--- title: "Moving to Florida from Virginia: Treasure Coast Guide" url: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/moving-to-florida-from-virginia description: "Moving from Virginia to Florida? Income tax, the car tax, home prices by region, Dulles nonstop flights, and honest tradeoffs from Treasure Coast Realtors." lang: en --- Image: Turquoise Florida inlet beside white sand, sea oats and palms (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/assets/virginia-relocation-hero-_diC1RBp.jpg) # Moving to Florida from Virginia By Pete White and Kate Ward, RE/MAX Gold. We help Virginia buyers move to Vero Beach (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/vero-beach), Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie), Sebastian (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/sebastian), Stuart (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/stuart), and the rest of Florida's Treasure Coast (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/relocation). Last updated: October 2026 ## The honest answer Virginia's taxes are moderate, so the case for Florida depends on your situation. You'll stop paying Virginia's 5.75% income tax, including on IRA and pension withdrawals, and you'll never get another car tax bill. Virginia's property taxes are already fairly low, so don't expect big savings there. Where you're moving from matters most: Northern Virginia buyers get far more house for the money here, while Richmond and Hampton Roads buyers will find similar prices. ## What changes when you leave Virginia ### Income tax. Virginia's top rate of 5.75% kicks in at just $17,000 of taxable income, so most working people pay it on nearly everything. Florida has no state income tax. ### Retirement income. Virginia doesn't tax Social Security, and people 65 and older get a deduction of up to $12,000 (income-tested). But Virginia taxes IRA, 401(k), and most pension income. Florida doesn't tax any of it. ### The car tax. Virginia cities and counties charge a yearly personal property tax on your vehicles. Florida has no annual car tax. ### Estate and inheritance tax. Virginia has neither, and neither does Florida. No change here. ### Property taxes. Virginia's property taxes are below the national average. Florida homeowners get a homestead exemption (up to $51,411 for 2026) and the Save Our Homes cap on yearly assessment increases, but your savings may be small. [Pete: add a real example, like the yearly tax on a homesteaded $400,000 home in Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie).] ### Military retirement. Virginia exempts up to $40,000 of military retirement pay in 2026. Florida doesn't tax any of it. ## Where are you moving from? ### Northern Virginia Median sale price: $744,950 (September 2026). Your money goes much further here. A Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie) home at the $420,000 median could leave a big chunk of your equity in the bank. ### Richmond and Central Virginia Median single-family price: $415,000 (September 2026). Prices are about the same as Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie). The savings come mostly from income tax and the car tax. ### Hampton Roads Median sale price: $375,000 (September 2026). Prices are similar to Sebastian (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/sebastian) and a bit below Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie). If you love living near the water, the Treasure Coast gives you the ocean and the Indian River Lagoon. Treasure Coast single-family medians, September 2026: Port St. Lucie (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie) $420,000, Vero Beach (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/vero-beach) $450,000, Sebastian (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/sebastian) $366,000, Fort Pierce (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/fort-pierce) $280,000. Source: Florida Realtors SunStats (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/treasure-coast-housing). Virginia prices are from regional Realtor associations. ## Flying home to Virginia ### Washington Dulles Breeze Airways flies nonstop between Vero Beach (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/vero-beach) and Dulles twice a week. The flight takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Ideal for Northern Virginia. Breeze also flies nonstop to Baltimore's BWI. For Richmond and Hampton Roads, Orlando and Palm Beach have connecting options, and American flies nonstop from Vero Beach (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/vero-beach) to Charlotte for easy connections. Schedules change by season. Check the airline before you book. ## Make Florida your legal home 1. File a Declaration of Domicile with your Florida county clerk. 2. Get a Florida driver's license and Florida tags. Once your car is registered here, Virginia's car tax ends. 3. Register to vote in Florida. 4. Apply for your homestead exemption by March 1 of the year after you buy. 5. File a part-year resident return in Virginia for the year you move. We're Realtors, not tax advisors. Talk to a CPA about your own move. ## Property taxes are on the Florida ballot On November 3, 2026, Florida voters decide Amendment 3 (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/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 Virginia buyers.] ## The honest tradeoffs - **Home insurance costs much more.** Florida averages about $8,471 a year, 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.