Pillar Guide · Florida Relocation · By Griff

Moving to Florida from Texas in 2026: The Real Estate Guide for Texans Trading the 1.74% Property Tax Rate and Dry Heat for a 3% Save Our Homes Cap and Coastal Florida

Hey there, I'm Griff. Let me say the thing right out of the gate, because every other state-origin guide on this site leads with state income tax escape — and that frame doesn't apply to you. Texas and Florida both run zero state income tax. There is no income-tax windfall on this move. The real story is property tax, and once you see the numbers you'll understand why several thousand Texas households a year still pick this relocation: Texas runs roughly 1.74% effective property tax statewide — the 7th-highest in the U.S. — while Florida runs 0.7% to 1.18% by county, with the Save Our Homes 3% annual cap locking your assessment increases once you file Homestead. On a $700K home, that's roughly $12,180 a year in Texas versus $7,280 in Broward County. The annual swing is real, and the long-term compounding gap (FL's 3% cap vs TX's 10% homestead cap) makes it widen over time.

I put this guide together because most of what ranks for “moving to Florida from Texas” either tries to force an income-tax angle that doesn't exist or skips the actual reasons Texas households are moving — property tax, family proximity, coastline access (FL has 1,300 miles vs the smaller TX Gulf window), and a climate preference some Texans genuinely have for humid coastal over dry inland heat. So we'll cover all of it. Property tax (the real financial driver), cost of living (where TX and FL are surprisingly close in some markets and TX has gotten more expensive in others), the lifestyle shift, where Texans are actually landing, the 2026 Florida market, and yes — every option for getting your stuff from TX to FL down I-10.

Written by James “Griff” Griffis·Reviewed by Beth McKeone·Last verified May 2026

Texas to Florida — let's build the plan

Tell me your current Texas metro (Austin, Houston, DFW, San Antonio), target Florida region, budget range, and timeline. I'll come back within 24 hours with a real plan — neighborhoods that actually fit you, a property-tax savings estimate against your current TX bill, and a 45–60 day path to closing.

1. The property tax bombshell: Texas's 1.74% effective rate vs Florida's 0.7%–1.18%

This is the first thing I explain to a Texan who calls me, because the income-tax framing that drives the New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois relocation math simply doesn't apply to you. Texas and Florida both run zero state income tax. Both run zero municipal income tax. On the income-tax line, the move is a perfect wash. The reason Texas households still pick this relocation in meaningful volume is what happens on the property tax line — Texas runs one of the highest effective property tax rates in the country, driven by the same dynamic that makes the income side zero (no income tax means heavy reliance on property tax and sales tax for school and local funding).

Texas vs Florida — effective property tax rates

  • Texas statewide effective rate: ~1.74% — 7th-highest in the U.S. in 2025 nationwide rankings. Travis County (Austin) and parts of Harris (Houston) and the DFW counties routinely run above the state average.
  • Florida statewide effective rate: 0.7%–1.18% by county. Broward ~1.04%–1.10%, Palm Beach ~1.05%–1.15%, Orange (Orlando) ~0.95%, Sumter (The Villages) ~0.85%, Marion (Ocala) ~0.78%.
  • Plus FL Homestead Exemption: $50K total exemption ($25K universal + $25K on assessed value between $50K and $75K for non-school taxes) applied after the Save Our Homes cap has done its work.

Real numbers we see at the closing table

  • $500K Austin home, Travis County: roughly $8,700/yr in TX vs $5,200 in Broward — a ~$3,500/yr swing.
  • $700K DFW or Houston home: roughly $12,180/yr in TX vs $7,280 in Broward — a ~$4,900/yr swing.
  • $900K Westlake / Memorial Villages / Highland Park home: roughly $15,660/yr in TX vs $9,360 in Broward — a ~$6,300/yr swing.
  • $1.3M upper-tier Travis or Harris County home: $22K+ TX tax bills are routine on this tier; the FL Homestead-applied bill on a comparable property runs $13K–$15K — a $7K–$9K annual swing.

The cap math — where the long-term compounding actually lives

  • Texas 10% homestead cap: annual appraised-value growth on homesteaded property capped at 10%/yr (school-district taxes). Resets on transfer with no portability.
  • Florida Save Our Homes 3% cap: annual assessed-value growth capped at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. Accumulated savings ride with you to the next FL homesteaded property — up to $500K portability transfer.
  • Over 10 years at the ceiling: the TX cap allows ~159% cumulative growth; the FL cap allows ~34%. That's a roughly 3× compounding gap on assessed value — exactly the gap a long-hold homeowner actually feels.

One more thing Texas buyers love when they hear it: Texas has no estate tax and no inheritance tax — on par with Florida. The TX-to-FL move is a pure property-tax-plus-lifestyle play, no estate-planning urgency the way there is for Pennsylvania (4.5%–15% inheritance tax), Massachusetts ($2M estate tax cliff), or New York (estate tax with a cliff at the threshold). The Texas homestead exemption ($100K from school-district appraised value plus a $40K general residence exemption that varies by district) looks bigger on paper than FL's $50K, but it's applied to a much higher effective rate — so the all-in TX bill still lands materially above the all-in FL bill on a like-for-like home, and the gap widens every year the 3% cap holds against the 10% cap. The full Florida tax math — homestead exemption, Save Our Homes 3% cap, $500K portability transfer, residency timing — lives on the relocation pillar.

Read the full Florida tax-savings playbook →

Run your own numbers

Florida Tax Savings Calculator · 2026

What would you actually save moving to Florida?

Real bracket math against your origin state plus Florida county property tax with Homestead Exemption and the Save Our Homes 3% cap applied. Adjust the inputs to see your year-one, five-year, and ten-year delta.

