North Florida Vs. South Florida

A Comparison of Weather, Cost of Living Index and Ease of Travel by Vehicle

This is the fourth of a multi-part series. The first was Florida vs. Arizona, the second is Florida vs. Texas and third is Florida vs. Hawaii. Florida is such a huge, 450 mile long, state that there's major differences within the North, Central and South regions. I already stated in my original post of Florida compared with Arizona and other popular snowbird destinations as follows:

"Let's begin by addressing the obvious. It makes the most sense that if your primary home is on the West Coast that you choose a snowbird community that is also on the West Coast. Right? Investing yourself in an area will be a long term pursuit if you choose wisely and getting there is a huge consideration of where to go. If unsure, then try out different options and see what works best. I highly doubt most snowbirds will repeat a trip from say, Indiana, Michigan or Ohio to Arizona more than once or twice. It's a long, multi-day drive. I'm not a gambler, but if I was, I would put high odds on what I refer to as the big slide. Most snowbirds slide south to their winter destinations.

My region in Northwest Florida primarily attracts people from the Northern Midwest states with a sprinkling of other areas mixed in. Most of my friends and acquaintances drive south on Interstate 65 all the way to our panhandle community. The last thing I want to do is spend more time on the road trip than absolutely necessary, especially with a dog on board.

If an individual or couple does not have pets or a lot of absolutely necessary belongings, flying is a possibility. But, there's more than meets the eye with that and unless you have no other option, such as a medical condition or choosing Hawaii for your winter destination, a road trip makes the most sense for all of the snowbirds I've ever encountered.  

[Flying Snowbirds]

Traveling to your snowbird community is a major factor, but the cost of living and weather are also significant. More than one conversation with future snowbirds has taken place about "Which is better?" types of scenarios. This post is the second of several that will discuss "Which is better?" of two regions within the State of Florida. Florida is the long recognized gold standard of snowbird destinations. It is the king of the country for popularity attracting seasonal residents such as snowbirds and many consider South Florida the premier choice for snowbirds. However, South Florida is not the only option and for many, it's not the best option for their own personal circumstances and needs.

Within Florida, there's quite a difference of weather, travel and costs. Keep in mind, the further south you venture in the winter the rates go up because it is peak season. North Florida's peak season is summer and rates are highest at that time, especially around the Fourth of July holiday. 

[Location, Location, Location: Peak Vs. Off Peak]

Here I will briefly provide the facts of three topics: weather, costs and ease of travel comparing North Florida with Southern Florida. Examples of Northern communities include Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Panama City, Destin and Pensacola. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama are popular with snowbirds and are included here as a western extension of North Florida. South Florida communities include Key West and the Keys, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Naples, Fort Myers and Sarasota. Central communities such as Tampa, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Melbourne and Orlando fall somewhere in-between for weather and travel. As always, weigh everything carefully and do your own research. The general information provided here is for a basic overview of what to expect and not intended to be specific for my readers. 

[Florida vs. Arizona]

[Florida vs. Texas]

[Florida vs. Hawaii]

How Much Hotter Is South Florida?

13 to 14 Degrees (°F) Average in December, January and February

To review, Florida is the number one hottest state in the US with an average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit in 2024. Winters in Florida are mild and summers are hot and humid. July is the hottest month of the year in Florida, averaging 90 to 92 degrees and frequently exceeding 100 degrees.

I selected two coastal areas to compare data based on snowbird popularity and available data. There is no quick method to compare the entire Northern vs. Southern regions, so two communities were chosen. Of course Miami Beach has a much larger snowbird and general population, but it also provides a fair representation of South Florida's weather. Of the Northern snowbird communities, Destin-Fort Walton provides a fair representation of the weather and snowbird population.

The charts below show the maximum, minimum and average temperatures by month for Miami Beach and Destin-Fort Walton. In December, the average temperature in Destin-Fort Walton is 57.6 (°F) vs. 71.9 (°F) for Miami Beach for a difference of 14.3 degrees. The average temperature in Destin-Fort Walton in January is 54.2 (°F) vs. 68.6 (°F) for Miami Beach, a difference of 14.4 degrees. For February, the average temperature in Destin-Fort Walton is 56.8 (°F) vs. 70.2 (°F) for Miami Beach, a difference of 13.4 degrees. 

A popular snowbird destination, Destin-Fort Walton is located on the Gulf Coast in Northern Florida and the chart below shows the mean temperatures from 2006 to 2020, which is the most recent information available from the source.

Miami Beach on the Atlantic Coast is most populated in South Florida and the chart below shows the mean temperatures from 2006 to 2020, which is the most recent information available from the source.

