

No state income tax, lower DMV fees, lower gas prices, much more bang for the buck renting or owning and lower utilities costs. Much newer in FL—higher wages in CA are offset by higher costs, though CA has better educational institutions and more wealth/career building/corporate opportunities.

Better infrastructure (roads, higher speed rail) and police response) in FL…where do your state tax monies go in CA, other than paying for undocumented adults healthcare?..certainly not for maintaining their cities.

More dress code enforcement at nicer places in Miami, less hipster “bro” ungroomed, body art West Coast grunge populace. The women, especially Latinas, dress with class and style in Miami and age much better because of humidity that keeps their skin moisturized, not dried out like in CA.

Cleaner air and water quality.

Nightlife—much better in Miami (world renowned) and FL…if I want to stay out and have a drink past 1:30 or 2:00AM, I have that option in FL.

Advanced warning with approaching hurricanes vs little or no warning with wildfires, mudslides, sinkholes and earthquakes.

Miami and FL does have THE worst drivers in the nation and bad traffic but CA has worse traffic. I have never been caught in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway at 2AM in FL but have in CA.

FL is noted for its backwards redneck areas, but let’s not pretend these do not exist in CA—Santee (known as Klantee), El Cajon (known as El Cajun), Riverside County, OC was birthplace of The John Birch Society and is home to Saddleback Church and The Harvest Festival, Fresno, Redding, Barstow, Chico, etc etc

Miami is the only city I could live in the state of Florida, and it is anything but conservative retirees—lol. California was better than Florida 20–30 years ago but Miami MSA is more preferable to me than California cities today/now. It is as though the 2 have flipped—in the past Miami was run down, was the drug capital of the US and had rafts of Cuban immigrants flooding it’s shores—fast forward 30 years and its CA with these problems now along with a homeless epidemic and lower class undocumented adults in ALL its major cities (not just SF). Miami gets a higher class of immigrant (from South America vs Guatemala; restaurant owner vs restaurant worker) plus affluent Northeasterners who are fleeing their high tax states along with wealthy Europeans, Canadians, Russians and Israelis. With them comes more than a dozen top NYC and DC restaurant outposts, along with first ever US outposts from top European restaurants, high end shopping and first class cultural events (Art Basel, South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Art Deco Weekend, International Boat Shows, etc).

People are much more direct in Florida without sex roles being reversed. They are far too elitist, uptight, politically correct, flaky, indecisive, and easily offended in CA. Don’t like me?—tell me, don’t pretend otherwise, though I once got scolded by a wuss in CA for using the word pussy in a sports bar watching a football game when a player didn’t go after a loose ball. In a sports bar!!…..not the Sistine Chapel…God forbid you ever honk your horn in CA—its like pissing on the other persons’ grandmother’s grave whereas the slightest drizzle in January is the lead news story, “winter storm watch”...lol. CA = State of fruitcakes.

FL gets a bad rap for all the publicized wackos the past few decades, and rightly so, but let’s not forget about the following CA beauties: Manson, OJ, Octomom, Michael Jackson, Rodney King, Richard Ramirez, freeway chases, Harvey Weinstein, The Gropenator, etc.

Not sure which is worse, California or the Californians. California is like that overrated, overpriced restaurant with poor service, frequented by too many prima donnas with attitude, and tiny portions that you leave hungry, underwhelmed and vow not to return. Big reason why more people moved to FL than any other state last year while more and more people continue to move out of CA than move in each year. Numbers don’t lie, see links below….if you like to live off of an outdated false image from the past, are homeless, love body art, seek a higher paying tech job for the right to live in a higher priced sardine can with state income tax, or are an undocumented worker looking to feed off the welfare state, CA can’t be beat:

For 7th Year in a Row, More People Left California Than Moved in: Data

These are the top 10 states that people are moving to
3.3k views · View 11 Upvoters
Robert Gollehon
Robert Gollehon, lives in Florida
Answered Sep 20, 2015 · Upvoted by James Groce, lived in California (1988-2014) · Author has 254 answers and 401k answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?
I live in Florida (East coast near Cape Canaveral). I have also lived in Sarasota (Gulf coast south of Tampa) and in Fort Walton Beach (in the pan handle near Pensacola, also on the Gulf coast).

I recently traveled to the Bay area for the first time recently...I was only there for a week and was mostly indoors. I have not visited other areas of California, bear that in mind...I am aware the terrain, population density, and culture vary widely....California is a big state.

San Francisco and the surrounding area were beautiful. The drive out to the coast was breath taking. I wouldn't want to live there.

1. People. Way too many people. Traffic was horrendous. While I realize there are rural areas, I am generally required to live within a certain distance of the source of my income.
2. Cost...I interviewed for jobs in California a while back. I was offered the same salary I received in Florida, which made me laugh and laugh and laugh.
3. At the coast it was cold...in June. IN JUNE! Fix that thermostat!
4. Perhaps my perception, but the people didn't seem too friendly. Not that folks in Florida are incredibly friendly (I'm originally from Colorodo, and perhaps it is the filter of youth, but people there seemed much more friendly).
5. I am more comfortable with hurricanes and tornados than tsunamis and earthquakes.

In Florida you won't get the dramatic coastlines you see in California, and there are no mountains or deserts...but you will get nice white sand beaches that gently slope into relatively warm, clear waters on the Gulf coast. You will get beaches with waves for surfing (although perhaps not quite as good as some of the California beaches. There are beautiful waterways and there is much beauty in the swamp.

It is humid, especially in the summers...no doubt...the politics are different which really doesn't make a huge difference to me. I lean towards the left these days for Florida...I'd probably lean to the right by most standards in California in spite of being an atheist for all intents and purposes.

If I was just starting my career, I would start in California, live like a monk for the first 10 years, and then probably move away and live like a king almost anywhere else in the country on my savings.

In Florida, I can live in a $300,000 1800 square foot home with a swimming pool and look out my back window at the water (a canal). I can drive the 45 miles to my office in 40 minutes (since I can't telecommute anymore...that's another story). I can go out and fish off my dock. I am a 15 minute drive or 45 minute bike ride from the beach.
40.7k views · View 76 Upvoters · View Sharers
Christopher Ordway
Christopher Ordway, works at Rite Aid Pharmacy
Answered Dec 20, 2018 · Author has 752 answers and 590.7k answer views

I haven’t spent too much time in Florida but I have visited and I did live in the Caribbean for 2 years so I know what humidity is like. Somehow I think Florida is more humid though than the Caribbean islands or maybe the humidity is the same but Florida is hotter?