Parkland, Coral Springs, Weston, Davie, and Fort Lauderdale all in Broward

$
$
$

$50,000 Homestead Exemption applied to assessed value before millage.

Estimated annual savings

$7,850

Year one, post-homestead. Refreshes live as you change inputs.

Texas (current)

  • State income tax: $0
  • Property tax (1.74%): $13,050
  • Total annual: $13,050

Florida (Broward County)

  • State income tax: $0 (no state income tax)
  • Property tax (1.04%): $5,200
  • Total annual: $5,200

5-year savings

$38K

10-year savings

$71K

Projections apply Florida's Save Our Homes 3% cap to FL property tax growth. Current-state taxes held flat for comparison — most high-tax states have been raising rates, so the real delta runs higher.

What else changes with this move from Texas?+
  • ✦TX has no state income tax — calculator income-tax savings will read $0 because FL also has none
  • ✦TX property tax effective rate is ~1.74% statewide, one of the highest in the U.S. — this is where the FL relocation math actually pays off
  • ✦TX 10% annual assessment cap on homesteaded properties is conceptually similar to FL Save Our Homes but weaker (10% vs FL 3%) — FL caps grow slower over a decade
  • ✦TX has no estate or inheritance tax — FL match (neutral on this dimension)

Want this personalized?

Drop your email and Beth or Griff will follow up within 24 hours with an origin-specific breakdown — your real bracket, closing-cost estimate, and homestead filing timing.

Estimate only. Final tax depends on filing status, deductions, residency timing, and which counties you actually buy in. Always confirm with a CPA licensed in both states.

Texas and Florida both have zero state income tax, so the calculator's income-tax line will read $0 in both directions — that's accurate, not a bug. The real TX→FL math is property tax: TX runs ~1.74% effective rate, FL counties run 0.7%-1.18%. On a $700K home that's roughly $5,000/year in savings, compounding over time as FL's Save Our Homes 3% cap holds while TX's 10% assessment cap allows much faster growth. Full standalone calculator at /tax-savings-calculator with FAQ and methodology. Also grab the free 7-phase relocation checklist (printable PDF available).

2. Cost of living: Texas housing isn't the bargain it used to be

Let me be direct with Texas buyers because most of them haven't repriced their assumptions since the 2021–2023 run-up. Austin median pricing now sits in the $500K–$700K range — well above Florida metros that aren't Miami or coastal Palm Beach. DFW runs $400K–$550K on suburban single-family. Houston runs $350K–$500K on comparable suburban product. San Antonio sits below at $300K–$425K. Compared to Orlando ($390K–$460K), The Villages ($340K–$480K), or Port St. Lucie ($375K–$550K), the housing math from Texas to Central Florida or the Treasure Coast is near-flat or favorable to FL. Coastal FL (Broward, Palm Beach, Miami) does run more expensive than most Texas suburban product — but you're paying for year-round outdoor lifestyle and 1,300 miles of Atlantic coastline, and recovering the difference through the disappearing property tax bill.

CategoryAustin / DFW / Houston / San AntonioTypical FloridaYour swing
Median home price$300K–$700K (Austin top end)$375K–$700K coastal / $340K–$480K CentralNear-flat in Central FL; higher coastal but offset by property tax
Effective property tax rate~1.74% (one of highest in U.S.)0.7%–1.18% (post-Homestead)~30%–55% lower
State income tax0%0%Wash — no change
Homestead cap (annual)10% appraised-value growth3% assessed-value growth (Save Our Homes)~3× compounding shield to FL
Homeowners insurance$2,800–$6,500 (TX already high, esp. Harris/Galveston)$4K–$8K coastal; less inlandComparable; smaller shock than Midwest buyers feel

The housing line is the one Texas buyers most often miscalibrate the other direction — they assume Austin and DFW are still cheap and Florida is expensive. The 2021–2023 run-up flipped that for big chunks of the market. What buys you a 3,000 sq ft suburban in Westlake, Highland Park, or the Memorial Villages with a $14K tax bill costs less in Parkland or Boca with a $6K–$8K tax bill, Homestead filed, and the 3% cap locked. In Central Florida, North Central Florida (The Villages, Ocala), and the Treasure Coast, the math runs even better.

Florida insurance is the line item that has climbed — homeowners and flood especially. Expect $4K–$8K a year on a coastal Broward or Palm Beach single-family home, less in Central Florida and the Treasure Coast, and noticeably less on newer construction with a hurricane-rated roof and impact windows. Texas buyers — especially Harris, Galveston, and Brazoria county households used to high windstorm premiums — feel the shock less than buyers coming from the Midwest. We pull a real quote during due diligence so nobody gets surprised at week four.

3. Lifestyle: dry inland to humid coastal, no winters in either, hurricanes in both

The TX-to-FL lifestyle shift is unusual among our state-origin guides because most of the variables Northeasterners and Midwesterners trade away — winter, snow, salt-damaged cars, lake-effect gray — Texans never had. There's no winter to escape on this move. The shifts are different ones, and they're honest tradeoffs rather than obvious upgrades. Here's the unfiltered version of what changes.

