California vs Florida: the numbers side by side
Each row uses one measure for both states. Home values and rents come from Zillow for September 2026. The property tax row uses the Tax Foundation's 2024 effective rates for large counties, since local rates differ in both states. Insurance averages are the NAIC's 2022 figures, the latest the Insurance Information Institute publishes by state.
| Measure | California | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow typical home value, Sept 2026 | $761,538 | $375,361 |
| Change over one year | +0.6% | -0.9% |
| Change over five years | +13.3% | +18.6% |
| Personal income tax | 1% to 13.3% | None |
| State sales tax rate | 7.25% plus district taxes | 6% plus county surtax in many counties |
| Effective property tax rate, large counties (2024) | 0.67% Los Angeles and San Diego | 0.81% Miami-Dade, 0.84% Hillsborough, 0.82% Orange |
| Average homeowners premium, 2022 | $1,492 | $2,677 (highest in the U.S.) |
| Unemployment rate, Sept 2026 | 5.1% | 4.4% |
Florida halves the purchase price and removes state income tax. In exchange, owners pay the country's highest average insurance premium and face hurricane and flood exposure that most of California does not.
Each factor compared
Home values in California and Florida
Zillow's typical Florida home value was $375,361 in September 2026, just under half of California's $761,538. Florida peaked at $404,018 in May 2024 and has since fallen about 7%. Over ten years Florida values rose 84.3%, faster than California's 72.0%, so the price gap has narrowed but not closed.
By city, Zillow's typical value was $583,705 in Miami, $375,619 in Tampa, $372,775 in Orlando and $284,832 in Jacksonville. Miami rose the most over the year, up 1.4% (Tampa rose 0.4%), and its value was 40.1% higher than five years earlier. Tampa's ten-year gain was 108.1%.
Monthly payment on a typical home
With 20% down and Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026, principal and interest on Florida's typical value come to about $2,046 a month on a $300,289 loan. California's typical value needs about $4,152 a month on a $609,230 loan. Add Florida's higher insurance and the gap narrows, but it stays above $1,500 a month on these figures.
Rent in Florida cities vs California cities
Zillow's observed rent in September 2026 was $2,965 in Miami, close to Los Angeles at $2,772. Tampa ($1,930), Orlando ($1,889) and Jacksonville ($1,589) were well below San Diego ($3,004) and Sacramento ($2,045). If you rent first, Miami is the only large Florida city where you would not save much.
Florida homestead exemption and Save Our Homes
Florida's homestead exemption takes up to $51,411 off a primary home's taxable value for 2026. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school taxes. A second amount, $26,411 for 2026 because it is adjusted each year for inflation, applies to value above $50,000 and only to non-school taxes. After the first year, the Save Our Homes limit holds the assessed value increase to 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. You must own and live in the home on January 1 and apply to the county property appraiser by March 1.
Property tax compared with Prop 13
Both states reset the taxable value on sale and then cap it, California at 2% a year under Proposition 13 and Florida at 3% or CPI for homesteads. Florida's local rates are higher, which shows in the Tax Foundation's effective rates: 0.81% to 0.84% in Miami-Dade, Hillsborough and Orange counties, against 0.67% in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. In dollars the median Florida bill is still lower: $3,744 in Miami-Dade against $5,675 in Los Angeles County, because the homes are cheaper. Second homes and rentals in Florida get no homestead exemption. More detail on the California side is in our property tax guide.
Hurricane, flood and insurance costs
Florida had the highest average homeowners premium in the country in 2022: $2,677, against $1,492 in California and $1,569 nationally, per the NAIC data published by the Insurance Information Institute. Standard policies exclude flood, so a Florida home in or near a flood zone needs separate flood cover, and lenders require it in high-risk zones. California's equivalent extra cost is earthquake cover, plus wildfire limits on standard policies. Look up any Florida address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer.
Income tax: the biggest saving for earners
Florida has no personal income tax. California taxes income at 1% to 12.3%, with a 1% surcharge on income above $1 million that brings the top rate to 13.3%. For a household with large wage, pension or investment income, this can outweigh the higher Florida insurance bill several times over.
Sales tax and transfer tax
Florida's state sales tax is 6%, and many counties add a discretionary surtax. California's base is 7.25%, with district taxes on top. On a home sale, Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed at 70 cents per $100 of price in every county except Miami-Dade, which charges 60 cents plus a 45-cent surtax that does not apply to a single-family home. California's county rate is $1.10 per $1,000, and some cities add their own; see our California transfer tax guide.
Jobs in Florida and California
The Bureau of Labor Statistics put Florida's September 2026 unemployment rate at 4.4% and California's at 5.1%, both preliminary. If your job moves with you, the labor market matters less than the tax and housing math above.
Climate and hazards
Florida is humid, with a summer rainy season and an Atlantic hurricane season that runs from June through November. California's coast is drier and cooler in summer, and its main hazards are wildfire, earthquake and drought. Each state's risk shows up mainly in insurance cost and availability, so treat a quote as part of the purchase price.
How many Californians move to Florida
The Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimated that about 36,194 people moved from California to Florida in a year, with a margin of error of about 5,800. About 15,988 moved from Florida to California. Florida ranked fifth among destinations for people leaving California, behind Texas, Nevada, Arizona and Washington. A cross-country move also costs more to make than a move to a neighboring state, so price the movers into your budget. Our moving out of California guide covers the California side of the move.
What you leave behind in California
Your Prop 13 base and Prop 19
A Florida purchase starts a new assessed value at market price, and your California Proposition 13 base stays behind. Proposition 19 allows a base year value transfer only to a replacement home in California. Florida's portability works the same way in reverse: it moves a Save Our Homes benefit between Florida homesteads only, so it does nothing for a buyer arriving from California. Read our Prop 19 guide if you might want to stay in California instead.
Capital gains on the California home
The federal exclusion of up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, applies if you owned and lived in the home for two of the five years before the sale. California taxes gain above the exclusion as ordinary income. Florida does not tax the gain, but California may still tax a California home sold after you move, so time the sale with a tax adviser. See capital gains on a California home sale.
First steps after moving to Florida
- Get a Florida driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident, per the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
- Buy Florida auto insurance and title and register your vehicles within 10 days of becoming a resident.
- Own and live in the home on January 1, then file the homestead application (Form DR-501) with the county property appraiser by March 1.
- Check the flood zone, the roof age and the wind mitigation features before you bind insurance.
- Compare the full monthly cost, including insurance and any HOA fees, against your California budget in our cost of living in California guide.