Anyway, I’m gonna say this one comes down to how much money you can make in each state. The problem with California is the cost of living is probably about 50% higher than Florida (or more). Florida, with no state income tax would save me the cost of a mortgage in state taxes, about $1/gallon cheaper gas would save me another grand per year between my wife and I. Housing in Florida is about 1/2 to 1/3rd the cost of California. In fact for a decent beach house you’re probably looking at well over 10 times the cost for a similar house in California depending on the location. Right now living in the really famously nice parts of California (Manhattan Beach,Santa Monica, Malibu, Santa Barbara, San Francisco) are absurdly expensive.

Living in a nice house in Naples Florida (one of the nicer parts of Florida) for example is cheaper than a similar house in a Sacramento suburb which is one of the cheapest parts of California. Most Californians can only afford a pretty small lot of land. My $480k house has virtually no backyard or side yard for that matter.

California taxes you on just about everything and they’re adding more all the time. Soon there may be an extra tax on having a texting plan for your cell phone to help pay for cell phone service for under (cell phone) privileged people. My Kia and Jeep plate tags are $400 per car per year. If you want to own a trailer it’s hundreds more, if you own a truck you better save your pennies for those stickers. I’ve seen over $800 for one pickup truck’s tags.

Right now there’s a huge exodus of middle class people trying to get out of California for all of the above reasons but the population continues to climb raising the cost of housing and increasing traffic along with it.

California has probably the most moderate climate in the US especially close to the coast of SoCal but even the Central Valley where I live is pretty great. You’ve also got many different cities to see. Florida has quite a bit of things to do as well though but California has just about everything imaginable at your finger tips.

So to sum up,

If you don’t mind tropical humidity, you’re going to have less traffic for the most part, a much higher standard of living overall in Florida assuming you were making roughly the same amount of money. You probably won’t have to work as much and you’ll still have amazing places to go and see and things to do. In Florida you’ve got easy access to amusement parks, international airports etc. pretty much just the same as California. In short, bang for your buck in Florida is going to be much higher than California for 95% of people. If you make less than $100k/year, California can be a tough place especially if you have or plan on having a family. But just be ready for serious humidity which you kind of get used to but will always be there when you’re outside or somewhere with no air conditioning. Florida is vibrant but not as geographically varied as California.

Now if you have a special interest that Florida doesn’t provide, California almost certainly will. If you really can’t stand Florida’s humidity, if you don’t want to live in a flat state that gets hit by hurricanes every so often, if you make good money or have the opportunity to make a lot of money in California, California is the way to go.
5.9k views · View 15 Upvoters
Ernest W. Adams
Ernest W. Adams, lived in California
Answered Sep 6, 2015 · Author has 26.8k answers and 167.4m answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?
California is liberal, Florida is conservative.

California is dry, Florida is humid.

Live where you will be comfortable with your neighbors and your surroundings.
26.3k views · View 37 Upvoters
Patricia Koenig
Patricia Koenig, lives in California
Updated Oct 26, 2018 · Author has 386 answers and 162.9k answer views

I've lived in New York, Florida, Georgia and California.

I loved the Florida beaches, the endless sand bars, the WIDE beaches of pure white sand, the glorious sunsets, the warm ocean breezes, the sound of the waves crashing, the myriad stars at night.

That's about it.

They can keep their unmitigated humidity, huge roaches they love to call palmetto beetles, "skeeters" by the BILLIONS, never-ending painful sunburns, sinister-looking alligators in dark and creepy swamps, and the most-terrifying hurricanes and tropical storms — which have hit with regularity since I lived there decades ago. When your leather items in the closet grow green mold you know you have a humidity problem.

Southern California, on the other hand, except for it's all-too-regular wildfires, NO rain ever (but awful mudslides when it does), and periodic mildly-scary earthquakes has the best climate, breezy attitudes, an interesting mix of people and attractions.

And if you really miss the freezing cold and snow you can drive just a couple hours into the mountains and go skiing or make a snowman — and be back at the beach later that day.

The Pacific isn't pacific, and if you really want to swim get a scuba suit. Diving for abalone and lobsters is amazing, as is sport fishing. Cooking and even being outdoors is fun because they really have brought the mosquito population under control. Hollywood's eclectic weirdos and the over-the-top luxe Beverly Hills homes are interesting.

Forget the harsh northern winters, or the too-humid Florida days — I'll live and stay in California, thank you!
6.6k views · View 41 Upvoters
Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman, Senior Library Assistant - Thousand Oaks Library, California
Answered Oct 5, 2018 · Author has 5k answers and 17.5m answer views

Even though California has no shortage of big problems, especially with how the state is managed and governed, it is a far superior place to live than Florida for numerous reasons:

Better weather
Lots of recreational activities (surfing, skiing, climbing, off-roading, hiking, camping, etc…)
Extremely diverse topography, from the lowest place in the U.S. to the highest place in the lower 48
Beautiful national parks/monuments
High wages/salaries
Lots of jobs
Huge entertainment industry
Huge electronics industry
Huge agricultural industry
Huge fishing industry
Huge oil industry
The longest coastline and more beaches than any other state
Few dangerous predators, bugs and pests
No sinkholes
No real swamps
Relatively low threat from global sea-level rise

Now California does have a pretty screwed up political system, where a virtual nanny state is in effect and pencil-necked do-gooders in Sacramento think they know what’s better for you, than you do… It also has earthquakes, mudslides and brush fires, as well as a pretty high tax rate.

But even with these things, it absolutely beats Florida.

In Florida you have:

Billions of disease-carrying mosquitoes
Serious marsh and swampland
Lots of sinkholes, that could simply open up and swallow you whole
No geographic relief - at all…
It’s a state which will completely go away if sea levels actually do rise
It’s the bullseye for incoming hurricanes
It’s a magnet for refugees and drug smugglers
Extremely humid - all the time…
Super-size cockroaches that can actually fly!
Poisonous snakes and frogs
Giant rogue snails, huge spiders and boa constrictors
Panthers and alligators
More retirees and bingo games than any other state
Starving citizens who are forced to eat voting card chads

4.9k views · View 28 Upvoters
Jenna Daly
Jenna Daly, lived in Florida (2001-2010)
Answered Dec 11, 2018

I lived near Orlando for nine years and I moved to Southern CA eight years ago.

FL: Humid. You need gills. Traffic on I4 is insane and filled with retirees who shouldn’t drive anymore. And you have to drive everywhere. People aren’t friendly and nearly everyone is a transplant. If you’re liberal your a pariah. I lived through 2004 there - five hurricanes in two months. Spent the month of August in my closet and evacuated my largest asset twice. Hurricane insurance is $$$$. Schools weren’t great. No snow. No state income tax. House (2800 sq feet) had single pane windows and a teeny tiny lot.