  • ✦Heat: Texas dry-radiant summer (especially DFW, Austin, San Antonio) becomes Florida humid-coastal summer. You're soaked by 10 a.m. some days. Florida nights cool down materially compared to a DFW July night, and coastal FL actually runs cooler than inland FL year-round (sea breeze). Some Texans prefer the FL trade. Some don't. Both seasons are real.
  • ✦Hurricanes: both states get them. Texas fewer storms per decade but historically larger single events (Harvey in 2017, Ike in 2008). Florida more frequent activity but one of the strictest building codes in the country — hurricane-rated roofs and impact windows are standard on newer construction, and the insurance market is built around the frequency. Inland Florida (Orlando, The Villages, Ocala) materially reduces both probability and severity. Houston-area buyers usually appreciate that the FL coastal building standard is meaningfully higher than what they grew up with on the Gulf.
  • ✦Coastline: Texas has roughly 367 miles of Gulf coastline; Florida has roughly 1,350 miles across the Gulf and Atlantic. The difference shows up in beach access, in coastal recreation density, and in the simple fact that no FL address is more than ~90 miles from saltwater. For a Houston household used to making the drive to Galveston or Port Aransas, this is the part of the move that tends to land best.
  • ✦Pace: slower in most places. Traffic exists in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando — but nothing approaches I-35 at rush hour in Austin or the Houston I-10 / I-610 interchange on a weekday.
  • ✦Cars: unless you're downtown Fort Lauderdale, downtown Orlando, or specific pockets of Miami, you'll need a car. The Florida win for Texans: no more long inland drives between everything, and the FL toll-road system (using SunPass) is generally cleaner than TxTag and the patchwork of regional Texas toll authorities.
  • ✦Food / culture: proper Tex-Mex, Hill Country BBQ, breakfast tacos, Whataburger, and HEB are the things Texas transplants flag missing first. South Florida has strong Latin food (Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican-Florida hybrid) but it's a different cuisine — not a substitute for breakfast tacos at Veracruz or franklin-grade brisket. Whataburger has been expanding into FL but coverage is partial. HEB has no FL footprint. Publix runs grocery; it's good, it's not HEB.

A note on SW Florida (Naples, Sarasota, Cape Coral) — the Gulf Coast option

For Texas buyers — especially Houston households used to Galveston-area Gulf water and San Antonio retirees moving for a quieter pace — the SW Florida corridor (Naples, Sarasota, Cape Coral) is often a strong climate-and-water match: Gulf-of- Mexico water is warmer and calmer than the Atlantic, and the coastal recreation feel reads familiar. Beth and I close directly in Southeast Florida and Central Florida, which is what our destination grid below reflects. For SW Florida buyers, we maintain a vetted referral network of high-volume Gulf Coast agents we've worked alongside for years. If your sights are set on Naples, Sarasota, or Cape Coral, we make the introduction and stay involved through closing — same playbook, different ZIP code.

4. Where Texas households are landing across Florida in 2026

Florida is a long state. Where a Texas household should land depends on which TX metro you're leaving, budget, how often you fly back to AUS, IAH, DFW, SAT, or DAL, and which slice of the climate you want. Here's how the map is shaping up across every region we cover directly — top to bottom, all eight destinations scored honestly. The SW Florida corridor (Naples, Sarasota, Cape Coral) is covered separately via our referral network.

North Central Florida

The Villages

Master-planned 55+ lifestyle, golf-cart-first community design

For Texas buyers: A Central Florida 55+ retirement landing pad with direct service into MCO from DFW, AUS, IAH, and SAT on American, Spirit, and Southwest. The master-planned, golf-cart-first community design and concrete-block, hurricane-rated build of a typical Villages home reads familiar to a TX retiree leaving DFW or San Antonio sprawl — same single-story footprint, smaller lot, no winter heating bill.

  • ✦700+ holes of golf and dozens of recreation centers
  • ✦Town squares with nightly entertainment
  • ✦Newer construction at Central Florida price points

Median: $340K–$480K

Airport: Orlando International (MCO) — about 75 minutes

The Villages 55+ relocation hub →

North Central Florida

Ocala

Horse country, rolling terrain, equestrian-community feel

For Texas buyers: Quieter and lower-priced than the Orlando metro — horse country, rolling terrain, and median pricing well under what Austin, DFW, or even Houston suburbs now command. For TX households moving for a quieter pace (or chasing equestrian acreage at a price the Austin and DFW exurbs no longer offer), Ocala is one of the strongest cost-of-living swings in our coverage area.

  • ✦Largest concentration of thoroughbred farms in the U.S.
  • ✦Lower median price than the Orlando metro
  • ✦Easy I-75 access north and south

Median: $290K–$360K

Airport: Orlando International (MCO) — about 90 minutes

Ocala horse country real estate →

Central Florida

Orlando

Theme-park metro with deep job market and direct-flight reach

For Texas buyers: A strong Florida metro for DFW corporate relocations and Houston energy-industry transfers — direct MCO service from DFW, IAH, AUS, and SAT runs multiple daily on American, Spirit, and Southwest. Deep job market across tech, healthcare, hospitality, and defense. Inland location keeps hurricane insurance materially lower than the coasts, and median pricing of $390K–$460K beats Austin handily and runs near-flat against DFW.

  • ✦Direct flights to most major Northeast and Midwest hubs
  • ✦Strong tech, healthcare, defense, and hospitality job base
  • ✦Wide spread of suburbs from Winter Park to Lake Nona

Median: $390K–$460K

Airport: Orlando International (MCO)

Orlando real estate & relocation →

Treasure Coast

Port St. Lucie

Fast-growing newer-construction market, Atlantic 20 minutes east

For Texas buyers: Best value play in our coverage area — newer construction at roughly half the cost of a comparable coastal Florida home with the same square footage. The price-to-square-footage math is the closest match to what suburban DFW or northwest Houston used to offer before the 2021–2023 run-up. PBI is 60 minutes south, with direct DFW service on American.

  • ✦One of the fastest-growing cities in Florida
  • ✦Newer-construction inventory at materially lower prices than Broward or Palm Beach
  • ✦PGA Village golf, river access, and a quieter pace than South Florida

Median: $375K–$550K

Airport: Palm Beach International (PBI) — about 60 minutes south

Browse Port St. Lucie new construction →

Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach

Coastal hub with a real downtown, between Treasure Coast and Broward

For Texas buyers: Coastal hub with a real downtown, between Treasure Coast and Broward — coastal access without the deep-southeast coast premium. PBI runs direct service to DFW on American, with seasonal IAH connections. For a TX buyer who wants the Atlantic without Miami density, this is the value zone on the coast.