Source: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/

Which is Sunnier?

South Florida

Miami Beach in the Southeast Atlantic Coast area of Florida boasts an average of 252 sunny days per year. This makes it a fantastic choice for year-round outdoor activities, especially in the mild winters. Miami Beach averages 127 days per year of some sort of precipitation and summers are typically very hot and humid with temperatures in the 70's, 80's and 90's. The average number of rainy days is 59 inches compared to the US average of 38 inches. There is an average of zero inches of snow.

Source: https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/fl/miami_beach

By contrast, Destin, Florida in the Northwest Gulf Coast area of the state has 226 sunny days per year compared with the US average of 205 days. Destin receives an average of 66 inches of rain per year compared with the average in the US of 38 inches. Destin is also hot and humid in the summer with temperatures in the 70s and 80's. There is an average of zero inches of snow.

Source: https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/fl/destin

Florida is known as the "Sunshine State," and has an average of 66% sunny days per year and an average of 101 clear days and 2,927 sunny hours, making it ninth of the states in the US. Data was measured in Tampa, Florida located on the Western Peninsular side of Central Florida. For comparison, Arizona is by far the top state in the US for sun exposure and has the highest percentage of sunny days at 85% and an average of 193 clear days per year. Arizona's average number of 3,806 sunny hours per year is followed by Nevada and New Mexico respectively with 79% and 76% to round out the top three. Data was measured in Tucson, Arizona located on the southern border.

States with the highest percentage of sunny days in descending order are: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Florida, Georgia, Utah, Kansas, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virginia. Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Nebraska each have an average of 61% sunny days per year. Alaska has the least percentage of measured sunny days at 41%.

• • • “Sunlight Percentage” indicates the average annual percentage of time between sunrise and sunset that sunshine reaches the ground, based upon the past several decades of weather data.
    • Each state’s sunlight was measured using a specific test city, indicated below. Averages in other parts of the state may vary.
    • A small number of states lack sufficient data in one category or another

  Sources: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/sunniest-states

Which Has the Most Winter Precipitation? 

North Florida

A popular snowbird destination, Destin-Fort Walton is located on the Gulf Coast in Northern Florida and the chart below shows the precipitation in inches from 2006 to 2020, which is the most recent information available from the source. For December, January and February, Destin-Fort Walton Beach has 15.11 inches, which is about twice as much as Miami Beach with an average of 7.45 inches for the three months.

Miami Beach on the Atlantic Coast is most populated in South Florida and the chart below shows the precipitation in inches from 2006 to 2020, which is the most recent information available from the source. For December, January and February, Miami has 7.45 inches.

Source: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/

Which is Cheaper? 

North Florida

The Cost of Living Index indicates North Florida is much more affordable than South Florida for housing and groceries. Miami Beach on the Atlantic Coast specifically is 39% higher than the national average; 140% higher for housing, 11% higher for groceries and 5% higher for utilities than the national average. Transportation is just 1% higher than the national average. The median home price in Miami Beach is 1,244,151 US dollars.

Source:  https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/Florida-Miami-Beach

By contrast, the Pensacola area of North Florida located on the Gulf Coast is below the national average for housing and groceries. Pensacola is a coastal city located in the Northwest area of the state and overall it is 13% lower than the national average; 25% lower for housing, 14% lower for groceries and 11% higher for utilities. Transportation is just 2% higher than the national average. The median home price in Pensacola is 391,297 US dollars.

Source:  https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator/Florida-Pensacola

For an overall comparison by state, Florida is slightly more expensive than the national average with a Cost of Living Index of 102.8. The State of Hawaii is by far the most expensive state due to the whopping cost of living index of 186.9. For comparison, the state with the lowest score for 2024 is West Virginia at 84.1.

Source: https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series

Which is Easier to Travel by Vehicle?

North Florida

Florida has a distance of about 450 miles north to south with about 400 miles in the East/West upper portion of the state. No other state in the continental US can come close to Florida's 1,146 miles of shoreline. The peninsula of Florida is surrounded by the Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean. Florida is almost 66,000 square miles and does not have any international border.

Because of North Florida's geographical proximity to the remaining states in the Continental US, it is the easiest to reach by vehicle. Traveling to the southern regions of Florida by vehicle can add an extra day of travel to and from your destination. If physical mobility for you and/or your passengers and pets is an issue, it's a consideration when determining where to spend your time as a snowbird.

Florida has three major North/South interstate highways that will take you where you want to be. 

Interstate 95: Carolinas and Eastern Peninsular Florida

Interstate 75: Georgia, Central and Western Peninsular Florida

Interstate 65: Northwest Florida and Alabama