Bright Atlantic surf beside sea oats and palms on a Treasure Coast beach

Moving to Florida from Michigan

By Peter White and Kate Ward, REMAX Gold. We help Michiganders move to Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Stuart, and the rest of Florida's Treasure Coast.

Last updated: October 2026

The short answer

Michiganders move here for the winters and the water, and you already know a thing or two about both. Florida has no state income tax, and its property tax cap works a lot like Proposal A. The tradeoffs are higher home prices, higher insurance, and hurricane season instead of lake-effect snow.

Why Michiganders make the move

Trade snow for sun.

Average winter highs on the Treasure Coast are in the 70s. No more scraping the windshield in March.

Still a water person.

Swap the Great Lakes for the Atlantic and the Indian River Lagoon. Boating, fishing, and beaches all year.

No state income tax.

Michigan's flat rate is 4.25% in 2026. Florida's is zero, on wages and everything else.

Golf in January.

The Treasure Coast has dozens of courses, and the season never ends.

Michigan vs. the Treasure Coast

Michigan

Median sold price: $303,500 (September 2026, Realtor.com)
State income tax: flat 4.25%, plus city income tax in Detroit and several other cities
Retirement income: most pension and IRA income now deductible (2026)
Property tax cap: Proposal A, inflation or 5%, whichever is less
Winter: snow from November to April

Treasure Coast, Florida

Median single-family price: Fort Pierce $280,000, Sebastian $366,000, Port St. Lucie $420,000, Vero Beach $450,000
State income tax: none
Retirement income: no state tax at all
Property tax cap: Save Our Homes, 3% or inflation, whichever is less
Winter: 70s and sunny

Treasure Coast prices are September 2026 single-family medians from Florida Realtors SunStats.

The honest math on taxes

Michigan made big changes in 2026, so here's the straight story.

If you're still working, the savings are real. A single person earning $80,000 pays about $3,150 a year in Michigan state income tax. Live in Detroit and you add city income tax on top. In Florida, that's zero.

If you're retired, the savings are smaller than they used to be. Starting in 2026, Michigan lets most retirees deduct up to $65,987 (single) or $131,794 (married) of pension and IRA income, and Social Security isn't taxed. Many Michigan retirees already pay little or no state tax on that income. Florida taxes none of it, at any amount.

Estimates only. We're Realtors, not tax advisors. Talk to a CPA before you plan your move.

You already know how our tax cap works

If you've owned a home in Michigan, Florida's property tax system will feel familiar.

Michigan: Proposal A

Taxable value can rise by inflation or 5%, whichever is less (2.7% for 2026)
The cap "uncaps" when the home sells, so the buyer's taxes reset higher
Your primary home gets the Principal Residence Exemption

Florida: Save Our Homes

Assessed value can rise by 3% or inflation, whichever is less
The cap resets when the home sells, so the seller's tax bill won't be yours
Your primary home gets a homestead exemption of up to $51,411 (2026)

Same lesson in both states. Don't budget off the seller's tax bill. We estimate your taxes based on your purchase price.

[Peter: add a real example, estimated yearly taxes on a $400,000 homesteaded home in Port St. Lucie]

Property taxes are on the ballot this year

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 buyers moving from Michigan.]

Getting home to see family

There are no nonstop flights from Michigan to Vero Beach yet. Your best options:

Palm Beach International (about an hour south of Port St. Lucie): nonstop to Grand Rapids on Allegiant and to Detroit on Delta.
Orlando International: nonstops to Grand Rapids and Detroit on several airlines.
Vero Beach Regional: American flies nonstop to Charlotte, with easy connections to Detroit and Grand Rapids.
Driving: Detroit to Port St. Lucie is about 19 hours. Many snowbirds drive down in the fall and back in the spring.

Routes change often. Check the airline before you book.

[Peter: confirm drive times from Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach to PBI and Orlando]

Palm-shaded dock and homes beside calm blue Indian River Lagoon water

The snowbird path

A lot of Michiganders spend a few winters here before making it permanent. That's a smart way to find the right town.

Know this going in: a second home in Florida doesn't get the homestead exemption or the 3% cap. Non-homestead homes have a 10% annual cap instead. Once Florida becomes your permanent home, apply for homestead by March 1 of the following year.

Steps most new Florida residents take when they make it official:

File a Declaration of Domicile with your county clerk.
Get a Florida driver's license and register your car here.
Register to vote in Florida.
Apply for your homestead exemption by March 1.
Remove the Principal Residence Exemption on any Michigan home you keep. Michigan requires it once it's no longer your primary home.

The honest tradeoffs

Homes cost more. The typical Michigan home sells for less than the typical Treasure Coast home. Fort Pierce and Sebastian are where Michigan budgets stretch the furthest.
Insurance costs more. Florida averages about $8,471 a year for home insurance, the highest in the country. Newer homes with newer roofs and impact windows cost far less to insure. Get quotes before you make an offer.
Hurricane season runs June through November. Newer homes are built to strict wind codes. Know your flood zone before you buy.
No basements. The water table is too high. Plan on a garage, attic, or storage unit.
Summers are long and hot. Think of July here like January back home. It's the season you stay inside.

Where Michiganders land on the Treasure Coast

Not sure where to start? Here's a quick guide by lifestyle.

Calm tidal river lined with palms and a seawall, tile-roof homes and a drawbridge in the distance

Want a lake-town feel on the water?

Sebastian, on the Indian River.

Northern roots, Treasure Coast locals

Kate Ward and Peter White together in a bright home interior

We both moved here as kids. Peter's family came down from Connecticut in 1984 and settled in Vero Beach. Kate's family came from Delaware in 1986 and settled in Fort Pierce. What drew our families here is what still keeps us here: the great weather and the small-town feel.

A lot has changed since we were growing up. There are far more restaurants, businesses, clubs, and things to do than there used to be. But the best part hasn't changed. It's the people. So many wonderful people make this area special, and we'd love to help you become one of them.

Frequently asked questions

If you're working, yes. Michigan's 4.25% income tax goes away, along with any city income tax. If you're retired, Michigan now exempts most pension and IRA income, so the savings may be smaller.

They're similar. Michigan caps taxable value growth at inflation or 5%. Florida caps a homestead's assessed value at 3% or inflation, whichever is less. Both reset when the home sells.

Usually not. Michigan's median sold price was $303,500 in September 2026. Treasure Coast medians ranged from $280,000 in Fort Pierce to $450,000 in Vero Beach.

Not from Vero Beach yet. Palm Beach International has nonstops to Grand Rapids and Detroit, and Orlando has several more.

Yes, as long as Florida is your permanent residence. You'll need to remove Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption on the home you keep.

By March 1 of the year after you buy and move in as your permanent residence.

Sources

Moving from somewhere else? See all our Moving From guides.

Sunrise over calm lagoon water and a mangrove shoreline

Done with Michigan winters?

We'll help you compare areas, budgets, and insurance costs before you make the drive down. Call or text us anytime.

Call Peter Call Kate Contact Us

Kate Ward - 772-342-4006 / Peter White - 772-284-1419 / REMAX Gold