People Are Packing Up U-Hauls And Moving To These 7 Florida Cities

The do-it-yourself company just announced the most popular cities people moved to in 2023. No surprise that a few Florida cities made the list. U-Haul's growth index shows that people were loading one-way trucks and moving to these Florida cities.

People arriving in Palm Bay-Melbourne in one-way U-Haul trucks increased by 54.7% over 2023 compared to the 45.3% departing. Some places in this area are a lot cheaper compared to many of the northern cities people have left. Cal Conner, U-Haul Company of Eastern Florida president said one of the reasons for the large growth is "The Space Coast has many companies investing in this region and creating jobs such as Embraer, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris Technologies."

Lakeland is still a popular city in Florida for a number of reasons. First, they're literally right in the middle of everything. Lakeland is nestled 32 miles northeast of Tampa and 49 southwest of Orlando. And it's much more affordable than other big cities in Florida. Lakeland is also an area where you can get a home with a little more land. There’s more bang for your buck.

Florida was ranked second in growth states. The Sunshine State has been a top-three growth state for seven years in a row. Florida also had the most cities represented in the rankings, with 7 cities listed. Last year, only 4 cities made it into the top 25. You can check out the full list of growth states for 2023 here. How did U-Haul find this out? The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a city or state, versus departing from that city or state, in a calendar year.

While we are well aware that many people are moving to Florida (traffic has somehow gotten WORSE), these are the top growth cities in Florida where people are relocating:

The first thing that locals will tell you is "Don't" but that's because they want to keep Tampa to themselves. Unfortunately, the reality is people are going to continue to relocate to the Sunshine State. Tampa is a growing market, which means a lot of people are moving to the 813. Although locals wish the growing would stop, it's still exciting to watch for our city. It's always been a hot spot for long-time tourists, aka snowbirds, and people who are here for a short time. A lot of these tourists are becoming "transplants" and turning their vacation into a lifestyle. But we bet they wish they had this realistic advice before moving to Tampa. Thinking of making the move? Check out our pros and cons of living in the Tampa Bay area and scroll down to find out what's really going on here.

We jokingly asked our listeners what advice they would give someone who plans on moving to Tampa. Of course, the comments are flooded with "Don't", "We're full", and "Stay in NY". And while they aren't wrong, it's not really realistic advice for someone to move to Tampa.

Locals and transplants can find common ground on why Tampa is such a great place to live. There are lots of reasons why people save all year just to visit. The year-round warm weather is a big selling point for those relocating from colder states. We have some of the best beaches in the country, a melting pot of foodie culture, some of the most popular theme parks in the country, and championship-winning sports teams. Like every major city, you will run into issues like a growing homeless population, cost of living, HOA's among others.

This is slightly a joke but also kind of serious because it really does take an hour to get anywhere in Tampa. If you plan on moving to Tampa be sure to bring some patience. Trust us, you'll need it for driving on 275 or across the Howard Frankland during rush-hour (or any time of day really).

One of the biggest cons of moving to Florida/Tampa is the insurance rates. You have 10 days to title and register your car, boats, mobile home, etc. You'll have 30 days to obtain a Florida driver license. If you don't, you could see a hefty $500 fine. It's also worth noting the cost of car insurance is 30% higher than the national average.

Also since Florida is constantly threatened by major hurricanes, expect to pay A LOT for home/flood insurance.

It's something that even locals are guilty of doing. If you want to fit right in with the rest of Tampa, be sure to never use your blinker and let other drivers know your next move. Also, instead of making a u-turn, it's Florida policy to cut over 3 lanes of traffic to correct your mistake. (For legal reasons, this is a joke).

If you go anything under the speed limit in the left lane, be prepared to be met with a lot of middle fingers from Tampa locals.

Seriously, you made the move. Now you're a Floridian. We don't care "how you did it in New York". If you liked it so much, you could've stayed. Related note: Once you make the transfer to Tampa, leave behind your old team sports gear. You're a Bucs/Rays/Lightning fan now.

One thing you may not have realized in Florida is the bugs are INTENSE. Mosquitoes, fire ants, and palmetto bugs are extremely common. You also might want to get used to wearing sunscreen daily and have some allergy medication on hand. We have plants that bloom year-round which causes a lot of issues for people with bad allergies. Plus the ocean breeze can move pollen for miles.

If you've visited on vacation you probably experienced this. It's a beautiful sunny day until around 4pm when we get our daily showers. If you're at an amusement park like Busch Gardens, don't worry about gathering your things and leaving (unless otherwise stated by the park). Majority of the time, you can wait out the storm in 30-60 minutes.

Before making the move to Tampa, maybe consider doing a trial run during our "worst" months. It's the hottest in July/August, hurricanes really pick up in September, traffic is TERRIBLE during spring break. If you plan a 2-3 week visit during any of these months, you'll get a real taste of what it's like living in Tampa.