I’m a native Floridian who left after 60 years. The high prices, traffic, and bad weather made it unlivable.

• Native Floridian Kimberly Jones said her condition was unrecognizable.

• Lots of construction, traffic and high costs made Jones no longer feel at home.

• In 2025, she and her husband moved to a small town in North Carolina, where she was happier.

This article, as told, is based on a conversation with Kimberly Jones, a 60-year-old Florida native who moved to North Carolina in 2025. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in Miami and have spent my entire life living here. in South Florida. But last year my husband and I I moved to North CarolinaAnd it wasn’t an easy decision.

Our reasons for moving were multifaceted. An important factor affordability; Cost of living in Florida It was out of control. Prices of everything have increased, including homeowners and auto insurance, even everyday expenses like groceries and eating out. These costs were particularly high in South Florida compared to other parts of the state.

Another reason was South Florida feels overdeveloped. If there is a corner, they build a tall building on it. It turned into a congested and expensive city. I was spending 2.5 hours a day commuting to work.

Beyond affordability and congestion, my husband and I were also expecting a slower pace of life.

My kids are still in Florida, along with the rest of my family, my friends, and the life I always knew. It was a big deal for us to leave.

I barely recognize Florida anymore

South Florida is not the same anymore.

As I passed another cluster of cranes and new buildings rising, I always thought: Who lives in all these places, especially at these prices? In fact, it is not the people who keep the city alive. Not teachers, grocery store workers, or hospitality workers.

These days, even young adults with college degrees and good jobs It’s hard to afford to live here unless they have a partner to help pay half the bills.

My children are single and have already finished university. My daughter works two jobs to cover expenses, and my son has a second income.

My daughter managed to buy an apartment a few years ago when prices were lower and interest rates were still low. However, there is little chance of my son purchasing it anytime soon; Like most of his friends, he will be renting a house in the near future; Many of my friends talk the same thing to their children.

I grew up in FloridaSo it’s surreal to see what happened. It’s very sad to watch this kind of change. Buildings continue to rise; They’re even trying to push further into the Everglades. It feels like they are displacing wildlife and disrupting the ecosystem.

And then there is the infrastructure problem; What are they doing to support all this growth?

My quality of life has improved since moving to North Carolina

There’s no better place to be than South Florida in January and February. However, in other months of the year the heat and humidity were very severe. You couldn’t leave your house and your air conditioner never turned off.

We wanted better weather, but my husband and I didn’t want to go somewhere as far away as the Northeast. A lot Transfers in Florida continue Southern states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgiaand in Tennessee.

We chose to move to North Carolina.

My husband retired a few years ago and I was able to transition to working remotely. We live in a small rural town about an hour from Charlotte. We love the slow pace of life and how nice the people here are.

My husband and I built a custom lakeside home on 1.5 acres of land we purchased in town 20 years ago. There was no way we could buy a house of this quality in Florida.

living in north carolina There is give and take. First, there is a state income tax, which Florida does not have. Still, sales tax is about the same in both states, and overall the cost of everything else here is much lower than in Florida. We saved money on home insurance. Even markets and restaurants are more affordable.

My quality of life, my stress level, everything has improved tremendously since I came out of what felt like a rat race.

Many of my friends already left FloridaThose who don’t want to but are stuck for different reasons such as having a job. I think my husband and I are really lucky that our timing worked out right.

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