CA is very expensive. Insanely. It was even more of a shock than I anticipated. Great schools (my kids were two years behind when we got here) fantastic medical establishment, my husband’s commute is 27 miles in 40 minutes. I don’t have one as I work remotely. House is 1200 sq feet. And 600k. Tiny lot. No yard. We can walk to a Lowe’s, two grocery stores, three department stores and nine restaurants. Weather is amazing and so is the geography. Lots of hills. Very cool places to visit (snow, desert, beaches, forests) that aren’t all touristy. Haven’t felt a major earthquake yet. Fires are a deep concern. People aren’t friendly here either.

Honestly the humidity in FL was just horrible. So I’d pick CA. But sure would like a raise!
6.6k views · View 18 Upvoters
Michael Margolies
Michael Margolies, lived in California
Answered Oct 1, 2018 · Upvoted by James Groce, lived in California (1988-2014) · Author has 4.4k answers and 4.1m answer views

I’d prefer CA which I think of as home. However in reality I would actually pick FL. CA is too congested, taxes are too high, cost of living is too high, gas, insurance, food, everything is far too expensive. Politics. FL is still tolerance of diverse points of views and accepts people from all spectrums. CA is open and accepting so long as you are liberal or socialist. With a few pockets of moderates and very few areas with any kind of conservative control.

Yes CA is a prettier state, I love the mountains, valleys, beaches and the variety of landscape form one ned to the other. I’ve lived in the Middle, South and Bay area too. Frankly I loved most anywhere I lived or visited. But anywhere I lived in CA included horribly long and oppressive traffic and soul sucking commutes.

Having lived in FL too, yes its darn humid, too flat, prone to floods and hurricanes (of coarse CA gets earthquakes, regular forest and grass fires, and worse gangs and crime). I wish I could be ore positive about CA> I go there as often as I can and I truly feel at home in So. Cal anywhere along the coast. But there are so many negatives for me. To me its sad to see where the state is going and how many people are living there pretending its ok in fear or to just get along while liberals run amuck in Sacramento.
4.8k views · View 20 Upvoters
Adam Lee Chadwick
Adam Lee Chadwick, lives in Quintana Roo, Mexico (2010-present)
Answered Mar 8, 2019 · Author has 3k answers and 10.9m answer views

That is a very good question. I have lived in both places.

In Florida: I lived in Naples, Florida. Very beautiful sunny Southwest Florida right next to Gulf of Mexico. Near the famous Marco Island and also Sanibel Island (Captiva Island) by Bonita Spring. One thing I love about Naples is that it is very well known for its Golf and Tennis everywhere. There are 2 famous location in Naples that I enjoyed so much: Vanderbilt Beach and Downtown 5th Avenue.

World Tennis Center

Naples Grande Golf Course

Naples Pier

Vanderbilt Beach

5th Avenue

In California: I have lived up in the Sierra Mountains in Oakhurst California. I was about 5 to 10 minute drive to the beautiful Bass Lakes and about 30 minute drive to Yosemite National Park.

Sierra Mountains

Bass Lake

Yosemite National Park

So, I really can not choose if I like California more then Florida because I was living in 2 totally different lifestyles. One part of the world, I was living through pure nature while the other part of the world. I was enjoying the amazing lifestyle of the beach near Gulf of Mexico. I really do not have a favorite choice to live because I enjoyed both parts of the world very much with different contrast of living.
1.9k views · View 3 Upvoters
Briana Bel
Briana Bel, lives in Florida (1989-present)
Answered Dec 9, 2018 · Author has 460 answers and 31.9k answer views

I have lived in both. California has more infrastructure like schools, highways,busses,trains, parks and a lot more. You pay for that with a high cost of living and high state taxes.

Florida has lower taxes and less programs and infrastructure to help people. It’s a trade off. It has a lower cost of living and no state income tax.

The weather in Florida is warmer in the winter but wetter in the summer. I prefer the warmth.

Florida has hurricanes and California has earthquakes. I have been through several of both. They can be scary and they can be devastating. I am more comfortable with hurricanes because they generally start warning you a week in advance. Earthquakes don’t give warning.

The average wages and job opportunities are lower in Florida but there are many good companies there. California has higher wages and a greater variety of opportunities but the higher living costs eat into those earnings.

California has beaches, deserts, snow, lakes and a whole lot of activities. Florida has more beaches but less other and no snow skiing.

Larger metro areas in Florida have active social scene, clubs, and stuff but the majority of areas the nightlife is rather tame. California has more social activities and a thriving nightlife.

I prefer peace, warmth, beaches and ample warning of serious danger. I prefer Florida.
2.1k views · View 5 Upvoters
Daniel Kibbey
Daniel Kibbey, Studying Economics
Answered Feb 6, 2019 · Author has 310 answers and 135.3k answer views

California, the weather is better and the people treat you better! No giant mosquitos or kissing bugs that destroy your car every spring! The weather in Florida in the summertime is awful! There’s a reason snow birds only go there in the winter! California has beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches, beautiful year round without the disgusting sweaty high summer humidity! Also California people aren’t judgemental like Florida is! Plus this state takes care of the environment and wants to do the right thing by it! Can’t say the same for aforementioned! How do I know, well family live there in Florida and I feel sorry for them! Every time I visit makes me happy to know I live in the best state in the US! I been to Hawaii it’s nice but just to visit! California has always been where I love to be, living here now, was the best decision I ever made! The food, culture, climate, it’s all there and I happen to live in a place with the best authentic Mexican food in the country! So yea all day every day I would choose beautiful California! It’s cheaper to live in Florida for a reason, you get what you pay for! Hope this helps you make your decision! Good luck!
2.4k views · View 9 Upvoters · View Sharers
Scott French
Scott French, Doggy Style (2015-present)
Answered Mar 16, 2019

I think California is a beautiful state. I spent most of my childhood here and half of my adult life. I was born in Florida and visit family there as well. Florida has beautiful beaches, warm water and cool breezes. Florida has a different climate as well. It closer to the equator giving it more of a tropical feel. Humid due to the quick showers that appear out the blue. There is no state income tax and sales tax is 6 %. You can buy a new Home for 270,000 in Florida. That being said Florida is a great place to retire. Now California has mountains that Florida doesn’t. California has rainforest and deserts. It’s scenic diversity is extremely beautiful as is the weather. California has some of the best weather in the States. California also has the most highly tax rate in the states. The income tax is as high as 13 percent. The average cost of a new home is 470,000. California has the highest percentage on welfare. infant California is a poverty state. Tax is some of highest in the nation. It’s become over populated in the cities cause heavy traffic congestion. The water rights are entwined with corruption. Southern areas are dependent of the nothern part of the state. The southern portion is mostly desert and in drought majority of the time. The population has put greater demand of the water. Causing many areas like San Jonquin Valley a Central Valley region to the State. This area provides large portion of America’s produce. Also a large demand of water. The need for water has caused life long family farms to go bust.

If you ask me I think Californa need new laws and less taxes. It is predominantly Democratic.