** Hampton Roads folks know storms, but Florida's season is longer. Know your flood zone before you buy. - **No real winter, no real fall.** You trade four seasons for long, hot summers. - **HOAs are common.** Read the rules and budget first. ## Where Virginians land here [Pete and Kate: 2 to 3 sentences on the Virginia buyers you've helped and where they settled. No client names.] ### Boating and waterfront living: Jensen Beach (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/jensen-beach), Stuart (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/stuart), and Palm City (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/palm-city). ### Newer homes, golf, and more space: Port St. Lucie: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/port-st-lucie. ### Beach and a real downtown: Vero Beach: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/vero-beach. ### Small town on the river: Sebastian: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/cities/sebastian. ## Our story [Pete and Kate: where you each came from (Connecticut and Delaware), when you moved, and what you'd tell someone leaving Virginia. 3 to 5 sentences.] ## Frequently asked questions ### Will I save on taxes moving from Virginia to Florida? ### Does Florida have a car tax like Virginia? ### Does Florida tax retirement income? ### Are homes cheaper on the Treasure Coast than in Virginia? ### Can I fly nonstop from the Treasure Coast to Northern Virginia? Image: Blue Florida lagoon beside a sandy mangrove shoreline and palms (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/assets/virginia-relocation-coast-UEMIvUGL.jpg) ## Thinking about trading Virginia for the Treasure Coast? We'll give you straight answers on prices, insurance, and taxes before you ever book a flight. Call or text us anytime. Call Pete: +17722841419 Call Kate: +17723424006 Contact Us: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/contact Kate Ward - 772-342-4006 / Peter White - 772-284-1419 / RE/MAX Gold ## Sources - Virginia income tax and retirement income: Virginia Department of Taxation (https://www.tax.virginia.gov/subtractions) - Virginia car tax: Virginia localities (https://www.tax.virginia.gov/property-tax-and-real-estate-tax-questions) - Virginia home prices: Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (https://www.nvar.com/news/2026-10-16/market-statistics-setpember-2026/), Central Virginia (https://cvmls-public.stats.showingtime.com/docs/lmu/x/EntireMLS?src=page) and Hampton Roads Realtor associations, September 2026 (https://www.reinmls.com/news/median-sales-prices-down-across-region) - Treasure Coast home prices: Florida Realtors SunStats, September 2026 (https://www.floridarealtors.org/tools-research/reports/florida-market-reports) - Home insurance averages: Insurance.com, 2026 (https://www.insurance.com/home-and-renters-insurance/coverage/florida-homeowners-insurance) - Florida homestead exemption and Amendment 3: Florida property appraisers (https://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers_Exemptions.aspx) - Flights: Breeze Airways (https://www.flybreeze.com/home), Washington Dulles International Airport (https://www.flydulles.com/) ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "RealEstateAgent", "name": "Pete & Kate Real Estate", "url": "https://petekaterealestate.com", "telephone": "+1-772-284-1419", "description": "Kate Ward and Peter White, REALTORS with The McKinney Team at REMAX Gold. 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Income tax, the car tax, home prices by region, Dulles nonstop flights, and honest tradeoffs from Treasure Coast Realtors.", "datePublished": "2026-10-30", "dateModified": "2026-10-30", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter White", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/about", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RE/MAX Gold" } }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kate Ward", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/about", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RE/MAX Gold" } } ], "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Pete & Kate Real Estate", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/moving-to-florida-from-virginia" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will I save on taxes moving from Virginia to Florida?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually, yes, mainly on income tax and the yearly car tax. Virginia's property taxes are already fairly low, so savings there may be small." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Florida have a car tax like Virginia?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Florida doesn't charge an annual personal property tax on vehicles." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Florida tax retirement income?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Florida has no state income tax, so IRA withdrawals, pensions, and Social Security aren't taxed by the state." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are homes cheaper on the Treasure Coast than in Virginia?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Compared with Northern Virginia, much cheaper. Compared with Richmond and Hampton Roads, prices are about the same." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I fly nonstop from the Treasure Coast to Northern Virginia?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. 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