By Pete White and Kate Ward, RE/MAX Gold. We help Connecticut buyers move to Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Sebastian, Stuart, and the rest of Florida's Treasure Coast.
Last updated: October 2026
[Pete or Kate: one sentence about leaving Connecticut, in your own words.]
[Pete and Kate: 4 to 6 sentences. Which of you came from Connecticut, what town, what year, why you left, what you were nervous about, and what you love now. This is the most important section on the page. Write it the way you'd tell it to a client over coffee.]
Moving from Connecticut to Florida means no state income tax and no estate tax, lower property taxes for most homeowners, and winters you'll actually enjoy. The tradeoffs are higher home insurance and hurricane season. From the Treasure Coast, you can still fly nonstop to Hartford or New Haven.
| Topic | Connecticut | Treasure Coast, Florida |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 2% to 6.99% | None |
| Social Security | Taxed for higher earners | Not taxed |
| Pensions and IRA withdrawals | Partly taxed | Not taxed |
| Estate tax | 12% on estates over $15 million | None |
| Gift tax | Yes, the only state with one | None |
| Property taxes | Among the highest in the country | Homestead exemption plus a cap on yearly increases |
| Median single-family price | About $520,000 (statewide, August 2026) | Port St. Lucie $420,000, Sebastian $366,000, Vero Beach $450,000 |
| Nonstop flights | Vero Beach to Hartford and New Haven on Breeze |
Connecticut taxes income at 2% to 6.99%. It exempts Social Security only for single filers under $75,000 and couples under $100,000 of income, and it taxes much of the money you take from pensions, 401(k)s, and IRAs. Florida has no state income tax at all.
Connecticut has some of the highest property taxes in the country. In Florida, homeowners who live in the home full time get a homestead exemption (up to $51,411 for 2026) and the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how much a homesteaded home's assessed value can rise each year.
[Pete: add a real example, like the yearly tax on a homesteaded $400,000 home in Port St. Lucie.]
Connecticut's estate tax only hits estates over $15 million in 2026, so most families won't owe it. Connecticut is also the only state with its own gift tax. Florida has no estate, inheritance, or gift tax.
Breeze Airways flies nonstop between Vero Beach and Hartford. A good fit for Hartford County, the Farmington Valley, and western Massachusetts.
Breeze also flies nonstop between Vero Beach and New Haven, a short drive from the shoreline and Fairfield County.
Breeze also flies nonstop to Providence, and JetBlue flies nonstop to Boston. Schedules change by season, so check the airline before you book.
[Pete: add drive times from Port St. Lucie and Stuart to Vero Beach Regional Airport.]
Visit in summer, not just winter. Get insurance quotes on the kinds of homes you like.
Talk to a CPA about the year you change residency. Connecticut taxes you as a resident if you keep a home there and spend more than 183 days in the state.
Buy your Florida home and make it your main home.
File a Declaration of Domicile, get your Florida driver's license and tags, and register to vote here.
Apply for your homestead exemption.
We're Realtors, not tax advisors. Talk to a CPA about your own move.
On November 3, 2026, Florida voters decide Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead exemption on most non-school property taxes. Under the proposal, people who become Florida residents after 2026 would wait five years for the larger exemption.
[UPDATE AFTER NOV 3: replace this section with the result and what it means for Connecticut buyers.]
Insurance will surprise you. Florida averages about $8,471 a year for home insurance, the highest in the country. Newer homes with newer roofs and impact windows cost much less to insure. Get quotes before you make an offer.
Hurricane season runs June through November. Know your flood zone before you buy.
You'll miss fall. Most of us still do. You won't miss shoveling.
HOAs are everywhere. Read the rules and the budget before you buy.
[Pete and Kate: 2 to 3 sentences on the Connecticut buyers you've helped and where they settled. No client names.]
Vero Beach and Stuart.
Jensen Beach and Palm City.
We've been where you are. Call or text us, and we'll help you figure out if the Treasure Coast is the right fit.
Kate Ward - 772-342-4006 / Peter White - 772-284-1419 / RE/MAX Gold
[Pete: if the Connecticut transplant is Kate rather than you, keep the headline. If neither of you wants that framing, change it to "Ready to leave Connecticut winters behind?"]