California is my Home however Florida has my heart .
1.6k views · View 3 Upvoters
Steven Cowart
Steven Cowart, lives in California
Answered Oct 3, 2018 · Author has 336 answers and 857.8k answer views

I have spent significant time in both states, in summer and winter, and I would pick California any day. I do not do well in high humidity, and Florida is not the place to live if that’s the case. It’s not that I’d allow the climate alone to dictate my lifestyle or residence, but there is much about quality of life that is negatively impacted by high humidity. Bugs - I hate being followed by a cloud of gnats, only to turn around and breathe them all in. Cockroaches are the size of small motorhomes, and just try to kill one with a broom or slipper. In one place I visited, Boca Raton, the gal who lived there had a regular routine every morning near sunrise. She would grab a broom, get into a ready position, hit the lights and swing like crazy. If she got any of them it was a win. It made no difference on the number of critters, but it made her feel better. Dirty home, or clean home, it made no difference, a hot, wet climate has cockroaches - period. It’s not for me. I would say the same about most states that have high humidity, not just Florida. California, at least the coast and inland valleys (about 20–40 miles from the beach) is dry (relatively speaking), even in the rainy season. Where I live, near San Jose, bugs are little and mostly mind themselves. Compared to the humid states, it’s no big deal. I’ve found there is more sense of community in states to our east (not sure about FL) than in CA, often because environmental and weather emergencies bring people together. It tends to forge close bonds. Except for fairly rare earthquakes, and 100-year rainy seasons (last year), we don’t see this in much of CA. However, we live in a close-knit neighborhood, all looking out for one-another. I think I’ll stay in CA.
5k views · View 20 Upvoters
Richard Hochhaus
Richard Hochhaus, studied at Arizona State University
Answered Jun 25, 2019 · Author has 2k answers and 330.7k answer views

I’m kinda surprised no one has mentioned the increasing threat of hurricanes in Florida. Seems that the widespread damage caused by these megastorms would be a deciding factor in deciding which coast is better. Now those who point to earthquakes in CA should know that even large quakes rarely do damage on such a massive scale. Small areas get leveled, but even then, most can repair their homes and damage is limited to a very small area compared to hurricanes. There are no massive evacuations either, earthquakes just happen and are over in just a minute or so. CA goes 10 or twenty years or more without a serious quake, unlike yearly storms hitting the East coast. Its like dodging bullets, hoping you don’t get a storm track over your neck of the woods.
1.2k views · View 6 Upvoters
Frances Bernay-Cohen
Frances Bernay-Cohen, lives in Florida (1950-present)
Answered May 17, 2019 · Author has 212 answers and 25.7k answer views

Personally, I prefer Florida, hands down. As United States citizens, we have the right to relocate anywhere within our 50 states. Therefore, nothing is keeping you here. I’ve noticed that many people complain about our humidity and absence of the four seasons,of that’s not to your liking, South Florida is not for you. Once you travel somewhat north of Lake Okeechobee, you will find cooler to chilly winters. But humidity because Florida is surrounded by bodies of water. If you like beaches and boating, you’ll find that within about 2 hours from wherever you settle. I find California climate too dry. My skin and lips crack. I get shocked touching car door handles, etc. Yes, We have occasional hurricanes but if one is on it’s way you’ll have plenty of notice.

Politically, we have a mix. I don’t think you can say that about California but that, again is a personal preference. I believe our legislators do a fine job. We have no state income tax and our local taxes are not excessive. Our wages may not be that of California, but I believe our cost of living is lower. Lots of people seem to like it here and the disadvantage to that is that we are getting quite crowded. I’ve “ gone on”long enough and hope I’ve provided enough.
1.4k views · View 2 Upvoters
Peter Magnoli
Peter Magnoli, Intrepid/Curious/Dad/Teacher/Student
Answered Nov 23, 2018 · Author has 132 answers and 88.5k answer views

Well there are many Florida’s as there are many California’s. Someone said Florida is conservative, and that’s true unless you live in any city and especially south east Florida. Someone said Florida has cookie cutter shopping and bad food. They lived in Clearwater I think. We have phenomenal food in Miami ( I lived in NYC and Paris ) but you won’t find it in Miami Beach as that’s just for tourists. The Florida where I live is astonishingly diverse, largely Latin and most of us love it here. Go further up the coast to Palm Beach and draw a fat line straight across to Ft Myers. That’s the transplanted New Yorker zone and the further east you go the more democratic it is. North of that you have the mid west, specifically on the gulf coast. Orlando is hard to categorize but I’d still put it within this zone and finally once north of Orlando, you are in the Deep South. Except during summer I love the humidity. Whenever I go west, i get all congested and dried out, always looking for nose spray and hand cream. Nah
2.4k views · View 6 Upvoters
Joshua Li
Joshua Li, studied at Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Answered Oct 26, 2016 · Author has 61 answers and 75.5k answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

Jobs: When it comes to high education fields, California definitely beats Florida. I mean just look at it, In the Bay Area where I live, Apple HQ is a 5 minute drive away!

Cost of Living: Definitely Florida. Sure you could buy a crappy house in Coalinga for a dirt cheap price, but a decent 1 500 sq ft home where I live is 1.2 mil. Don’t know about southern California, but I assume they aren’t as good as Florida

Safety: You can’t really answer this question, as bad parts have crime and good parts have less crime. It doesn’t really matter the statistics of it, but you know when you are in a good neighborhood anywhere.

Weather: California wins. Florida is way too humid. In California, you can go from 100+ in the summer to snowy in the winter, but it is not as bad as swimming on land.

Attractions: As with things to see, everything in Southern California is basically a smaller version of things in Florida. There are plenty of attractions in the Bay Area that Florida doesn’t have. As with natural wonders, here you get snowy mountains, valleys, deserts, forest, nice sunny beaches, colder beaches, and stunning cliffs.

California is the place to go for a vacation, but unless you are rich, don’t expect a nice house here.
12.8k views · View 14 Upvoters
Thomas Yom
Thomas Yom
Answered Oct 8, 2018 · Author has 886 answers and 2.9m answer views

Good golly, Miss Molly! I guess I’m going to stick my head into this debate and offer my opinion…

FLORIDA

As much as I see other responses hating on this great state of Florida, the below statements remain true…

No state income tax
Cheaper cost of living… You can get a 2000+ square foot house without paying $1 million dollars for it.
Beaches where you can swim in the water without freezing to death… In the middle of summer
Eating authentic Latin American cuisine and not just Mexican

Screw politics, the humidity, and the critters. Those can be dealt with. Florida offers a better standard of living without the high price tag of California.

Cheers! ^_^
3.2k views · View 62 Upvoters
Rowan Orneallas
Rowan Orneallas
Answered May 30, 2017 · Author has 561 answers and 1m answer views

Voting with my feet, I choose California hands down.

