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Moving to Florida? West Coast vs. East CoastLearn about the differences between the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of FloridaThe Florida Real Estate Market Outlook for 2023This page has been created to help give you a top-level overview of the Florida coasts to aid you in your research of selecting a Florida destination to call home. We will overview the most popular and fastest-growing Florida cities that people are currently moving to, compare and contrast the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast beaches, and provide you with a breakdown of real estate prices around the state to show you how much house you can obtain for your budget on each side of the state. Which Florida Cities are People Moving To? As the 3rd largest state by total population, Florida has long been a popular retirement destination for many with its mild winters, beautiful beaches and attractive housing prices, but what exactly are the most popular and fastest growing cities in the state? To best answer this question, we reviewed several reputable data sources including U-Haul’s recent ranking reports (2022, 2021) which comprise more than 2-million truck-sharing
transactions that occur annually, to see the Florida cities and the coasts that trucks were most being driven to as one-way trips. We additionally reviewed the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of fastest growing cities in the U.S. (2021) as well as the fastest growing places in the country by U.S. News & World Report (2022) whose study analyzed the net migration of each metro area’s population over the past five years. The net result of these studies is that the fastest-growing Florida cities are
overwhelmingly the same destinations that U-Haul trucks are being driven to as one-way trips, meaning that each data source validates the other. Below is a listing of these growing cities by Florida coast. Fastest Growing Florida Cities that People are Moving ToGulf Coast vs Atlantic Coast BeachesWhile Florida is home to many of the nation's top beaches, which commonly receive top reviews and accoldates by TripAdvisor and other popular review sites each year, let's take a look at the actual differences between the two Florida coasts and how beaches are different. Florida's Gulf Coast, which is famous for its powder-like, white-sand beaches and emerald-hued waters, offers beachgoers a slightly warmer water temp (up to 5° more in the summer months) and calmer waters which is great for watersport activities such as stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. With its whiter, brighter sand, it doesn't retain the heat of the sun and will feel cool to the touch even on the hottest Florida day. Florida's Atlantic Coast beaches, by contrast, have more of a light brown, golden tone to them and will feel warmer to the touch. Florida's east coast beaches are also usually windier due to the Atlantic Coast breeze. This creates larger waves and is much bettrer for surfing, especially in the areas of New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Another difference between the coasts is that beachgoers to the Atlantic beaches will often see large cruise and cargo ships in the distance as these are designated shipping channels. Top Gulf Coast Beaches
Top Atlantic Coast Beaches
Siesta Key Beach Siesta Key Beach is Florida's top overall beach and as has consistently received more accolades and awards than any other beach in the sunshine state. With is powder-like, white sugar sand, Siesta Key Beach was mostly recently named as the #2 Best Beach in the entire US by TripAdvisor (2022). Fort Lauderdale BeachFort Lauderdale Beach, located in the heart of Florida's Gold Coast, has received many accolades in recent years as a Top Florida beach. It was named as the 9th best beach in Florida by TripAdvisor (2019) and a "Best Beach in Florida" by US News & World Report (2019). Florida Real Estate Prices by CoastWhile researching various Florida cities prior to your relocation to the sunshine state, it's important to understand how far your dollars will actually go. For your convenience, we have listed the average price per square foot (based upon November 2022 prices) for popular destinations on each Florida coast to give you an approximate of how much house you can get for your budget. As a general overview, north Florida offers the best value per square foot while the Gold Coast region of Florida (Palm Beach south to Miami) offers some of the most expensive Florida real estate. While these numbers represent the average price per square foot per city, keep in mind that properties with waterfront and/or golf course views will likely be much higher. Also be sure to check out our how expensive is it to live in Florida page where we review the median price of home sales data for Florida's 22 MSA city regions and visually plot these on a Florida map by color intensity. Gulf Coast
Central
Atlantic Coast
Sq Ft prices based upon Nov 2022 real estate prices. Price / Sq Ft for Florida Real EstateAge of Florida ResidentsBased upon 2020 Census Data, the following shows the average age of Florida residents per city on the Gulf Coast, Atlantic Coast and Central Florida. With the average age of Florida residents being 42.2 years old, the sunshine state actually ranks 5th in the nation for oldest populations (Maine currently takes the #1 slot with an average age of 45 years per resident). While the larger metropolitan markets of Florida are home to its younger residents, popular smaller-sized cities such as Venice, Naples, Vero Beach, Cocoa Beach and Palm Beach are home to many of Florida’s older residents as these locations are popular retirement destinations for many. Gulf Coast
Central
Atlantic Coast
Ages based upon U.S. Census Bureau Data Average Florida Resident Age Per CityFlorida Hurricane Hits by CoastAlthough most may not think about hurricane’s when relocating to Florida, it’s important to understand the possibility of one during hurricane season (Jun 1 – Nov 30) and to plan for it when purchasing your Florida home. For your convenience, we have listed the strong category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes which have made a Florida landfall in the past 100 years. Although a hurricane can hit anywhere along Florida’s coasts, history shows us that the Florida keys and the warmer, shallower waters of the Florida panhandle are more prone to receiving a direct landfall. Ever since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992, Florida building codes have greatly increased to handle the strong winds of these powerful storms. Also important to consider is the land elevation of your new Florida home as often the water surge, vs the strong winds, can be what causes damage should a direct landfall occur. Gulf Coast
Atlantic Coast
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Landfall Locations of Florida Hurricanes (Cat 3, 4 & 5)Is West Coast or East Coast of Florida better?The West Coast: More Relaxed Atmosphere
The resorts on this coast tend to be a bit more low-key than those on the East Coast, but that doesn't mean they're any less luxurious. What is this? So, if you're looking for a relaxing vacation with your family, the West Coast of Florida is definitely the way to go!
Is the West Coast of Florida hotter than the East Coast?In terms of water temperature, the East Coast tends to be warmer and more consistent, with temperatures ranging from 70 degrees in the winter to the mid-80s in the summer. On the West Coast, the water temps are more variable and will fall to the 50s during the winter and, in the summer, reach approximately 90 degrees.
Is the gulf side of Florida warmer than the Atlantic side?During the summer months, the Gulf of Mexico will be five or more degrees warmer than the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf may reach 92 degrees or more. In fact, on a July, August or September evening, the Gulf water is warmer than the air.
Why East Coast is better than West Coast?The states on the East Coast are smaller and more compact. At first, this may sound like a bad thing, but that means you can travel to these areas more quickly and see many things on your journey. Each state on the East Coast has a different culture and there is plenty to choose from when it comes to stuff to do.
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East coast vs west coast florida
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