  • ✦Palm Beach International (PBI) for direct Northeast flights
  • ✦Coastal access without Miami pricing
  • ✦Boca Raton and Delray Beach inside 30 minutes south

Median: $525K–$700K

Airport: Palm Beach International (PBI)

West Palm Beach real estate & relocation →

Broward County

Broward County (our home turf)

South Florida sweet spot — major-airport convenience plus suburban range

For Texas buyers: The SE Florida sweet spot Beth and I cover directly — Parkland and Weston scratch the master-planned, larger-lot, top-school-district itch suburban TX buyers expect (Westlake, Highland Park, Memorial Villages, Alamo Heights, and Round Rock comparables). Coral Springs is the most variety, Davie is the value play. FLL runs daily nonstops to DFW on American and Spirit, with seasonal IAH service.

  • ✦Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood (FLL) direct flights to the Northeast and Midwest
  • ✦Strongest mix of resale, new construction, and gated-community options on the SE coast
  • ✦Beth and Griff close the majority of their business inside this county

Median: $525K–$1.2M+ depending on city

Airport: Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood (FLL)

  • • Parkland — Newer construction, larger lots, equestrian feel; medians $1M+
  • • Coral Springs — Most variety in Broward; medians around the $600K mark
  • • Weston — Master-planned, easy I-595 access; medians $700K–$820K
  • • Davie — Value play — more square footage per dollar; medians $500K–$525K
Start with the Parkland city hub →

Broward County

Fort Lauderdale

Walkable downtown, waterfront condos, direct FLL access

For Texas buyers: For Texans coming out of downtown Austin, the Houston Heights, downtown Dallas, or central San Antonio who want a walkable, waterfront downtown — Las Olas, Victoria Park, and Rio Vista give you that without losing direct flights. FLL direct to DFW multiple times daily.

  • ✦Las Olas, Victoria Park, and Rio Vista for downtown / waterfront living
  • ✦FLL direct to LGA, JFK, EWR, BOS, ORD, MDW, BWI, DCA, PHL
  • ✦Inside 30 minutes of Parkland, Coral Springs, Weston, Davie

Median: $525K–$900K+ (waterfront premium)

Airport: Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood (FLL)

Fort Lauderdale real estate & relocation →

Miami-Dade

Miami

International gateway, urban density, deep luxury inventory

For Texas buyers: The natural landing pad for Austin tech crossover — Miami's tech, finance, and crypto scene has absorbed a steady flow from the Austin corridor since 2021. Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and Aventura cover urban-to-suburban range. MIA depth on Latin America routes exceeds DFW by a wide margin — meaningful for buyers with Mexico or South America business ties. Daily direct service to DFW, AUS, IAH, and SAT.

  • ✦Miami International (MIA) is the largest international hub in the Southeast
  • ✦Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and Aventura cover urban-to-suburban range
  • ✦Strongest condo market in Florida by volume

Median: $575K–$1.2M+ depending on neighborhood

Airport: Miami International (MIA)

Miami real estate & relocation →

5. What the Florida market is actually doing in 2026

Inventory is up materially compared to the 2021–2022 frenzy. Statewide median pricing sits roughly in the $375K–$420K range depending on the month — but that statewide number hides huge regional spread. Treasure Coast new construction starts in the high $300Ks; Parkland and Boca single-family routinely tops $1M. The SW Florida Gulf Coast runs the full spread — Cape Coral starts in the mid-$300Ks, Naples luxury easily clears $2M.

What's consistent across the markets we work: more days on market than 2022, sellers negotiating on price and credits again, and stronger leverage for buyers who show up with clean financing. New construction in particular has builder incentives — rate buy-downs, closing-cost credits, free appliance packages — that resale rarely matches. The condo market deserves a separate flag for Texas buyers: new milestone inspection and reserve-funding rules have reshaped condo HOA budgets statewide. If you're looking turnkey at a beachfront condo, you need an agent who reads HOA financials, not just MLS sheets.

For a Texas seller cashing out at recent Austin, DFW, or upper-tier Houston pricing, what you can buy in Central Florida or the Treasure Coast is more competitive than it's been in three years — and the disappearing property tax delta (roughly $4K–$7K/yr depending on price tier) compounds over a long hold under the 3% Save Our Homes cap.

6. The actual move: every option, straight talk

The drive from Texas to Florida runs 1,000 to 1,600 miles depending on your origin and destination: Houston to Tampa is roughly 1,000 miles, Austin to Miami about 1,300, DFW to Orlando around 1,200. The standard route is I-10 east through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and into the Florida Panhandle — flat, well-paved, and busy with TX→FL traffic year-round. From DFW you pick up I-20 east first and connect to I-10 or I-12 in Louisiana. Doable in two long days or three at a humane pace with overnights in Lake Charles, Mobile, or Tallahassee. Three real options for getting your stuff down.

Full-service movers

They pack, load, drive, unload, and unpack if you pay extra. Stress level: near zero. Most expensive — typically $3,800 to $11,000 for a 2- to 3-bedroom TX-to-FL move (mileage matters; Austin-to-Miami tops the range, Houston-to-Tampa hits the lower end). The right call for households with kids, demanding jobs, or anyone who just wants it handled.

PODS / portable storage containers

You pack — or hire help — they drop a container at your door, you load it, they haul it to Florida and drop it at the new place. One month of storage included, so you can move in phases. The middle-ground option: more flexible than a truck, less expensive than full-service. Useful for TX→FL moves where the FL closing may slip a couple of weeks against your TX move-out date.