In fact, my family has a house sitting empty near Orlando. We could live rent-free and just pay taxes and utilities.

No dice.

I left Florida when I was 22. Never looked back.

I still like to visit the Sunshine State once in a while. The warm water is great and I love the woods. A lot of seafood, too, that you can’t get in California, at least not for the price.

But the culture, the mountains, the diversity, the cuisine, and, yes, the default open-minded attititude, even among most conservatives in California make it no contest for me.

If free rent wouldn’t keep me in Florida, I can’t imagine what would.
4.7k views · View 31 Upvoters
Ebrahim Bootwala
Ebrahim Bootwala, M.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering, San Jose State University (2020)
Answered Aug 5, 2019

I have lived in Florida for 4.5 years and then moved to California last year.

CALIFORNIA Hands Down

Advantages of California

A lot of jobs and opportunities compared to Florida
Diversity of people living here compared to Florida
Always things to do here( you will never get bored here)
More reputed universities than Florida
There are all the theme parks such as Universal Studios, Disney land, Seaworld, etc which are in Florida too except for Bush Gardens in Tampa.
Variety of beautiful hiking and campaign points and places such Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Lassen National Volcanic Park.
Beautiful and perfect whether compared to Florida.
Almost a $ 3 trillion economy.
Better work culture and flexibility
People are very liberal here.

Advantages of Florida

Cheap Houses
Fewer Taxes
Less Homeless people here
Less Traffic

There are additional advantages here in California than in Florida
1.3k views · View 3 Upvoters
Kai Herrmann
Kai Herrmann, Been to 45 states.
Answered Sep 25, 2018 · Upvoted by James Groce, lived in California (1988-2014) · Author has 9.9k answers and 17.4m answer views

Good God those are horrible choices. They are at the bottom of the list of states I'd like to live in.

California has awesome scenery and weather. The mountains, the lakes, the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it's fantastic. Unfortunately their political climate is toxic and normal people have to put up with insane taxes, incredible government over reach and regulations, and the population in the southern part of the state.

Florida on the other hand is ugly, hot, flat, humid and generally miserable in terms of weather and landscape. Cost of living is reasonable and the politics are middle of the road but who knows how long that will continue. People keep moving there from the East coast and they bring their political ideals with them.

I'm not choosing either one because I would hate living in either of them.
3.6k views · View 18 Upvoters
Anthony Henderson
Anthony Henderson, works at Pharmacy
Answered Mar 17, 2018
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

Well to clarify I would say Florida because the rent you pay is less a month then it is in California.

Another good state to live in is Tennessee especially Memphis because Ive seen properties between $500–$600 a month rent.

But California is known as probably one of the largest entertainment capitals in america,possibly the world since big names in fashion, entertainment, music, technology, and websites can be found there.

California is known for having lots of big names in shopping such as the Grove and Rodeo Drive but are kind of expensive

But California has a lot of other great facts

World famous theme parks such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, Six Flags, etc.

Lots of mansions,penthouses, studio apartments,all which are very spacious with high ceilings

A few hour drive from, Nevada and Arizona

A short flight to Mexico

Famous landmarks

Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory,Walk Of Fame

Lots of website companies are in California:YouTube, Google, Wikipedia,MySpace, Vimeo,Zoosk,etc.

Lots Of Entertainment companies: Sony,Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Nickelodeon Studios, Warner Bros,etc.

Beautiful beaches: Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Imperial Beach
4.7k views · View 2 Upvoters
Jolynne Anderson
Jolynne Anderson, former Self Employed Primarily
Answered Jun 29, 2018 · Author has 121 answers and 12.3k answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

Florida is too humid for me personally I like to dry off after I shower, which I can do in San Diego w only a few must days of a/c . Florida has gorgeous clear warm water.. you wont find that here in San Diego, as a warm water diver, San Diego ocean water is too cold and definitely murky at best. I' not a fan of gators, as reported kids and people do get eaten by them on occasion in Florida. Cali has earth quakes.. I've felt some doozies and yes there have been some fatalities.. also wild fires have been an issue in Cali… I wouldn' move to San Francisco these days as the homeless poop and needle situation is out of control. Now all this to say.. There are wonderful and rotten people in both locations.. I am fortunate to have known some fabulous folks as my hope for you is you will be and attract some too.. especially if you move into my backyard..lol!! Always be learning and growing..Best of luck be w you!
2.3k views · View 6 Upvoters
Jaime Acosta
Jaime Acosta
Answered Feb 13, 2020

I hail from South America, the Caribbean region, I never could stand the tropical weather, the bugs, sweating, no seasons, etc, etc. The US is my home now, and I have lived in Southern California for the last two decades. I forced myself to be a few days in Florida coming back from a cruise which ended up in Miami. I never missed anything from the horrible tropical weather since I’ve been living here in L.A. People in Florida also seem they don’t have a clue on taking traffic lights seriously, and they seem too closed minded. Only thing I liked from Florida in a couple sentences were, the abundance of Latin American food which L.A. lacks really bad since everything here is Mexican or Central American. And the warm beaches.

Since I’m not a beach person, I can happily live with the beautiful scenic variety of nice colder beaches here in California, I love bike riding in the beach, watching all sorts of people riding their bikes, skates, and different things, watching the surfers on a nice afternoon at the pier, and going in summer to get a tan, the immense topography wise it is, beaches, snow capped mountains, valleys, deserts, lakes, rivers, Mediterranean regions that produces some of the best wines, one of the best coastal driving scenes in the World, Unique parks such as Yosemite, Sequoia, The Redwoods with trees and landscapes no found anywhere else on this planet.

If you like warmer dryer temperatures, you could live in the southern part of the state, if you prefer mild not too hot not too cold weather, like me, you could live up north of central California, You basically could do everything in this beautiful state and still have the four seasons, which I love, with the exception of summers that are getting warmer and warmer in SoCal.

On the other hand when it comes to crime, both states are about the same, though California is more populated, crime is not worse than Florida, and Florida is well known for being one of the states most scammers abound, and sex offenders too.

In California, housing is more expensive for the same reason California is far superior in everything to Florida. In California, there are a few jolts once in a while not big ones like in Japan, Chile or other places, even the feared Big one if eventually happens shall be under the 7.0 scale and we are really prepared for that, the actual threat to us Californians are the fires. In Florida there’s a constant threat of tornadoes, hurricanes.

I even dare to say even when there’s most people hubs in California, Florida is a lot poorer and I dare also to say lack of education and welfare is way more in Florida, as most mid east states are.

I love California open mindfulness, except to some rural parts and some O.C. parts that people tend to be too narrow minded towards other races, in general nobody would judge you for the way you look or for where you came from. Diversity makes this the Golden State so great, tech. geniuses from India and Middle east are welcome here without being catalogued as a threat, and hard working latinos also which are the vast majority. Also although I love muscle cars, trucks and gas guzzler cars, I love how conscious we are towards the environment.

