The unemployment rate in Florida is a bit higher than the national average. As of April 2011, Florida's rate of unemployment was 10.8 percent compared to the national average of only 9 percent. Florida gained .05 percent employment rate in one year.
Many of the jobs are agricultural and most of the manufacturing in Florida is in food processing. Electronics, transportation equipment and chemicals are also manufactured in Florida. There are employment opportunities in the printing industry, and the tourism industry brings in $57 billion each year.
The cost of living in Florida varies greatly according to where you live. The coastal areas are more expensive. Living costs in Florida are rising due to the high price in fuel and property demand. Fuel costs in Florida are rising at an over 1 percent higher rate than the national average. The costs of food and beverages are rising, and Florida's sales tax is 6 percent. Utility costs in Florida are very close to the national averages. The average cost of housing is about $850 per month. In north Florida, the average cost of a home is $240,000 but in south Florida it is $390,000, and homes are not always easy to come by. Many of them are rental properties and occupancy rates for housing reached over 98 percent in 2006.
Most people who move to Florida look forward to the warm weather, but they are not prepared for the intense heat and humidity. There are not really four seasons in Florida. Autumn is very mild and winter is almost non-existent when compared to the northern states. Humidity levels are extremely high all year long, which makes their mild winter seem much colder than it is. During summer, Florida experiences thunderstorms almost on a daily basis. Some of the storms are severe. July and August are the hottest months of the year. If you are planning to move to Florida, you may want to spend a week or two there during the hot weeks of summer before you make a decision.
Florida is threatened by two to three hurricanes per year, and often more. Preparing for a hurricane is expensive, and evacuating is even more expensive. Residents must buy lumber to board up windows and the cost of property insurance is greater due to the risk. The coastal property owners pay extremely high insurance premiums on their homes, automobiles and other property. Losing everything to a hurricane is a real risk if you live in Florida.
There are very good things about living in Florida. You will never have to shovel snow. Florida is only the 22nd largest state, but it has the 4th largest population in the Union. There is always something to do. Florida has a very high population of people that are new, so you will not feel like an outsider at all.
Popular activities in Florida include sports and fishing. There are also many amusement parks and shopping venues. Florida has more golf courses than any other state. There are 1,200 miles of shoreline in Florida, and much of it is reserved for public beaches.
The Florida Lotto has brought over $22 billion dollars to the public education system. Florida's graduation rate is lower than the national average, but students score competitively on standardized tests administered during high school.
Florida has 16 professional sports teams, including football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams. If you are moving from another region of the United States, be prepared for how seriously southerners take their college football teams.