U-Haul truck rental (or similar DIY)

Cheapest upfront. You drive (or pay helpers). Fuel and mileage add up fast on a 1,000–1,600-mile run, but it works for the budget-conscious. One pro tip from a former contractor: rent the biggest truck you need on the first trip — multiple cross-Gulf-corridor runs are brutal.

Flights: Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) is an American Airlines hub with extensive Florida service — direct nonstops to MIA, FLL, MCO, TPA, PBI, and RSW. Houston Intercontinental (IAH) is a United hub with strong direct service to MIA, FLL, MCO, and TPA. Austin (AUS), San Antonio (SAT), and Dallas Love Field (DAL) all run direct service to the major FL hubs on American, Southwest, and Spirit. Texans have some of the best TX→FL flight infrastructure in the country — no significant FL market is more than one connection away from any of the five major Texas airports.

Hybrid approaches: a lot of Texas buyers ship a PODS for the heavy furniture, ship cars separately for $800–$1,500, then fly down DFW→MIA or IAH→TPA and rent a local truck for the last leg. Every combination works.

My advice: get three to four quotes early. January through April is the cheapest moving season. Book at least 6–8 weeks ahead. And ship the car — the I-10 drive sounds romantic until hour fifteen through west Louisiana.

7. The 6-step Texas to Florida timeline

This is the sequence we walk every Texas client through. Most steps overlap — that's how we hit a 6-month total relocation rather than the 12 most people assume.

  1. 1

    Three to six months out — pick your Florida region and run the numbers

    Decide which slice of Florida actually fits. Texans coming out of Austin tech often gravitate to Miami for the urban energy and international gateway; Houston households moving for family or coast change tend to land in Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida; DFW corporate relocations split between Tampa Bay and Orlando; San Antonio retirees historically flow to Naples and the Gulf Coast. Where Beth and I work and close directly: Central Florida (Orlando, The Villages, Ocala) — closest cost-of-living match for someone leaving suburban DFW or Houston, the Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie) for newer construction at lower price points, Palm Beach County (West Palm) for coastal access, and Broward (Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, Weston, Davie) for the SE Florida corridor with the deepest job market. For SW Florida (Naples, Sarasota, Cape Coral) we coordinate through our vetted referral network. Get pre-approved with a lender that closes in Florida and pull a real cost-of-ownership number — the headline you want to beat is your TX property tax bill, not income tax.

  2. 2

    Two to three months out — book the move and start decluttering

    Get three to four moving quotes (full-service, PODS, U-Haul). Book at least 6–8 weeks ahead — January through April is the cheapest window. Most TX→FL households take I-10 straight east: Houston to Tampa is roughly 1,000 miles, Austin to Miami runs about 1,300 miles, and DFW to Orlando is around 1,200 miles. From DFW you pick up I-20 east into Louisiana, then I-10 or I-12 through the Gulf states. The drive is doable in two long days or three at a humane pace with stops in Lake Charles, Mobile, or Tallahassee. Florida closets are not Texas garages (most FL homes have no attached storage on the scale of a TX three-car) — start letting go before the truck shows up.

  3. 3

    30 days out — change your address and line up Florida paperwork

    Update USPS, banks, and employers. You have 30 days from establishing residency to convert your driver's license and tags through FLHSMV. Schedule the appointment now (FLHSMV books out fast in season) and bring proof of residency, identity, and Social Security. Texas residency administration is generally clean — no state income tax means there's no Department of Revenue tax-residency audit on the way out — but if you own real property in Texas, file the change-of-ownership and any homestead-exemption updates with the relevant TX appraisal district so the TX 10% cap math doesn't follow you incorrectly.

  4. 4

    Moving week — utilities, school records, and a stocked fridge

    Set up power, water, and internet to turn on the morning of arrival. Pull school records, vaccination records, and any specialist medical records from your current providers — Florida districts and pediatricians want them in hand. Swap your Texas TxTag transponder over to Florida SunPass for FL turnpikes (TxTag and SunPass have some interoperability, but FL toll roads bill cleanest with native SunPass). Grocery delivery for the first 48 hours saves your sanity.

  5. 5

    First 30 days in Florida — register, vote, and update everything

    Florida driver license, vehicle registration with FLHSMV, voter registration with your new county, federal tax address update, and a Declaration of Domicile filed with your county clerk if you are cleanly establishing FL residency. Surrender Texas plates back to TxDMV and update the TX appraisal district on your former homestead so the next owner gets the correct reset. Texans don't have an income-tax authority to notify — one of the simplest residency wind-downs in the country.

  6. 6

    By March 1 of next year — file the Florida Homestead Exemption

    If you closed before January 1, file your Homestead Exemption with the county property appraiser by March 1. Missing this single deadline waives the exemption for a full tax year — typically $750 to $1,500 in property tax savings, plus the Save Our Homes 3% cap that kicks in next year. For a household coming off a $10K–$15K Travis, Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, or Bexar County property tax bill, the FL Homestead filing is where the move starts compounding in your favor. A note for Texans familiar with the 10% TX homestead cap: FL's Save Our Homes 3% cap grows roughly 3× slower over a decade — the long-term property-tax shield is materially stronger than the one you're leaving.