To end up my review, the only things I don’t like here in California are, the traffic, and the lack of Latin American food, not everyone lives on tacos. But I love on the other hand the variety of Asian food and other world foods available everywhere specially in SoCal.
640 views
Troy Bortz
Troy Bortz
Answered May 15, 2020 · Author has 210 answers and 34.3k answer views

I’ve never been asked an easier question. It’s almost like asking me whether I’d rather live in Hawaii or Saudi Arabia.

California faces serious earthquake risks, increasingly frequent wildfires and coastal erosion. But those problems pale in comparison to Florida’s problem with rising sea level. All of their cities are AT sea level, and there’s no amout of sandbagging that hold the Atlantic Ocean and Gult of Mexico back. Once the cities are gone, the state is gone. And that’s a done deal at this point. When America gave Al Gore the finger 20 years ago, our window for saving Florida started closing, and that sucker’s slammed shut now.

Also, the weather. I will take San Francisco over Miami 10 out of 10 times.
26 views
Louis Cohen
Louis Cohen, Been here 40 years or so
Answered May 3, 2017 · Author has 22.2k answers and 8.7m answer views

Florida is too hot, too humid, too mosquito-ridden.

While we have some right wing and religious crazies, Florida has a higher percentage of them; the Panhandle is Southern Alabama. Florida is a swing state; California is solidly Democratic. I suspect that Florida has a higher percentage of retirees. California attracts smart, creative younger people for high tech and creative industries.

There is terrific seafood and Latin food in Florida, but because of our diversity of climates I think we get a bigger variety of fresh produce. And we have cold water seafood in the north and warm water seafood in the south.
2.4k views · View 9 Upvoters
Quora User
Anonymous
Answered Mar 7, 2019

I have lived most of my life in California, and spent considerable amounts of time visiting Florida, so I think I can make a fair comparison.

First Question: Do I have to work?

For many people, this is the equation changer. Florida is a really great place to go if you’re retired and/or will never have to work for a living. But California is still the golden land of opportunity, despite the fact that liberal politicians have screwed around with it so much.

Obviously, if you are considering moving to either state for work, you need to evaluate your job opportunities on a case-by-case basis. Some sectors like defense contractors may actually be stronger in Florida, but the technology sector is overall way stronger in California. Florida has nothing even close to Silicon Valley.

Keep in mind that worker rights protections are in general going to be much stronger in California. I know some shady crap that has happened to people who worked in Florida, and basically if your employer screws you in Florida, you have little recourse. Florida may be considered a “purple state” but when it comes to labor laws, Florida is as Republican as you can get. Of course, some would argue that Florida is like how California was in the good old days, when California had less bureaucracy and regulation. Also, when comparing offers, make sure to check your benefits packages carefully, because I bet your benefits will be worse in Florida.

Second Question: Do I want to start a business?

On the other hand, if I were starting a business, I would probably lean towards choosing Florida over California most of the time. Less regulation headaches to deal with for a small business owner. There are some caveats. If you need access to the best highly skilled workers, California is going to be able to supply you better. California has far far better universities, especially in areas where it matters like STEM and engineering, so there’s a steady supply of talented recent graduates. In Florida, if you want the best raw talent, you will either need to import from out-of-state or poach talent from a major company in Florida like Lockheed Martin. For this particular reason, Florida is not the best place to do a high-tech start-up at the moment. On the other hand, if you have a business that doesn’t require heavy STEM education like manufacturing t-shirts, then Florida should be quite fine. Also, if you have a technology company that isn’t good enough to compete in Silicon Valley, then Florida may be better since B-grade talent will be abundant and much cheaper than the California premium. Go to California, if you need (and are willing to pay for) A+ talent.

Third Question: Where is it better to have real estate?

Assuming you are going to buy a home, this may be a relevant question for you. In general, you should get a much better value on buying property in Florida, but it’s less likely to be a good long term value if you want to resell it later. The housing market in Florida will fluctuate a lot, but I don’t think there’s any area where buying is guaranteed to be a good investment long term. If you’re doing a short-term real estate play in Florida, you might profit but I wouldn’t make a 20 year bet in that state. In comparison, the housing market is really strong in California and unlikely to crash any time soon. The way I would look at is that owning property in California is equity, where as owning property in Florida is just a place to live.

Of course, the other consideration is natural disasters. In Florida, you have hurricanes. In California, you have wildfires. Both can obliterate a home. Which is worse? Well, if you spend enough money, you can build a fortress that is pretty hurricane proof. Or you can live in the inland part of Florida, although who would want to do that. Wildfires are, in my opinion, are harder to deal with as witnessed by all the rich celebrities in California who have lost their homes recently. I suppose you can build a place that is somewhat fireproof, but eventually everything will burn. The calculus is to figure out how long it will take firefighters to get to your home, which is why private firefighters are now a thing. You could also live somewhere in California where there aren’t any trees, but no one would want to do that. In short, if you live in California, make sure to carry good home-owners insurance to protect your expensive investment.

Final Question: Let’s assume that none of the above questions are a concern. Where would I rather be?

This one is easy — Florida.

Explanation:

