The sunshine, palm trees and beaches seem to be the biggest selling points of Southwest Florida. A new report shows that while many are moving in, there are also quite a few people leaving for greener pastures.
They cite the heat and the traffic as reasons for leaving.
Paul Murray has always dreamed of spending his holidays on the water.
“We take advantage of everything Naples has to offer from the Gulf beaches to the boating and just great weather,” Murray said.
Fewer people are moving to Florida since the start of the pandemic. It’s the largest drop-off of people moving to Florida since 2014.
These numbers come from the state’s demographic estimating conference. Does that state trend hold true within Southwest Florida?
Glenda Nichols is a real estate agent with Peach Realty, Inc. “Even through COVID, we’re still seeing people coming out of the Southwest portion of the state,” Nichols said.
North Georgia agent Glenda Nichols says she has many clients from Southwest Florida. They say they want to trade sandy beaches for wine country.
“I guess they’re looking to get out of the heat. And some of the high prices on real estate and a lot of folks talk about traffic,” said Nichols.
But, don’t expect the traffic to get better soon. There are still more people moving to Florida than leaving.
Murray says he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. “I think the beauty of Naples kind of speaks for itself,” he said.
Our beaches, sunshine and palm trees speak volumes.