8. The honest pros and cons list

Pros

  • • Property tax ~0.7%–1.18% in FL vs ~1.74% in TX
  • • Save Our Homes 3% cap vs TX 10% — ~3× shield over a decade
  • • $500K Save Our Homes portability — TX has no equivalent
  • • 1,350 miles of FL coastline vs ~367 in TX
  • • Coastal building code among the strictest in the country
  • • No state estate tax / no inheritance tax (TX matches)
  • • Strong direct flights AUS/IAH/DFW/SAT/DAL to every major FL hub
  • • I-10 corridor is flat, well-paved, busy with TX→FL traffic year-round

Cons (real, manageable)

  • • No income-tax windfall — both states are zero
  • • Coastal FL housing more expensive than TX suburban product
  • • Dry inland heat → humid coastal heat (real adjustment)
  • • Hurricane reality in both states — more frequent in FL
  • • No HEB. No Whataburger statewide. No proper breakfast tacos.
  • • Tex-Mex and Hill Country BBQ are not really replaceable in FL
  • • Most FL homes have no Texas-scale three-car garage — declutter first

Most of the Texans I work with say the pros outweigh the cons inside the first year — usually right around the time they file their first FL Homestead and see the property tax line drop $4K–$7K compared to what they were paying in Austin, DFW, or Houston. The honest version: this move is less obvious than a NY→FL or NJ→FL relocation because you're not escaping a tax stack — but for Texans whose property tax bill, lifestyle preference, family proximity, or coastline access points to Florida, the long-term math holds up.

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Other state-origin relocation guides

Tools, pillars, and city-choice guides

References & sources

Written by James “Griff” Griffis, Florida Real Estate License #SL3473163, at VantaSure Realty (FL Brokerage License #CQ1065669). Reviewed by Beth McKeone, FL Lic #SL3435994. Direct: 954-300-1057.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Specific residency, domicile, tax, insurance, and closing procedures depend on your individual situation. Consult a Florida real estate attorney, a CPA familiar with Texas appraisal districts and Florida property tax, and your lender for situation-specific guidance before making decisions.