Better beaches. Florida has the best beaches in the continental United States. Period. The only advantage that California beaches have is surfing, because the Pacific Ocean is really rough.
Amazing air quality in Florida. I’m not saying that the air in California is horrible. It depends where you live. In parts of Southern California, like Bakersfield[1] , the smog is indeed absolutely horrible. But the air in San Francisco is fine, so long as a wildfire isn’t burning nearby. That said, nothing beats Florida air because the sea breeze is constantly recirculating fresh air.
Better amusement parks. This point I have slightly mixed feelings about. There is a charm to the original Disneyland in California that Florida will never replicate no matter how big its tourist attractions get. Also, you might find the year-round tourist frenzy in Orlando to be off-putting, where as there are times when California’s Disneyland is more subdued. Also, Florida doesn’t yet do extreme roller coasters like Six Flags Magic Mountain. But despite all this, no one will dispute that Florida does amusement parks on much bigger and grander scale than California.
Better single life. California for a young and single person is actually pretty dull. LA may be the entertainment capital of the world, but South Beach in Miami is pretty much the best of LA nightlife, and a bit cheaper most of the year. Unless you are a billionaire, you should be prepared to feel poor in California. In California, no matter how successful you’ve become, someone is always richer than you. Anyway, most major cities in California outside of LA are dreadful for nightlife entertainment. San Jose? Puhleeze. And unless you’re gay, San Francisco (the only major city outside of LA where young people can have fun) is not going to give you better nightlife options than Orlando or even Tampa. I can guarantee you that San Francisco will be way more expensive though, and you will get far less bang for your buck. Most Californians of modest means travel all the way to Las Vegas for fun. Of course, this is all from a guy’s perspective. If you’re a woman, looking to meet some rich guys, California will be much better hunting grounds than Florida.
Better K-12 schools. Okay, let’s suppose you’re not single, so you don’t care about nightlife. Where is the better place to raise a family? Well, like most things in California, it depends how much money you have, but on average, Florida will be better. You’d be surprised to find out that California has one of the worst public school systems in America! It was actually ranked 2nd to last in the early 2000’s and I think it has only improved marginally since then. You can thank decades of unproven liberal education experiments and over-powered teachers unions that prevent bad teachers from being fired for the education fiasco in California. Also, no one with talent wants to be a teacher when there are so many better-paying jobs in California. You would be better off sending your kids to school in Nebraska or Iowa. I’m not saying Florida schools are amazing — they pale in comparison to some northeast states like Massachusetts. But they are actually decent, because Florida doesn’t use their kids as guinea pigs for communist education experiments. Kids in Florida might actually learn how to read. Now, California does have a handful of good public K-12 schools, but you will have to sell your firstborn child to the devil to be able to afford to live in the neighborhoods that have them. If you remove those good outlier schools from the statistics, California sinks even deeper in shame. And if you think private schools will save you in California, get ready to join a long waitlist because half of the state would like to send their kids to private school too but there simply isn’t enough space. It’s no wonder that homeschooling is a very popular option in California.
No annoying crazy liberals. There are annoying people in Florida like gun nuts and people who are just simply crazy, but at least you don’t have to deal with crazy liberals in your face all the time. Obviously, if your politics are left-leaning, you may feel different. But the way I look at it, is that conservatives generally don’t try to force their views or lifestyles on everyone else. It’s live and let live. You live the way you want to live, and I’ll live the way I want to live. And Florida is not so Republican that a liberal can’t survive there. It’s not Texas. You don’t have to go to church to fit in, and you can actually find communities in Florida that are quite liberal. Maybe not by California standards, but by East Coast standards since a lot of people from the liberal enclaves of the East Coast migrate to Florida. And Florida does have people who care about the environment. On the other hand, California is notorious for turning moderate liberals into Republicans. They come to California thinking they’re a liberal, and then they meet the real liberals and realize they’re not. The liberals in California will give you no peace, constantly judging you, constantly trying to control your life. Especially if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you should expect to get into political debates wherever you go. Expect people to unfriend you because they disagree with your politics. In Florida, you’ll meet some crazy people you want to avoid and there’s a bit of the “fake friendliness” of the South (although LA is may be even worse for people being fake), but overall people are pretty chill.
Lower taxes. Well, this kind of correlates with not having the crazy liberals, or the corrupt politicians that exploit them.
Lower crime. Of course, it depends where you live. Miami has a lot of crime. And there are suburbs in California where you don’t even have to lock your doors. But overall, when it comes to crime, especially the violent gang-related stuff, California’s major cities live up to their reputation of being the Wild West. Ironically, in the state where you would most feel the need to have a gun to protect yourself, it is most difficult to legally purchase a firearm. No worries, illegal guns are sold like candy in the ghettos of California.
No 3rd world living conditions. In case it’s not obvious from what I’ve described so far, California is a place where there’s such a huge contrast between the haves and the have nots. If you want to see the latter, go visit LA’s Skid Row or San Francisco’s Tenderloin and you will swear you’re no longer in America. What you will see will shock you. Is this civilization or is this straight out of a dystopian novel? Obviously, you can live in California and never see this stuff, but the fact is that it’s there, in the state that’s supposed to be the most liberal and always looking down on the rest of the country. And that will only make you more mad at those annoying crazy liberals. In comparison, you can go to Florida’s poorest neighborhoods but you’ll still feel like you’re in America (although in Miami you might have to learn Spanish). There’s nothing nearly as depressing or disturbing as California’s dumps for the downtrodden.

Of course, there are a few things about California you may miss in Florida:

California has a lot more smart intellectual people. It does have much better universities after all, despite having worse K-12 schools. And because you have more intellectuals in California, in general there’s a higher level of culture. Don’t get me wrong, you can find tons of dumb air-headed shallow people in both states. But the difference is that California also has actual nerds, and so if you’re a nerd, you might feel more at home in California.

The other thing that is better in California is food options, especially when it comes to ethnic food. Florida just isn’t that diverse of a population. You don’t have as many immigrants coming from all over the world to live in Florida. In Florida, most of the immigrant influx is coming from Latin America. So you might get better Cuban food in Florida, but that’s about it. Chinese, Korean, Indian and Mexican will be way better in California.

Many would argue California also has better fast food too, like um In-n-Out.

Some people won’t like the humidity in Florida. With the coastal seabreeze, I’ve never found this to be much of a problem though. It’s certainly not like Georgia. Nevertheless, if hot humid weather is a deal breaker, then you will prefer California’s dry temperate climate. Note that people use a lot more air conditioning in Florida than they do in California, which is part of the reason why you’re unlikely to notice the humidity much.

Footnotes

[1] Breathless in Bakersfield: is the worst air pollution in the US about to get worse?
2.4k views · View 9 Upvoters
Kayla Green-Wall
Kayla Green-Wall, California born and raised.
Answered Oct 19, 2018 · Author has 7.7k answers and 1.8m answer views

I’ve lived in California most of my life. Not going to pretend there aren’t issues (cost of living is ridiculous, we have income inequality and wildfires, climates in most of the major population centers are either desert or archetypal Pacific Northwest, and you’re not going to get that acting job)…but based on what I’ve heard about Florida from people who’ve lived there, I’d only even visit the state in question if you bribed me with seafood or I was running for public office.

Then again: I’m biased. The only times I’ve been out of California are on road trips to Louisiana or British Columbia, and a brief stint in South Carolina that I don’t really like to talk about. Which, mind you, is certainly not to say that there’s no other state I’d choose to live in.
1.6k views · View 1 Upvoter
Michael Tuttle
Michael Tuttle
Answered May 18, 2019 · Author has 3.1k answers and 415.7k answer views

I’d greatly prefer California myself, but just about anywhere I’d be able to afford at this point wouldn’t be where I’d want to live in that state. Housing costs are really getting out of line there, as are fuel taxes and taxes in general. I love California but couldn’t live there given current realities. So, Florida it is, if I have to relocate to one or the other. It would be northern Florida though, on either coast. Panhandle is most affordable. Florida has no state income tax. Housing is very affordable. The job market is pretty strong. Only downside would be insurance for your house, which has gotten rather expensive due to hurricanes.
811 views · View 2 Upvoters
Tasnia Ibtesam Ponkti (তাসনিয়া ইবতেসাম পঙক্তি)
Tasnia Ibtesam Ponkti (তাসনিয়া ইবতেসাম পঙক্তি), Lived both in Southern and Northern CA, Family is in So. CA
Answered Sep 6, 2015 · Author has 1.9k answers and 1.1m answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?
Except for the cost of living, I would say California.
10.6k views · View 6 Upvoters
Daniel Bittinat
Daniel Bittinat, lived in California (1991-2005)
Answered May 22, 2020 · Author has 542 answers and 61.1k answer views