Questions Texans actually ask before they call us

Texas and Florida both have zero state income tax — is there actually a tax benefit to moving?+
Not on the income-tax line, no — that's the honest answer. Both states run zero state income tax and zero municipal income tax, so a Texan moving to Florida sees no change on earned or investment income at the state level. The real tax story is property tax. Texas has one of the highest effective property tax rates in the country at roughly 1.74% statewide — 7th-highest in the U.S. Florida's statewide average effective rate runs 0.7% to 1.18% by county, and once you file Homestead Exemption and the Save Our Homes 3% cap kicks in, your annual increase is locked. On a $700K home, that's roughly $12,180 a year in Texas vs. $7,280 in Broward County — a $4,900 annual swing in your favor, compounding wider over time as the FL 3% cap holds while the TX 10% homestead cap allows much faster growth.
How do Texas property taxes actually compare to Florida property taxes?+
Texas runs roughly 1.74% effective statewide — one of the highest in the country (the 7th-highest in 2025 nationwide rankings), driven by no state income tax and heavy school-district reliance on property tax. Travis County (Austin) and parts of Harris (Houston) and the DFW counties routinely run higher than the state average — Austin homes routinely show $13K–$20K annual property tax bills on $700K–$900K homes. Florida's statewide average effective rate is 0.7% to 1.18%, varying by county: Broward runs about 1.04%–1.10%, Palm Beach 1.05%–1.15%, Orange (Orlando) 0.95%, Sumter (The Villages) 0.85%, Marion (Ocala) 0.78%. For a Texas household coming off a $14K Travis or Harris County tax bill, the FL bill on a comparable home with Homestead filed usually runs $6K–$8.5K. That swing — roughly $5,000–$7,000 a year — is where the TX-to-FL math actually lives.
How does the Texas 10% homestead cap compare to Florida's Save Our Homes?+
Conceptually similar, mechanically very different — and FL's cap is materially stronger over time. Texas caps annual appraised-value growth for homesteaded properties at 10% per year (for school-district taxes; other taxing units may follow different rules). Florida's Save Our Homes caps annual assessed-value growth for homesteaded owners at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. Over a decade, the TX cap allows roughly 159% cumulative growth at the ceiling; the FL cap allows roughly 34%. That's a ~3× compounding gap. And on transfer, the FL Save Our Homes accumulated savings ride with you to your next homesteaded Florida property (up to $500,000 in transferable benefit) — Texas's cap simply resets on transfer with no portability. For a long-term hold, the FL cap is one of the strongest property-tax shields in the country.
What about the Texas homestead exemption — does Florida match it?+
Different structures, but the FL side ends up stronger in practice. Texas offers a $100,000 homestead exemption from appraised value for school-district taxes (boosted from $40K in 2023), plus a $40,000 general residence exemption for other taxing units (varies by district). Florida runs a $25,000 universal homestead exemption plus an additional $25,000 exemption on assessed value between $50K and $75K for non-school taxes — so $50,000 total on a typical home, applied to assessed value after the Save Our Homes cap has done its work. The headline TX exemption looks bigger on paper, but FL's effective rate is so much lower, and the 3% cap so much stronger than the 10% TX cap, that the all-in property tax bill in FL still lands materially below TX on a like-for-like home over any meaningful hold period.
Is there a Texas estate or inheritance tax I need to worry about?+
No — Texas has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax, on par with Florida. The TX-to-FL transition is clean for estate-planning purposes, unlike Massachusetts (estate tax with a $2M threshold), New York (estate tax with a cliff at the threshold), or Pennsylvania (4.5%–15% inheritance tax). For Texas high-net-worth households, the move is a pure property-tax-plus-lifestyle play, not an estate-tax escape — neutral on the estate side, real swing on the property side.
Where are most Texans actually landing in Florida in 2026?+
The patterns split by Texas origin. Austin tech crossover into Miami has been a steady corridor since 2021 — Brickell, Wynwood, and Coral Gables see the most Austin households. Houston households (especially energy-industry transfers and family-reunification moves) tend toward Tampa Bay, Sarasota, and Naples on the Gulf Coast — the climate and Gulf-of-Mexico water feels familiar coming off Galveston. DFW corporate relocations split between Tampa Bay and Orlando — strong direct flights, comparable cost of living, and inland Orlando reduces hurricane premium materially. San Antonio retirees historically flow toward Naples and the SW Florida Gulf Coast (we coordinate that through our referral network). In the markets Beth and I work directly, the pull is heaviest into Central Florida (Orlando, The Villages, Ocala), Broward (Fort Lauderdale, Parkland, Coral Springs, Weston, Davie), the Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie), and Palm Beach County (West Palm).
Should I land on the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast of Florida?+
Both work — they're genuinely different lifestyles. Gulf Coast (Naples, Sarasota, Cape Coral, Tampa Bay) has warmer, calmer water than the Atlantic — most Texans coming off Galveston or Corpus Christi find the Gulf side familiar, and the SW Florida corridor has heavier 55+ infrastructure. Atlantic Coast (Broward, Palm Beach, Miami) is denser, with cooler water and bigger surf, the strongest year-round job market, and the best international flight access (MIA, FLL). We work and close in SE Florida directly. For SW Florida, we have a hand-picked referral network we've used for years — if your sights are set on Naples, Sarasota, or Cape Coral, we facilitate the introduction and stay involved through closing.
Texas and Florida both have hurricane risk — how does it actually compare?+
Both states get hurricanes, but the patterns are different. Texas's Gulf Coast (Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi) sees fewer storms per decade than Florida but has been hit by some of the largest single-storm events in U.S. history — Harvey (2017) and Ike (2008) being the standouts, with Harvey's rainfall flooding redefining the Houston risk map. Florida sees more frequent activity — a major storm makes landfall on FL every 2–4 years on average — but FL's building code (post-Andrew, tightened repeatedly since) is one of the strictest in the country, hurricane-rated roofs and impact windows are standard on newer construction, and the insurance infrastructure (despite its 2022–2024 turmoil) is built around the frequency. Net: TX gets fewer but historically larger storms; FL gets more frequent but better-prepared. Inland Florida (Orlando, The Villages, Ocala) materially reduces both probability and severity, and most Texans I work with — especially Houston-area buyers — appreciate that the FL coastal building standard is meaningfully higher than what they grew up with on the Gulf.
I prefer Texas dry heat — won't Florida humidity be a problem?+
Fair question, and it's the most-cited Texas-side hesitation we hear. Texas summer heat (especially DFW, Austin, San Antonio) is dry-radiant — 100°F+ but lower humidity, which is its own brutal kind. Florida summer is humid-coastal — high 80s to low 90s with humidity that doesn't break until October. Most Texans adjust inside the first summer. Two things help: coastal Florida actually runs cooler than inland Florida year-round (sea breeze), and Florida nights cool down materially compared to a DFW July night. For a TX buyer used to running A/C year-round anyway, the operating-cost difference is smaller than the humidity stereotype suggests. The honest tradeoff: TX summer is more brutal during the day; FL summer lasts longer into the fall. Some Texans prefer FL's humid coastal climate to TX's dry heat once they've lived through both. Some don't. Spend a summer week in your target FL market before you sign anything if you're uncertain.
Is Florida actually a buyer's market in 2026?+
In most of the markets we work, yes — inventory is up materially compared to the 2021–2022 frenzy and price growth has flattened or pulled back. Sellers are negotiating on price, repairs, and closing-cost credits in ways they would not consider three years ago. The exception is anything brand-new in tight inventory pockets and high-demand waterfront. New construction in particular has builder incentives — rate buy-downs, closing-cost credits, free appliance packages — that resale rarely matches. We always pull the specific micro-market data for your shortlist before you make an offer. For Texas buyers cashing out of Austin or DFW at recent peak pricing, the FL spend is more competitive than it's been in three years.