California and it isn’t even close. Florida is the epitome of everything I DISLIKE about a place: flat, HOT, HOT, Humid, HOT, Bugs, HOT. The only saving grace of the state is no income tax, cheaper, and it rains a lot (which I like). Just to be clear, I would ONLY choose to live in the mountains of California or the far northern parts such as Del Norte County or Siskiyou County. I have ZERO interest in the major urban coastal regions having lived in LA and Orange county before. Also not my cup of tea.
13 views
Vincent Falvo
Vincent Falvo, lives in North Carolina
Answered Oct 14, 2018 · Author has 309 answers and 104.5k answer views

It’s hard to compare these states, as they are so different, but I love Florida.

Florida has a much nicer climate, nicer beaches, the world’s third largest coral reef system, lively metropolitan centers and endless amounts of tropical and subtropical forest. California lacks all of those listed expect for lively metropolitan centers, which in my opinion are overrated when compared to cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, etc.
1.3k views · View 3 Upvoters
Chris Stevens
Chris Stevens, former Burger Flipper at Every Fast Food Place in Town (1976-1984)
Answered May 3, 2017 · Author has 2.6k answers and 1.2m answer views

California.

California has in no particular order

Muir Woods
Yosemite
Joshua Tree
San Diego Zoo
Golden Gate Bridge
Hollywood
Disneyland
Napa
Sonoma
Monterey
Carmel
Gilroy
Death Valley

If money were no object, I would live in San Francisco, even with the risk of earthquakes.

Florida has Disney World and the related parks, Cape Canaveral, the Suwanee River, and Citra. Oh yeah, the occasional hurricane. It's no contest.
2.2k views · View 9 Upvoters
Blair Blakely
Blair Blakely, lives in California
Answered Nov 23, 2018 · Author has 5.9k answers and 4.1m answer views

I live in California but also spend some time in Florida and I will stay in California. I don’t like humidity or hurricanes. I live in the Central Valley and have for over forty years. I like the diversity in California, both the land and the people. (and the food). People that don’t live here and visit usually don’t stay long enough to see this. In my travels, I meet people elsewhere who say, “You live in California? I visited my cousin in L.A. once and I don’t see how you can stand to live in California.” Well, no offence to Angelinos, but I couldn’t stand to live there either. I will stay here in farm country, thanks.
1.1k views
Jim Thurber
Jim Thurber, former Navy Pilot at United States Navy (1980-1992)
Answered Feb 8, 2019 · Author has 3.5k answers and 8m answer views

I’m married to a woman who was raised in The Bay Area. Getting her to move out of California would be like pulling / ripping teeth from a tiny chicken beak.

I love Florida (I was stationed both in Jacksonville and Pensacola with the U.S. Navy). My preference would be to live in the panhandle, preferably a few miles from the ocean. Access to Mobile (love it) and New Orleans (also stationed there for a bit - Belle Chasse Naval Air Station) is easy.
889 views · View 1 Upvoter
Millie Cox
Millie Cox, Cosmetologist (2002-present)
Answered Jan 30, 2019

While I have lived in both CA and Fl and both have positive things, in the end, I went with how I felt with the people interactions, and I found CA to be a bit colder in that area, FL I felt more accepted and found making friends much easier.

I opted to live in a community by Express Homes in Palm Bay FL and honestly, I love it here, great weather, amazing people, access to the ocean and some of the best food you can find!

Weigh out what is most important to you and go for it, Life is too short to not be happy with where you live.

Best of luck
900 views · View 1 Upvoter
Cornelius Vath
Cornelius Vath
Answered Oct 27, 2017 · Author has 1k answers and 233.9k answer views
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

I like California weather better because it’s dry. But the traffic is horrible in most areas, you spend way too much time in your car, and now the heat is getting to be over-the-top. It keeps catching fire and that’s probably going to just keep getting worse.

Florida is more humid, and very low-lying in areas (not good for rising sea levels). But it has more open, less-populated areas which I prefer to overpopulation. But some people like being around lots of other people. This is LA…not my thing.
5.2k views · View 4 Upvoters
Kyle Gabriel Maharlika
Kyle Gabriel Maharlika, project manager born & raised in Miami, FL
Answered May 26, 2016
Originally Answered: Which is a better state to live in, Florida or California?

It depends on your specific situation. But you wanna make use of as much data as possible instead of relying on the reputation of a state for having particular jobs, although those reputation-based decisions are correct in a lot of cases.

Job Market

For the job market, you should be looking at the percentage of jobs in the industry you work in. For example, you might use these two tables:

May 2015 OES State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Florida

May 2015 OES State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for California

If you work in a highly technical field, e.g. Computer/Mathematical fields, the percentage of jobs is significantly higher in California than in Florida. 548880/15496600 in California, 184270/7925300 in Florida. 3.55% of jobs in California, and 2.32% of jobs in Florida.

However, some other job types are negligible, or there isn’t a huge change in the percentage of jobs in an industry between California and Florida.

Cost of Living

One site I found useful compares city by city, but unfortunately it’s for expats for the most part and the data is entered by users of the site. This kind of skews the view away from your average citizen in the city, but it’s still useful data. For example, let’s compare living in San Francisco to living in Miami.

Cost of Living in San Francisco, California, United States. May 2016 prices in San Francisco, California.

Cost of Living in Miami, Florida, United States. May 2016 prices in Miami, Florida.

As you can see, housing is SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive in San Francisco than in Miami, but a lot of the other stuff is negligible.

Safety

These tables by the FBI are super useful for comparing each city to another city in the state. Use this to compare safety by city.

Table 8 - Florida

Table 8 - California

Weather

This is one of those things you can trust by a local’s representation of it. In my view, Florida has a great Fall + Winter, and a very, very hot Spring + Summer. The further south you go the hotter it is, but I will say Miami doesn’t feel nearly as hot as a place in the landlocked parts of Florida because of the beach breeze. If you like sun then we have it year round, but summers rain a lot. Also it’s very humid here (but it’s great for your skin!). I like it

California’s more temperate, drier, and the heat varies depending on which part of the state you’re in. Look up the cities on google for opinions from residents.

Looks like this tool is also useful for comparison: City Climate Comparisons

Attractions

Both states are really similar here. A bunch of theme parks, stuff on water, parks. A better bet to quality of life here is what each individual city has to offer.
25.9k views · View 8 Upvoters