How much will a move from Texas to Florida actually cost?+
A typical 2- to 3-bedroom Texas household pays $3,800 to $11,000 for full-service movers (Texas-to-Florida runs a bit higher than shorter Midwest moves because of the mileage and the Gulf-corridor route), $3,000 to $6,000 for a PODS-style container, and $1,900 to $3,800 for a U-Haul if you drive yourself (plus fuel — Houston to Tampa is roughly 1,000 miles, Austin to Miami about 1,300 miles, DFW to Orlando around 1,200 miles, mostly down I-10 once you clear east Texas). Add $800 to $1,500 to ship a car if you do not want to drive it down. Get three to four quotes early — January through April is the cheapest season.
What about Florida homeowners insurance from a Texas buyer's perspective?+
Texas homeowners insurance is one of the higher line items in the country already — TX households are not new to expensive coastal-state coverage. Florida insurance is in the same range and in some coastal pockets higher. Expect $4,000 to $8,000 a year on a typical Broward or Palm Beach single-family, less in Central Florida and the Treasure Coast, and noticeably less on newer construction with a hurricane-rated roof and impact windows. The shock factor for a Texan is usually smaller than it is for a Midwest buyer because TX premiums (especially Harris, Galveston, Brazoria counties) already run high. We pull a real quote during due diligence so the number is locked before close.
I've heard Florida-to-Texas is the bigger migration corridor — is moving the other way unusual?+
You're right that FL→TX is also a real corridor — both states gained population through the 2020s and there's genuine traffic in both directions. But TX→FL is meaningful and growing, particularly in three patterns: Austin tech crossover to Miami (steady since 2021), Houston households moving for family reunification or coast change to Tampa Bay and SW Florida, and DFW corporate relocations to Orlando and Tampa Bay. The two states share a lot — no state income tax, hurricane reality, Sun Belt growth — but FL's long-term property-tax shield (Save Our Homes 3% cap, $500K portability), 1,300 miles of coastline vs TX's smaller Gulf window, and (for many) the climate change from dry to humid coastal are the drivers when Texans pick FL. The move is less common than NY-to-FL, but it's not unusual — we run several TX-origin closings a year.
Do I have to fly to Florida multiple times to buy a home from Texas?+
No. Florida authorizes remote online notarization for real estate closings, and we coordinate virtual tours, video walkthroughs, remote inspections, and remote signings so you typically make one trip — a 2- to 3-day in-person scouting visit — and handle the rest from Texas. DFW is an American Airlines hub with extensive Florida service: multiple daily nonstops to MIA, FLL, MCO, TPA, PBI, and RSW. IAH is a United hub with strong direct service to MIA, FLL, MCO, and TPA. AUS, SAT, and DAL all run direct service to the major FL hubs on American, Southwest, and Spirit. Flying down for a focused weekend is straightforward. Average timeline from accepted offer to keys is 45 to 60 days. The full out-of-state-buyer playbook lives on the dedicated guide page.
Moving from Texas to The Villages — what does it take?+
The Villages is a high-volume 55+ destination for Texas callers — newer construction in the $340K to $480K range, golf-cart-first community design, and direct MCO flights from DFW, AUS, IAH, and SAT on American, Spirit, and Southwest. The build of a typical Villages home (concrete-block construction, hurricane-rated roof, smaller lot, single-story) reads familiar to a Texas retiree leaving DFW or San Antonio sprawl — and the inland Central Florida location materially reduces hurricane risk vs. either coast, which is the line that closes for TX buyers used to Houston-area Gulf storm exposure.
Moving from Texas to Ocala — what does it take?+
Ocala is a quieter, lower-priced alternative to the Orlando metro — horse country, rolling terrain, and median pricing in the $290K to $360K range. For Texas buyers leaving Austin exurbs or DFW where land has gotten expensive, Ocala offers acreage and an equestrian feel at a price that no longer exists in the Hill Country. Easy I-75 access north and south. Orlando International (MCO) is about 90 minutes south for direct flights back to DFW, AUS, IAH, or SAT.
Moving from Texas to Orlando — what does it take?+
Orlando is a strong Florida metro choice for Texas buyers — multiple daily MCO nonstops from DFW, IAH, AUS, and SAT on American, Spirit, and Southwest. The job market has real depth across tech, healthcare, hospitality, and defense — especially relevant for DFW corporate relocations and Houston energy-industry transfers. Median pricing of $390K–$460K beats Austin's $500K–$700K range handily and runs close to flat against DFW. Hurricane risk is materially lower than the Florida coast (Orlando is inland, two hours from either ocean), which usually reads on the insurance quote — a meaningful win for TX buyers who have Houston-area Gulf storm experience and don't want to repeat it.
Moving from Texas to Port St. Lucie — what does it take?+
Port St. Lucie is the value play I push for Texas buyers who want newer construction at a price closer to what suburban DFW or northwest Houston used to offer — typical homes in the $375K to $550K range, Atlantic 20 minutes east, and pricing well below comparable Broward or Palm Beach inventory. PBI is about 60 minutes south for direct DFW flights on American. We have a dedicated PSL new-construction hub on the site if you want to see what is actively being built and what the builder incentives look like right now.
Moving from Texas to West Palm Beach — what does it take?+
West Palm Beach is the closest coastal landing spot with full direct-flight reach to Texas (PBI runs nonstops to DFW on American). Real downtown, walkable waterfront, beach access without Miami density, and pricing in the $525K to $700K range that runs materially less than Boca and Delray to the south. For Texas buyers who want the Atlantic and a real urban core without the Miami premium, this is the value zone on the coast.
Moving from Texas to Broward County (our home turf) — what does it take?+
Broward is where Beth and I do the majority of our work, and it is the SE Florida sweet spot for Texas buyers who want top-tier schools and gated-community infrastructure. Parkland and Weston cover the master-planned, larger-lot end (medians $700K to $1M+) — the closest match to Westlake, Highland Park, the Memorial Villages, Alamo Heights, or Round Rock in terms of build and school quality. Coral Springs is the most variety in Broward (medians around $600K). Davie is the value play (medians $500K to $525K, more square footage per dollar). FLL runs daily nonstops to DFW on American and Spirit, with seasonal IAH service.
Moving from Texas to Fort Lauderdale — what does it take?+
Fort Lauderdale is the urban-energy pick for Texas buyers who want a walkable downtown — Las Olas, Victoria Park, and Rio Vista are the neighborhoods we steer downtown Austin, Houston Heights, downtown Dallas, and central San Antonio households toward when they want flip-flops without losing the city feel. Waterfront condos and townhomes start around $525K and run past $900K. FLL is inside 15 minutes of downtown with direct DFW service multiple times daily.
Moving from Texas to Miami — what does it take?+
Miami is the natural landing pad for the Austin-to-Miami tech crossover that's been running steadily since 2021 — Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and Aventura cover urban-to-suburban range, and MIA depth on Latin America routes exceeds what DFW offers by a wide margin (DFW is a strong domestic hub, but MIA is the Southeast's international gateway). Pricing in the $575K to $1.2M+ range varies wildly by neighborhood and runs above central Austin but below Westlake. For dense-urban Texas buyers (downtown Austin, Houston Heights, downtown Dallas, central San Antonio) who want a Florida version with international reach, Miami fits. For families wanting suburban range and top schools, Broward is usually the better answer.

Ready to map out your Texas to Florida move?

Tell me your current Texas metro (Austin, Houston, DFW, San Antonio), target Florida region (Orlando, The Villages, Ocala, Port St. Lucie, West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, Weston, Davie, Miami — or SW Florida via our Naples/Sarasota/Cape Coral referral network), budget range, and timeline. I'll come back within 24 hours with a real plan, a property-tax savings estimate against your current TX bill, and a 45–60 day path to closing.

Last verified May 2026 · Written by Griff